Preparing frantically

Dear friends,

Preparing for this pilgrimage has got me thinking about things. We are leaving on Thursday, and when we finally arrive in Jerusalem, it will be Saturday. We could start at the inconvenience of a 12 hour layover in Zurich. However, technology really makes it very easy to travel to the Holy Land. The distance we are able to cover in two days would have once been many months for pilgrims of old. They would have had to travel by land and sea in dangerous conditions or in hostile territory.

Have you seen some of the pictures of Pope Benedict visiting Turkey? I really believe that he is doing Christ's work there in his typically quiet and unassuming way. I hope that we keep the Pope in our prayers until he returns to Rome on Dec. 2.

I am about half-way through packing. I have to try to balance my textbooks and other dense objects between two bags. These weight restrictions are a good things for the airlines, but also for my back. I have to make choices about how much I can carry, but really I am allowed plenty of space in my luggage to be comfortable. What concerns me more is the baggage of my heart. What do I need to shed in order to discover Christ on this journey? How can I grow so that the struggles and joys of others become my prayers, my desires? Please pray that I can lose my life in order to find in Christ.