Family visit

Hello to all my blog readers.  Since I will have my oldest brother, David, here for a visit along with his two sons Isaac and Aaron, and he will be writing regular letters and stories, for the next few weeks I will include his reflections in my blog.  I hope you enjoy!

Shalom

E

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.  There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has arisen and has appeared to Simon.”  Luke 24:33-34

Dear Ones,

                Today was the first day of our mission trip to Chile.  It began at 9 AM in Houston, Texas, and ended at 10 PM in--- Houston, Texas.  When the Lord sends you out of your home, you sometimes return there before going elsewhere. 

                During the next few weeks you will receive an indeterminate number of devotional journal entries recording the events of spiritual significance in a missionary trip/pilgrimage/visit to my sister Elena in Chile.  I am going out under the blessing and sponsorship of Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United church of Christ.  My sons Isaac (13) and Aaron (8) are going out under the sponsorship of their Aunt Elena (Global Ministries staff missionary in Chile) and their grandparents who want to help them rescue their Spanish. 

                Our adventures actually began several weeks ago with a trip to the town of Silsbee, Texas (two US, highways, three farm to market roads, a State highway, a roadside honkey-tonk, and a county landfill away from Houston) to get passports.  But that is a story for another time and context (though it did involve a very nice Roman Catholic parish, deserving in its own way of a pilgrimage).

                This adventure began with our 19 year old son Evan, his rather small Nissan, and as much luggage as we figured United Airlines would let us take.  It made for a less-than-completely comfortable trip to Dallas-Fort Worth airport, especially for Aaron and Isaac in the back seat.  Nonetheless, with only one stop at Subway in Waco for lunch and another for gas in Arlington, early afternoon found myself and the two younger boys at the United Ticket counter at D-FW, waiting for our boarding passes to - - - Houston, of course! 

                The way this works is that out of Houston the plane tickets on United cost $300.00 (and from Dallas on American) more than they do out of Dallas.  So to save nearly one thousand big ones, we drive to Dallas and catch the plane back to Houston.  The interesting little additional catch is that there is a 13 hour layover before the plane to Panama City leaves tomorrow morning.  Consequently, Mama (my wife, the kids’ mother—Cecilia Huegel, RN to y’all) was waiting for us at the Houston airport to drive us home so we can sleep in our own beds (for a few hours at least).  

                Now, I ask you is that not a fit parable for the way that you should begin every mission trip?  After all the preparations, organization, and running around;  before you go out, go home;  fall into your Heavenly Parent’s arms, and get a good night’s rest in the bed that Parent has made up just for you.   I mean after all, the whole point of sharing Jesus’ love with people is that He has come to make it possible for us to be at home with God—and to prepare an eternal home for us together with God—both here and the hereafter.  God is both our starting point and our destination—a little like Houston for us today. 

                Still, we are looking forward to leaving Houston (and the beastly heat) tomorrowto go south, way south.   Goodbye summer, hello winter! 

                                                                Reverently (not Reverendly) Yours,

David J. Huegel