This is the day

The day of departure has finally arrived - hard to believe I have been thinking and talking about this trip since Dan Matthews returned last July- 2007. My neighbor left a sweet note -- thanking me for being so willing to go so far to spread the Good News. One of my parishioners sent me off with the words, do good unto others! It dawned on me this morning, that, while I am certainly going to be all about spreading the Good News, and will try to do good unto others, that that I will also be in the receiving of Good News position, and that I have already received good done unto me by so many - in preparation for this trip, and throughout my whole life. One of the authors I have been reading, Phil Cousineau, says that one of the many gifts of pilgrimage is the sensation, again and again, of gratitude for the mysterious and numinous in our lives. If so, then my pilgrimage is already a success -- as I sat Asante sana (thank you very much) to all of you who have made this trip possible - through gifts of money, advice, time, prayer - and being willing to shoulder the reins while I am gone - asante sana again and again to Dan and Gene Paradise, the clergy who will hold down the fort; to Katherine, Heather and Andrew; to Beth McDonald, who is Christian ed director for the day on Sept. 7th! As St. Paul says, I cannot give enough thanks for all of you -- I am thanking God for you continuously!

Pray for me and that God will continue to be in this trip! Mungu akubariki! (God bless you)

Pat