Goshen 4 a.m., Nanchong 4 p.m.

Today at 4 p.m. in Nanchong we held a host family orientation meeting at the university. Concurrently in Goshen, SSTers were beginning their pre-dawn journey to China. Here are the family members waving to students at my request for a photo, and the students as they prepare to depart O’Hare. Each family is very eager to welcome and host their student. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated for the group’s travel safety, as well as for Amy, a group member who is caught in the flooding in Houston. Amy and her family are on our minds a lot; we anticipate her pending journey to join us when she can safely leave.