Packing

Whenever I get ready for a mission trip it is hard to think of anything but what I need to pack. I make my lists, pile everything on the floor, pack it all in, then start pulling out those things I don’t really need. It is all too easy to over pack and over think the details.

I remember some of the things we have packed on mission trips. One year we took oatmeal cream pies. By the time we took them out they were mashed so flat we referred to them as crepes. We knew cookies would never survive the trip so Joyce made us energy balls out of peanut butter, wheat germ, and other things. They mashed together and became cubes but were still very tasty. Our driver could not get enough of them!

I always tell team members to bring old clothes to give away. One year we were constantly bugged by a craft dealer who tried every day to sell us his wares. We figured out he liked to barter and many of us traded our old clothes for some nice souvenirs. Everyone was happy.

Packing can be a good spiritual exercise. It forces us to prioritize. You are limited by space and guided by the activities that are planned. We Americans have too much stuff. We have a hard time deciding what to take to go share the gospel with people who are blessed if they have a change of clothes.

When Paul was in prison he wrote to Timothy and asked for three things. “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” (2 Timothy 4:13 ESV) He wanted a warm coat, His bible, and his personal notes. Very likely he was arrested with only the clothes on his back. These were his few most important possessions.

I think I need more than that to ride comfortably on an airplane. I look at my carry-on pile and I am with Paul for about a second. I see my Bible, journal, and passport. Then I also see a pillow, earplugs, medicine, flashlight, phone, and a laptop. Okay, I’m just getting started. But what do I really need besides the first three? What do you really need? All we really need is Jesus. That is why we go.

Bro. Robin