It is hard to believe that in 24 hours I will be in Minneapolis, the first leg of the journey. Three fabulous friends will be spending part of the lay over with me, women who have helped to shape me and who are associated with my days in St. Paul, MN when I trained to be an ASL-English interpreter. I cannot wait to see them and think it is a terrific way to start my journey.
I have lots to be thankful for as I leave. I have listened to Josh Groban's Thankful several times in preparation for my departure. The words are powerful and part of it must be from Gandhi's famous quote and that is what I take with me:
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.
Yesterday 2009 began and I found a few moments in the day to be still. To sit, for perhaps a final time this season, in front of the Christmas tree and come before the baby Jesus. I imagined holding the baby in my arms and as I sat in meditation with this image, I saw the faces of Africans: a boy with a fly on his forehead, a woman wrapped in colourful apparel, a rebel, a peacekeeper, a soldier in fatigues. I realized that Christ is in all these humans and I will encounter Him in a variety of people as I journey. Maybe that is what Groban means in this verse:
Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light
The latest that I know is still the same as the other post with these additions. One of the CAPI staff will meet me at the airport on Sunday night and bring me to the guest house where I will recover from jet lag. We will leave for Goma, DRC for a brief stay and make our way, via Rwanda, to Bujumbura, Burundi by January 12th where I will be for a few weeks.
I do have lots to be thankful for....especially to those of you reading this who have promised to pray for me and who have been so supportive over the past few months as I have prepared to depart.
blessings upon 2009,
Suzanne
4 comments:
I didn't get a chance to e-mail or call before you left. I hope the transition is going well and that you're warm. Try to stay out of trouble.
Hi Suzanne!
Just a quick hello to let you know that youa re being thought of.
I hope you had a great time reconnecting with your old friends....what would we do without our friends????
Have a safe first leg to your journey and look up at the sun and soak some in for me!
Stay well and happy!
Love...
Celeste
Missed you on Friday but was glad you came in to say goodbye after the New Year's Eve Mass. Follow that star ... and who knows what road you will take back!! Blessings.
Hi Suzanne,
Well my dear many blessings on your adventure!! I am sorry I have been such a bad supporter before you left....I just kind of made myself very busy (too busy) in order to take a break, I think, from interpersonal stuff, family dysfunction and grieving!! Funny to make oneself so busy in order to take a break...
But your departure was negelected by me and I'm sorry about that....(and I was at the Trappist monestary during your send-off mass)...
I was hoping to get together with you before you left, but now realize you HAVE left.
So many many blessings Suzanne. I will be sure to keep you in prayer, and to check out this very cool blog site from time to time.
In the peace of Christ,
Malinda
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