My wife, Katie, will be the first to tell you that I have a tendency to over pack. She is not wrong. I have been known to schlep unnecessary items “just in case.” This is okay when it comes to a road trip - there is always extra room in the car/RV. It is a different story when the journey involves a plane and is to the other side of the globe.
What to bring along with me was the subject of a recent conversation with my spiritual director. I have come to understand that throwing extra things in my bags, is a meager attempt to control the unknown. It is also a refusal to “let go” of things, a lack of trust that God will provide what is truly needed.
As I pack my bags, I am asking the question, “will this contribute or detract from my sacred journey?” Will it help open me to the experiences that lie ahead and allow me to learn? Will it distract me from being present and available to my traveling companions and those I will meet in Tanzania?
Here is what is currently in my backpack: a camera, my travel watercolor kit, a writing journal, and a fountain pen. Over the years, I have used these tools to help make meaning of new experiences. They cause me to slow down and be more fully present. Through the lens of a camera or the tip of a brush, I pay attention to light, colors, and surroundings in a way that I wouldn’t otherwise. These tools have also drawn me closer to God’s presence as I travel.
I will also be bringing a new camcorder that I purchased for the experience. In the past few weeks, I’ve gathered many questions that folks would like to have answered. It is my intent to show you as many answers as possible.
I’m traveling with a few books: a Swahili phrasebook, a book on culture, a guidebook, and a book of African stories by Nelson Mandela. Although Nelson Mandela comes from South Africa, it is closer to the stories of Tanzania than the Western stories with which I am familiar. My hope is that these books will help to broaden the experience by immersing me into Tanzania culture.
In my bags, there will be gifts and well wishes from St. James to its partner congregation in Idunda. I am happy to deliver personal notes and remembrances to Pastor Mponzi and his family. I will be taking a few gifts of my own in appreciation for the hospitality that I will receive and to celebrate the relationships that we have with our sisters and brothers in Christ in Iringa.
At the end of worship, Pastor Nancy will lead prayers of Godspeed with me. This will include a blessing of my backpack and the tools that it contains.
There will be an opportunity to hear more about the Pastoral Mission during the Adult Sunday School (which we will hold in the Fellowship Hall). You can also sign a card for Idunda and add your greetings.
I am putting the finishing touches on a seventeen day devotional series, the Pamoja Devotions. You can sign up on Sunday or by following the link on the home page of St. James website. Starting on January 29, you will get a daily prayer, devotion, and what’s on my itinerary.
I ask for your daily prayers for my pilgrimage and this Pastoral Mission to Tanzania that God might bless this journey to enhance and support St. James’s long-standing relationships with Tanzania.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt