Tomorrow I leave for China.
I find that I pack and prepare better when I have been to where I am going….
There are so many questions when traveling into the unknown….
There is the obvious of weather and proper attire, culture and what we will need for comfort (toilet paper, drinking water, hand sanitizer etc.)…
There is questions I have of our agenda and daily routine, where we will be sleeping and how full will our days be. I wonder about the time change and how my body will adjust to a flip flop of the clock…
And there are questions on my heart about our Journey Groups.
We will be inviting and embracing stories,
We will be inviting honesty and vulnerability,
We will be sharing laughter and tears, fears and delight.
We will discuss shame, contempt, disappointment and sexuality…
We will explore brokenness and redemption…
We will enter as strangers to an unknown land and we will leave as friends who understand the language of our hearts…
I am not sure what to pack in my bag, but I know what to take in my heart.
I am not sure what to wear to the great wall of China, but I know God will ensure I am ready for group! 
I am going to an unknown land, that is for sure, but I am journeying down a road that I am passionate about…
the invitation to each journey back to our own hearts.
I am eager, I am anxious, I am excited, I am unsure and I am confident that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Journeying with others is part of that completion!
I welcome your prayers and will share as I am able about the journey and where it will lead, both in steps we take to explore (and shop) in China but also within my own heart!
I am humbled and I am filled with gratitude!
Bon Voyage,
Trish
Uncle Bob’s prayer said it well. I think you will be fine and no matter what you pack in your suitcase, it matters most what you carry in your heart. Love you.