June 25, 2009 - Final Reflections

I'm feeling very ambivalent this morning. On the one hand, the prospect of going home and seeing family and friends is so exciting; on the other hand, it is hard to say good-bye to all our new friends in Africa!

Last evening the team spent some time reflecting on things we have learned during our stay in South Africa and I would like to share some of those:

We renamed this our "Hurry up and Wait" pilgrimage, which is to say that we have all learned a little more about patience.

We learned that we could live happily with a lot less "stuff", which may mean we clean out our closets when we get home - and pack less on future trips.

We learned how very fortunate we are by virtue of being born in the U.S. We learned that we are given many opportunities that others don't receive and we learned that good fortune and opportunity carry with it a responsibility to care for

those who are not so blessed.

We learned that Christ was already in Africa waiting for us.

We learned the value of genuine hospitality.

We learned to step outside of our comfort zone and trust God to walk beside us.

We learned that although we live in a completely different culture, we are more alike than different from our brothers and sisters in Africa.

And I learned that Belmont UMC is blessed with some of the most gifted and mature youth I've ever had the privilege to know.

We all agree that this has been a memorable pilgrimage for us and that it has bonded us together into a community that we hope to continue to share when we get home.

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces at the Nashville airport tomorrow!

Love,
Chris Steele