If you had to fit everything you needed for 11 months into one checked bag and one carry-on, what would you bring? This question is no longer hypothetical like the ones my friends and I used to ask at sleepovers: “What three items would you bring to a deserted island?” or “If your house was on fire, what would you take?” Instead, this question has become my reality for the past week.
My brain has been plagued with questions: How many sticks of deodorant should I bring? What clothes are simultaneously lightweight, durable, modest, wrinkle-free, versatile, formal, and semi-fashionable? Will I be accused of being a drug mule for having all of my meds for the year in a giant Ziploc? How much weight can my collarbone sustain before it shatters under this pack? How can I look more like a hipster traveler and less like a freak Ninja Turtle when I have to carry my backpack over my chest? For heaven’s sake, it’s not called a frontpack for a reason.
Essentially, the process of simplification is complex. Minimization has brought me to my maximum capacity on a couple levels: emotionally, I’ve been brought to my limit with stressing about packing, and physically, my pack has been brought to its limit as the fabric threatens to rip. I’ve been reminded of the play title You Can’t Take It with You and Snow Patrol’s lyrics “A fire / A fire / You can only take what you can carry.”
When faced with this situation, you get to see what you are willing to purge in order to keep that which you find truly valuable. I sacrificed my hammock for a teddy bear. It may sound lame, but hey, small bits of home are important when you’re moving every month. I took fewer clothes and more art supplies. I only brought one book to ensure room for both a Spanish and English bible.
You also discover how to expand the use of your items. My teddy bear doubles as a pillow (see, it matters). I use my airporter (a duffle bag for your pack) as a laundry bag. There are 18 freaking uses for my Dr. Bronner’s soap. Do I even have 18 body parts? Not a thought I want to dwell on, so I won’t.
When I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, for our final two-day training, I was relieved to see that everyone else looked just as bulky as I did. Surprisingly, I had one of the lightest packs at 30 pounds. This was primarily due to the fact that I have a 50-liter pack, thanks to a former racer’s donation. Other people were scrambling to get rid of things so their pack weighed 50 pounds or less.
Throughout this process of complicated simplification, God brought to mind the Scripture passage where Jesus commissions his disciples to proclaim the gospel, heal the sick, and drive out demons in local villages. In Luke 9:3, he instructs them, “Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.” Whoa. Last time I checked, I took everything for the journey – multiple bags, food, money, and extra clothes. The only item I do lack is a staff, and that’s because I’m not Yoda. I had been freaking out about the perfect balance of not under- or over-packing, yet Jesus commanded his followers not to bringing anything material. Such a challenging concept.
However, before Jesus told the disciples not to take anything, he gave them two non-material somethings. The essential somethings. In Luke 9:1, it says, “he gave them power and authority” to do the work he called them to. They were given His power and authority before being instructed to leave materials behind. I know that I, too, have been equipped with this same power and authority to do the miraculous because a piece of God, the Holy Spirit, lives within me. Even though I will be holding onto the material possessions that I packed, God has reaffirmed that the most important tools needed to spread is love in the world are His power and authority. This concept aligns perfectly with what Adventures in Missions staff taught us at launch: The kingdom of God is the people of God living in the presence of God through the power of God.
Now on to the practical matters. For two days, all six squads that are launching in January (the same six that were at Training Camp with me) received training in Atlanta, Georgia. Our parents were invited to participate in informational meetings, meet our squadmates and send us off. My mom came, which was a huge blessing. I was able to pray over her, which is something that I rarely do. She prayed throughout the night for specific words from the Lord for me and shared many encouraging truths.
In our training sessions we learned about the nuances of how to care for orphans and women who have been trafficked, how to live in healthy community, how to effectively share the gospel with others, how to honor the people hosting us in each country, and how to be safe (spoiler alert: don’t be a dirty idiot). We were challenged to eliminate the phrase “over it” from our vocabulary and to break the millennial stereotype of being coddled and giving up easily. Overall, it was a very exciting, invigorating time.
Currently, I am in Costa Rica and will update you about this month’s ministry as soon as I am able, as our time and Wi-Fi are limited. Thank you all for your support. This is a dream come true!
