Trying to explain a spiritual leading

I left for India this past week in the middle of my first semester of graduate school in an intensive program at the University of Pennsylvania.  I brought with me on the plane a backpack full of books, with the intention of finding the time here to stay on top of all my readings and assignments.  I'm thrilled to be here now, but I want to back track a bit to explain the process of deciding to join this 4th delegation to India. 

In the summer an email invitation from Scott Rhodewalt came my way forwarded three times from Scott to a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and from the CPMM mailing list to the West Philadelphia Worship Group listserv.  If I remember correctly, I ran straight outside, and told my mom I think in the fall I am going to India! Confused, she asked politely, "What for?"  And I replied, "Simply because I was invited." 

India was never a country on my long list of must-visit places.  I study East Africa and have been focused most recently on trying to spend more time in that region.  If I said I was going to Tanzania, no one would have been surprised.  But India was suddenly on my radar and the more I read about the trip, searched in myself for answers to the questions Scott asked of potential delegates, and read about the influence of Gandhi in the Kenyan Independence Movement, I felt that the spirit was leading me there. 

Quakers easily accepted this answer, but others questioned me relentlessly.  "Why India?"  "Why are you skipping school?"  "What do you mean you are going to meet other Quakers?  How many Quakers can there possibly be in India?" ( Luckily,. it was easy to justify my trip to my professors.  My program is an MSEd in International Educational Development, and when I get back I'll be giving three powerpoint presentations (which will hopefully end up posted here!)).  Unwilling to give in to questioning of God's will, I continued to tell naysayers and skeptics that I was going because I felt led to go, and that was all I really needed to know. 

Here now, I feel very confident that I ended up where I needed to be.  I've put a lot of trust in God thru Scott, Archana, Dilewar, Devdas, and others, my only real responsibility before getting to India being to book my plane ticket.  It's a huge departure from the way I usually travel, but I am so grateful for their hard work and planning.  It's been a great lesson in letting go, and letting God.  We haven't even gotten to the Gathering yet, and I'm already feeling quite spiritually fulfilled!