Cars, buses, people, and even cows bustle around the obviously busy streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka.  The sun intensified as the morning progressed.  I looked down, only to see my foot--just barely--miss a pile of garbage lying in the middle of the road.  I held tightly to my father's hand as we crossed the street to go to yet another little boutique shop, to complete our grocery list.

Sri Lanka--a beautiful island with an intelligent and unique people.  I was excited that this little island was my country of birth and I was finally able to see, feel, and experience it...  I was eleven years old; naively excited about the new sights and sounds of this country we had just moved to.  I was oblivious to the fact that this was considered a third world country, and that what I saw was not beauty in the eyes of most people.

As you may get an idea from the introductory paragraph there, I do love Sri Lanka. But I'm not just Sri Lankan.  I am a Sri Lankan-born girl with an immediate Indian (and Malayalee no less... Ahhh!) heritage.  I've lived in America, Sri Lanka, and even South Korea, and to make matters even more complicated, I am a Missionary/Pastors daughter - a whole other category to place one into!  So, if you think you are culturally confused, I would beg to differ.

I am not sure where I identify with, but I have learned, as I have matured, that my identity for the most part is in Christ Jesus and to never be tied down to culture - just learn from it!  So allow me to introduce myself, Johanna Ephraim. 

Special thanks to the staff of IPF for allowing me to enter into their domain.