Through an oversight (or else probably, if you think about , just plain politeness), they don’t weigh the passengers…We struck out for Africa carrying all excess baggage on our bodies. Also, we had clothes under our clothes. My sisters and I left home wearing six pairs of under drawers, two half-slips, and camisoles; several dresses one on top of the other, with pedal pushers underneath; and outside of everything an all weather coat. (The encyclopedia advised us to count on rain). The other goods, tools, cake-mix boxes and so forth were tucked out of sight in our pockets and under our waist-bands, surrounding us in a clanking armor. (Poisonwood Bible, pg. 15)
Just before returning home, I finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book Poisonwood Bible, which is a story about a family who goes to the Congo as missionaries. As they prepare to leave, they are struggling with keeping all of the suitcases under the weight limit as they try to bring all the "necessities" with them. Later in the book, they start to realize that all the things they carried over with them were none of the things they needed, and the things that they needed could not have ever been packed.
The whole book was an interesting read, and a great “How-not-to” manual for mission work. However, as I am packing up, and trying to fit my life for a year into two suitcases, a carry-on and a purse, the above passage, and situation, stands out to me. As I figure out what goes and what stays, I find myself slowly eliminating the non-essentials the big comfy sweatshirt, the extra running shoes, and the excess books that wouldn’t actually get read-and hoping I don’t forget something essential-my passport, my paperwork or my plane ticket.
As I go through this slow elimination process, I find that all the things I really want to take with me, cannot be packed in a suitcase, or hidden in my clothes for that matter-the friends, the family and the places that I love and cherish. But I know that I will take all of these with me in my heart and I am grateful for that.
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