Packing light? (Matthew 10:9-10)

Taking inventory

Nothing says you're going on a trip more than the act of packing your bags.

When you go on a missionary journey, you're going to bring baggage along with you.  There are a couple of different types of baggage.  First, there's the physical baggage such as your clothes, toiletries, your Bible (mustn't forget that) and perhaps a camera or blank notebook for recording your experiences along the way.

Then there's that other kind of baggage--the kind that you should try to leave at home if you can.  That baggage includes your preconceived notions about people in other countries, the idea that the way we do things where we come from is the only way or at least the best possible way, and other such thoughts.  It can be surprisingly difficult to leave that kind of baggage behind when you're coming from a relatively wealthy place to "help" people in a place where the people have less access than you do to wealth, physical resources and educational opportunities.

When the traveler is able to put aside that second kind of baggage, something amazing can happen.  He or she can learn to see the world in a different way.

Here's hoping we can all learn to travel travel light and be open to the insights that are waiting for us when we get to a new and different place.

We weren't packing light at Evangel Church on Saturday night, that's for sure.

A bunch of us gathered to prepare Vacation Bible School materials and pack crates of supplies that are coming with us to Belize.  Into the crates went power tools, soccer balls, Frisbees, bags of candy, cans of powdered Gatorade, Sunday School materials, craft items, musical instruments, work gloves and a host of other things that will be needed and very welcome where we are going.

Here are some pictures of our packing adventures.

Olivia works on VBS materials

Alex stands on a scale and does some mental math to weigh a full container.