It Begins...

May 23rd, 2013 12:00pm

Nervous- Do I have everything? What if something goes wrong? Will we have a profitable ministry? Excited- I can't believe it's finally here! These next few hours are going to take forever. When will our plane finally leave?

Our entire team in the Springfield Airport- Strapped in and Ready to Go!

All these thoughts and more swirled through my head as my team and I said goodbye to family and friends in the Springfield Airport. A quick photo op and we were headed through security and to our gate. After what seemed like forever we got on a quick flight to Atlanta. From Atlanta we took about a 10 hour flight to Madrid, Spain- with two people getting very sick on the way over, the flight in itself was an adventure. Let's just say airsickness was not part of the plan. Once in Spain it took an airport train, two buses, and a 45 minute Taxi ride through mountainous switchbacks to finally arrive in St. Jean Pied de Port.

St. Jean is a small town in the south of France, which acts as the start of the Camino Del Santiago. Filled with shops, restaurants, and albergues, St. Jean caters to the flood of pilgrims who begin their journey here. We had one day to explore the town and acclimate before we set off on our first day of trekking. Below are some pictures of our exploration of the town.

Picturesque St. Jean

Lunch...and yes that's a whole egg on my pizza!

St. Jean's beautiful Medieval church- We saw hundreds of these small town parishes.

 

An ancient key to the church in the picture above, that still worked!

  

Meet the Team!

Hello All,

Join me over the next few weeks as I post a day by day account of my trip. I will also include pictures so you can get an even better idea of the Way of St. James. As I have said before I am very new at this so bear with me as I learn how to be a "blogger." But before we fully dive in- some trip statistics and a team introduction.

Trip Statistics-
19 Days (Late May-Early June 2013)
13 Days spent hiking
10 People (two teams of 5)
287.5 Kilometers (178.64 miles)
630,890+ steps
Across 2 countries

The Team-

Janet-Our fearless leader. Home-remedy specialist and hiking extraordinaire Janet was in every way the glue of our team. She kept us on track and lead but allowed us to make decisions as a team as well. Janet took care of us and always put us before herself. She answered the Lord's call to take care of those around you and showed such love and compassion to all. Janet was the ultimate asset to our team and I cannot imagine what our trip would have been like without her.

Micah-Our musical genius. Guitar toting and philosophy loving Micah was the only guy in our 5 member team. He's a real trooper for putting up with all of us ladies for 13 days straight. Micah added a serious and thought provoking component to our team and promoted a lot of self-reflection. Always steadfast, he never missed a beat and daily lead the pack.

Vicki-Our pragmatic photographer. Insanely skilled with her camera, Vicki provided the most beautiful pictures of the trip. Her practicality and determination ensured that our team kept goals and purpose in mind. On top of her artistic talent, Vicki has a great albeit sarcastic sense of humor that kept me on my toes and smiling.         

Lyndsay-Our caring extrovert. Regardless of situation, Lyndsay was always one of the first to strike up a conversation and open up to those we met. She constantly asked how we were doing and strove to make everyone else's journey as enjoyable as possible. Her smiling face and eager attitude made her a joy to be around.   

On the first morning of our trek- (from far left) Lyndsay, Janet, Myself, Micah, and Vicki

As you can imagine our team ended up spending lots of time together as we trained for months before leaving and then spent the entire trip together. Each person brought this unique and lovely personality that allowed our team to reach many different types of people and balance each other out. I got to know everyone quite well and love and miss them greatly. There's just something about walking almost 200 miles with someone that brings you together.

So that's the gang you will come to know and love as you read about our shared experiences on the Camino. Tomorrow we begin!

Today is the day we leave! I cannot believe this day has finally come, and so fast too. Our flight for Chicago leaves at 11:50 and then we are off into the great unknown. For future reference, I am going to introduce you to the fellow members of my team.

There are ten of us all together and we have split into two groups. The other group consists of Chris (the leader), Cody, Nick, Hanna, and Bekah. My team is Janet (our leader), Micah, Vicki, Lyndsaybeth, and me (of course!). More on them later...

I am excited and a little nervous, but so ready for this adventure to begin. Again, I ask for you to shower our trip with prayers, so that we might see the Lord's great work. Hopefully my next post is from España! So audiós mis amigos y Dios le bendice!

An Introduction, An Update, and A Request

Dear Friends,

I have never written anything like this so bear with me as I attempt to figure out "blogging."

This blog will center around my upcoming missions trip. It will include information on our preparation, purpose, and daily encounters. Hopefully, it will give you all at home a taste of what my trip is like. So with out further ado-

An Introduction-
My name is Julia and I am a freshman at Southwest Baptist University. This spring (May 23-June 10) I am taking part in a missions trip to the Pyrenees mountains in Spain. My team and I will walk a section (about 200 miles) of the pilgrimage trail known as "The Camino del Santiago" or "The Way of St. James." This is an ancient pilgrimage route tracing from southern France and across northern Spain to the coastal city of Santiago. Thousands of people from all over the world walk this route each year, on spiritual, physical, and emotional journeys. Our purpose in walking is to intentionally take part in spiritual conversations with fellow pilgrims and share the Good News with those who are lost.

Our team consists of ten "missionaries" and this larger group will split into two teams of five. This split will prevent logistical troubles and present a less intimidating front to those we come in contact with. As a team we will stay in hostels and carry everything we need in backpacks as we travel. Each day we will wake up and walk to our next destination; at night, we will be preparing community meals to share with our fellow pilgrims (because who doesn't like food?!). Our hours spent walking, eating, and living with them will allow us to share the Gospel in a relevant way.  

An Update-
This whole thing started about eight months ago in mid-September when my school, Southwest Baptist University, rolled out their mission trip schedule for the following year. As I sat in chapel and flipped through the book containing information on each trip I came across one labeled Pyrenees. One look at the description and purpose for the trip and I knew it was the trip meant for me. I then began the application and interview process. After what felt like a failed interview, I waited for several weeks until I received the answer that I was accepted for the Pyrenees team. Following my acceptance, I went into "fundraising mode." I sent out letters to friends and family who graciously supported me. By the grace and provision of Christ, I was fully funded by early February.

After the team was put together we were given a fantastic book, God's Space, to read over Christmas break. If you know me and would like to borrow it I would be happy to share! God's Space is all about how to allow people to "wonder" their way into a spiritual conversation, and then preparing you for a relevant response. By taking a question centered approach we avoid being pushy, seemingly hypocritical Christians, without watering down the Gospel message or being unintentional. We began having weekly team meetings in early February in which we discussed the book, logistics of the trip, and prepared spiritually and physically. This included gathering supplies such as packs, boots, rain gear, even special socks.

As our trip drew nearer we took a jaunt down in Arkansas for a three day hiking adventure in preparation. It was definitely an eye opener for those of us who went, and gave us a better idea of what to expect (Hint: exhaustion and sore feet). The trip was also a great time to bond and get to know each other as a team.    

A Request-
Today marks exactly 2 weeks from the day that we leave. We are all excited, anxious, and prayerful. I ask that you join my team and I in a prayerful attitude as we prepare for and take this trip. We would appreciate prayer for safety, health, spiritual discernment, and spirit-led conversations. Please also pray that the Spirit touches the hearts of those that we will come in contact and prepares them for the message that we bring.

So...How did I do? I hope you enjoyed this post (sorry it's a bit lengthy!) and that you will commit to coming along for what promises to be a life changing journey. Please feel free to contact me via comment if you have questions, suggestions, or encouragement. Thank you to all those who have already show love and support for this trip. Look for another post soon and God Bless!

In Him,
Julia