Our Journey Begins
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where
he was going.” Hebrews 11:8
The story of Abraham leaving His home in Ur and moving to the
land God promised him as an inheritance has always fascinated me. In Genesis
12:5 it reads that “he took all the possessions they had accumulated”. Can you
imagine the preparation that went into their move? Our preparations for moving
to Kudjip in the highlands of Papua New Guinea for the next 11 months are small
when I think of the formidable task that Abraham and Sarah faced! And yet, what
do you take when you are limited to 4 suitcases – 200 pounds in total weight?
Unlike Abraham and Sarah, we are fortunate in these times to have access to the
blogs and emails of the people who live in Kudjip. Brenda has asked the same
question of everyone she has corresponded with – What do you bring with you that you cannot find in Papua New Guinea?
So besides the clothes, we have school supplies, chocolate chips, spiced chai
mix, zip lock bags, etc., etc.! it’s funny to think about the fact that all
this stuff will not last 11 months! Our good friend Javier in Palmira, Colombia
helped us keep things in perspective when he reminded us that in reality we are moving with huge amounts
of God given gifts that are always in your mind and heart for which you never
need to pay extra money before boarding your flight.
After much decision making, packing, weighing, repacking, and
re-weighing; we are close to beginning our journey August 2nd. From
our home outside of Moscow, Idaho; to Spokane; to San Francisco; to Sydney; to
Port Moresby; to Mount Hagen; to our new home in Kudjip.
Hey kids
out there, consider this!
All over the world, kids your age find themselves in
situations where their families have to leave their homes and move somewhere
else due to wars, famines, persecutions, and other reasons. If you had to leave
your home for an unknown amount of time, and only take what you could fit in
your backpack – what would you take?