And Off We Go

Our luggage is all packed. I’ve taken a shower. We’ve packed our carry-on backpacks with all the essentials. If we were to lose our luggage, we have everything we need in our backpacks. It is somewhat liberating to know that there isn’t much that I need in life. All I need fits in this backpack. We will be heading to the airport in a few hours. We have done our best to prepare, to pack, and to pray these past several months. The time is finally here. I don’t necessarily feel ready but I think I’m as ready as I will ever be.

In my readings about the Israeli backpacking phenomenon in Nepal, I have observed that many view this phenomenon as a “rite of passage” or a means by which Israelis re-adjust to civilian life after serving in the military. It’s a chance for them to explore the world and to find themselves. In some ways, I feel that we can relate to that; maybe we need to find ourselves too. Maybe there’s something special about Nepal that allows people to find themselves. I really only have one objective: to discover. I want to discover more of who I am in Christ, more of who He wants me to be. I want to discover more about the man, Jesus, we follow, and what it takes to live my life in a way that honors God, the one who entrusts us with the Gospel.

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).

~Chris