Dear family and friends, As I depart Spain this morning and return to the hustle and bustle of pre-holiday preparations, I want to take a moment to express my profound gratitude to all of you for joining me on my Camino to Santiago de Compostela. I am especially grateful to the board of Episcopal ReliefContinue reading “Gratitude”
Category Archives: Travel
One is embarking on a strange journey: Reflections after 500 miles (Part Two)
Now that I have completed my Camino and have started to look back on my experience for a few days, I have come to realize that the most important and, in Idle’s words, “strange” part of my journey is just beginning: the journey of reflection. One could fill a small library with books of people’sContinue reading “One is embarking on a strange journey: Reflections after 500 miles (Part Two)”
One will be named: Reflections after 500 miles (Part One)
We walked into Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday afternoon. 500 miles done! I set out on the Camino with two goals. First, I wanted to take on the physical challenge of walking 500 miles. Second, I wanted to raise money for Episcopal Relief & Development’s work with children. Both of those goals have been achievedContinue reading “One will be named: Reflections after 500 miles (Part One)”
What can penguins teach us?
Prior to my recent trip to Antarctica, I confess that I had not given penguins much consideration. Not beautiful. Smell bad. Can’t fly. Really, what was the point of a penguin? Now, however, I have a new appreciation for the penguin. As our ship lay at anchor off Deception Island in the Antarctic Ocean, weContinue reading “What can penguins teach us?”
O Canada!
Last week I had occasion to be in Toronto on business with a colleague to attend a meeting with our colleagues at the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada. As we gathered to start our meeting, our host began by acknowledging the original inhabitants of the land upon whichContinue reading “O Canada!”
God’s Jewels
Anyone who knows me will attest that I am fundamentally a city person. Having lived in New York City on and off for over 30 years, my instincts are well-honed and distinctly urban. I can emerge from the subway and my sense of direction is intact. I know the most likely corners on which to catchContinue reading “God’s Jewels”
Fog Over the Promised Land
Last Thursday afternoon, just before heading home to New York, I stood on Mount Nebo in Jordan and looked west to the Promised Land. Mount Nebo is where Moses stood at the end of his life, having led the Israelites in the desert for forty years, and died. Today there is a modern Catholic churchContinue reading “Fog Over the Promised Land”
“Do not be afraid…”
Today I find myself in the Holy Land—on a pilgrimage. This is not my first pilgrimage, nor, do I suspect, will it be my last. Moreover, this is my 5th or 6th time visiting many of the sites on this trip. Yet, each visit is a little different. Each visit challenges and rewards me inContinue reading ““Do not be afraid…””
The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part Two)
In last week’s installment of “The Water and Sanitation Mystery” my colleague discovered that, to his alarm, the project had not gone as planned. Household latrines had not been built and the one public latrine that had been built was not in use. Most concerning, however, the community was not capturing and protecting its clean waterContinue reading “The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part Two)”
The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part One)
A trip report from one of my colleagues at Episcopal Relief & Development recently crossed my desk. I find these reports extremely helpful in understanding the challenges my co-workers are facing as they visit our programs around the world. Each of these reports is fascinating. However, this one was exceptional: it contained a mystery.Continue reading “The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part One)”
Rob's Reflections 