For those who have been following the blog faithfully during my travels, or are simply fretting about whether I actually did survive the 6+ hour drive back to Louisville on Wednesday night, I’m finally back in the office and semi-recovered from Part 1 of the fall World Tour. I venture back out on the road, however, next week to visit the University of Memphis and Vanderbilt University. I don’t think I’ll be doing any late-night traveling heroics, however, if I can help it.

After I wrote from Missouri Valley College on Wednesday, I went and gave the presentation on women’s leadership in the church throughout history for two groups—one a class, the other a group of students who had showed up to get extra credit. I think most of the class slept through my presentation. I found it interesting, though, that some said they didn’t see why women couldn’t be ministers, “if they were qualified for the job” (always interesting, how people question the qualifications of women to be ministers). I would say that many of them, though, weren’t really comfortable with the idea of women being ministers in their own churches. At least we’re going somewhere, though.

Next I headed to First Presbyterian Church in Columbia for a meeting with the church’s campus ministry on the University of Missouri campus. I got incredibly lost on the way there—if Expedia or Mapquest are wrong (and my directions misled me twice in Columbia), then you’re pretty much up a creek without a paddle if you don’t have an independent map. Though I was 20 minutes late, luckily none of the students had showed up for dinner yet. I had a good time telling them about opportunities to get involved with the PC(USA). They loved the “Jesus Loves Feminists” t-shirts, too.

And then I started back to Louisville, six hours away, at 7:30 pm Central time. It was a horridly long drive for that hour, and I couldn’t talk much on Hagar to alleviate the pain (battery problems). So when I ran into late-night road construction outside of St. Louis, I seriously almost cried. If you remember, I was also without a CD player, and the radio was my only friend as I drove across Missouri… and Illinois… and Indiana before finally reaching Louisville at 3:15 am Eastern. Highlights included “You’re the One that I Want” from Grease, two Cyndi Lauper classics, and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” But the little red clown car got me there safely, and Hagar’s battery didn’t die. Thank God for a safe journey.

I did listen to some talk radio, too, including a segment about “God’s Blueprint for the Perfect Woman” or something like that. I’m tempted to vent about this male minister’s ensuing male-focused sermon on women, but I’ll refrain today. Maybe something for another blog post.

“But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God.” --Job 13:3

Kelsey