Suitcases

I was pretty pleased with my packing for the DR trip this year. I pared down the number of pants and shirts I took, choosing to rinse out light-weight clothes rather than pack a pair of pants per day. I had a bunch of supplies for VBS and the Friday goody bags, a few gifts and a pair of shoes I knew I would leave behind. The bag weighed well under the 50 lb. limit set by the airline. I was looking forward to a really light bag on the way home.

Packing up to go home should have been a snap! I knew my swim suit would be wet from a morning snorkeling and had a plastic bag for that. I had a couple things to leave with Lilian - the rest of my sunblock, some bracelets for the girls, a battery-operated fan for Gabby. What I hadn't really thought about were the box of dominoes, 6 lbs of coffee, three bottles of vanilla and three jars of jam (passion-fruit, cashew-fruit and mango).  With a little trepidation I shoved my bag onto the scale at the airline counter... 48.7 lbs, ten pounds MORE than what the suitcase weighed on the trip down.

There are things that came home which don't weigh anything, though, and they're far more durable than the glass jars of jam or the vanilla that the TSA folks had to open my bag to inspect. The bonds of friendship between team members, the stories shared with family the minute they met us at the baggage claim, the facebook friend requests from the Cristo Salvador teens, the digital photos you will see if you click here.

I credit the Holy Spirit with the success of DR Mission 2011. We so often pack her without paying enough attention to whether she goes in the suitcase or carry-on bag. I really take her presence for granted. So here's one last thank you to that member of the Trinity - in the name of the Father, and the Son and especially the Holy Spirit, who will never put your suitcase over the weight limit! Amen.