Sheila Sims Iding
When you are “going” to a place to visit it is different than “moving” to that place. “Going” is a visit. You take some clothes, some toiletries and leave some room for souvenirs. When you are “going” for a long visit you take a bigger suitcase, more clothes, more toiletries and leave extra room for souvenirs. The longer the visit the bigger the packing.
Tim has had several trips to China ranging from two-week visits to summer-long visits there. The packing was for a “visit”. Even when he stayed a whole year, we never packed for the whole year because he was only supposed to be there for the summer. But the Holy Spirit, Fr. Brian and Tim’s heart surprised him by having him stay a whole year.
So now Tim packs for “moving” not “going” to China and I am starting to realize that “moving” packing is different than “going” packing. You don’t have to take as much because with that first paycheck you buy the necessities of “living” in China. You don’t take tons of extra clothes because you will buy them there. You don't take extra shampoo, batteries or personal items, you will buy them there. You don’t take your favorite winter sweater or hat and mittens, you will buy them there that first sign of the brutal Jilan winters.
What you do take extra of is the medicine you will need to stay healthy for living in China. You take as much medicine as insurance will allow you to have and you hoard it. It now becomes precious cargo as China does not have medicine for cystic fibrosis since that disease is not part of the Asian culture. So part of a suitcase is designated for this precious cargo with many prayers tucked in between each bottle and box of medicine.
What else you take extra of are those hallowed books of theology and saints and religion and Biblical studies. When you teach in a seminary, they are now tools of your trade and the “office supplies” of your work. They have been baptized with highlighters, notes in the margin and dog-eared covers. They are as precious to Tim’s heart as the medicine is to his health. I would tuck prayers in the pages of those books like I tucked prayers with the medicine packing but, truth is, the prayers are already there. With these cherished books I will tuck wishes between the pages as Tim lives his childhood dream of “going to China to teach others about Jesus”.
The last part of packing that is different is you don’t leave room for souvenirs. Souvenirs are for tourists visiting a country. Tim is not visiting China…he is living there. Tim is not a tourist in China anymore….he is a resident. It is not a destination or a vacation. It is home and it is a career...it is a vocation. So his suitcases will not have extra room for souvenirs but as Tim prepares for “moving” to China, he prepares extra room in his heart for the memories he will make as he continues “going” with the call of God’s will in his life and “moving” toward his innate mission of teaching others about Jesus.
“Going” or “moving” my prayer is the same. Vaya con Dios, Timothy.