Last
week, I met with two friends — Diana and Patricia — at Busboys and Poets in
Arlington, VA. I was the first to arrive and waited at the table for them;
traffic in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) is already heinous, but the rain exacerbated it.
Dianaarrived not too long after I’d been seated. We hadn’t seen each other in
awhile, so there was a bit of catching up to be done.
“So
I’m going to [South Asia],” I told her.
I’m going to [South Asia],” I told her.
She
looked at me. “Forever?”
looked at me. “Forever?”
“No,
10 days.”
10 days.”
She
sighed, quite relieved, given my history of travel. “I never know with
you.”
sighed, quite relieved, given my history of travel. “I never know with
you.”
To
prepare for the trip, our team — five of us from VA (one from Ambassador Bible
Church, the rest from Open Door Presbyterian Church), plus two joining us the day of the trip — has been reading The Hole
In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. This book is wrecking me, in the same way The
End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs and Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron
Sider had years ago.
prepare for the trip, our team — five of us from VA (one from Ambassador Bible
Church, the rest from Open Door Presbyterian Church), plus two joining us the day of the trip — has been reading The Hole
In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. This book is wrecking me, in the same way The
End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs and Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron
Sider had years ago.
She then told me about a book that’s been messing her up. “It’s about a girl who
adopted a bunch of orphans in Uganda-”
“Kisses
from Katie,” I interrupted.
adopted a bunch of orphans in Uganda-”
“Kisses
from Katie,” I interrupted.
“Yeah!”
she said.
she said.
Reading
about the children’s love and worship of God, of their faith to see him show
off would make her tear up while riding the Metro into the city, where she’s
finishing her final year of her Master’s program in Social Work. Diana wonders
if God might be calling her to Africa and readily admits it makes her a little
nervous.
about the children’s love and worship of God, of their faith to see him show
off would make her tear up while riding the Metro into the city, where she’s
finishing her final year of her Master’s program in Social Work. Diana wonders
if God might be calling her to Africa and readily admits it makes her a little
nervous.
I’m not nervous, as I’ve been to this country before. But this will be my first short-term missions trip with Open Door Presbyterian Church
(ODPC), which seems strange when I consider how long I’ve belonged to the
family — a decade, if you include the time I was away on the Race.
(ODPC), which seems strange when I consider how long I’ve belonged to the
family — a decade, if you include the time I was away on the Race.
it’s
not that i haven’t been engaged with missions post-Race. Quite the contrary —
I joined the missions committee, and have been on staff with Adventures.
not that i haven’t been engaged with missions post-Race. Quite the contrary —
I joined the missions committee, and have been on staff with Adventures.
Still,
being immersed in missions without actually going on missions is… strange…
being immersed in missions without actually going on missions is… strange…
I had to pass up an opportunity to go to Central Asia last spring with ODPC. I helped coordinate summer camp but didn’t actually go. We sent a team to spend Christmas in the Gambia.
I’ve had my hands in the proverbial honey pot without sampling the sweetness.
Until now.
To be continued tomorrow. Meanwhile, to learn more about the trip itself and to support me, click here: visionforjustice.causevox.com!
