More Sweet Than Bitter

Today is the big day, we're finally going home! In the flight from Singapore to Tokyo I was in the middle seat, but thankfully that flight was only a 6 hour flight. In the flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles I got the aisle seat and this was the 10 hour excursion, so thank God! The line to get back into the US was crazy, I've never seen so many people in one room. 

We finally made it back to La Sierra at around 5:30 PM on Friday. This experience has really changed my viewpoint on a lot of things, but I'm most thankful because I feel like it prepared me for my missions year. I have never been on my own for longer than a week, so this was a good test to see what I'm actually capable of. I took care of myself and it gave me the confidence I need in order to succeed on my own in another country. Other than helping me grow as a person, this trip really broadened my perspective about religion. Previously all I knew was Christianity, specifically Seventh-day Adventism. These experiences helped me to see other religious from the viewpoint of the people in their respective religions. Talking to Sikhs, Buddhists, and Muslims really helped me understand what these religions are all about. The one that stood out to me was Sikhism, the Sikhs who were talking to us explained their religion in a logical way that I related to. I genuinely enjoyed and respected what they had to say. I feel like even though we're part of different religions, I can still use the same ideas and apply it to my daily life. Now there are a lot of things I believe that isn't necessarily Adventist. The biggest thing that I took from it was the fact that they believe every religion is just a path. They are all different pathways to the same God. Even though we have different names for Him and different ways of worshipping Him, I believe that we are all worshipping the same God. All in all, this was definitely a life changing experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I want to thank the school and specifically Dr. Perumal for making this all possible for me and my fellow classmates. I'm writing this final blog entry while in the plane, so hopefully we return to La Sierra safely. I can't wait to be home! 

Sal Puma