Current Thoughts and New Dreams

How has the weather been where you guys are? I've been keeping a check on Munich and Rostock, and I'm tellin' ya, they've got quite a bit more pleasantness than us. But it certainly has been an interesting spring. I've been praying for no more basement flooding, but lately it seems we have more to worry about than just a little standing water. Check out this video I took of an incoming storm yesterday:

Not just a little scary, eh? Recently, we've been absolutely inundated with tornado warnings, sirens and just all kinds of craziness. Pray that we don't all fly away!

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday (when not otherwise engaged) is to watch public television programs like Burt Wolf's Travels and Rick Steve's Europe. Yesterday, while enjoying a lovely cup of coffee, I tuned in and had my eyes opened to the world of pilgrimage. It's not that I had never heard of taking pilgrimages, but just that I had never really entertained the idea of taking one myself. The episode that aired featured the highlights on the Camino de Santiago, which begins in France, crosses the Pyrennes then travels through Spain, eventually culminating in the Santiago de Compostela, where they believe the apostle James is buried. Here are a couple sites I found that I felt were particularly informative: Camino de Santiago and El Camino de Santiago.

I am FASCINATED by this. This particular route takes 5 weeks, conservatively. But what a wonderful 5 weeks it would be! On the show, they spoke to a few different people about why they had chosen to take so much time to do this (the total distance is around 500 miles ON FOOT), and surprisingly, many of the people were not Catholic or even Christian...they just recognized the spirituality of walking in silence, surrounded by beauty and reaching a specific and workable goal. I thought that this was just wonderful. And what a way to be introduced to the Gospel! I would absolutely love to do this. Where I would find 5 weeks of free time and the money, I'm not sure. There is an ECMI conference in Spain in 2012...perhaps I could do it after that? Hmmm...

Have any of you done a pilgrimage? I would LOVE to hear about your experience!

As for my support raising, things are moving, slowly but surely. I think I average about 1 or 2 new supporters a week, which is such a blessing! Of course, I would like things to move more quickly than that, but I know that God will move things in his own timing and that while I am still here, he is preparing me in other ways. It certainly takes much more than support to make a missionary, and I am learning something new about myself, my faith, God and His kingdom every day.

P.S. -- Prayer really works. Try it and see. 

Thanks for keeping up with me, my friends!

Love and Blessings,

Alison

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