Are you a traveller at heart? Do your feet itch to take off on adventures? Do you follow the path of planes as they disappear into the blue, wishing you were flying off somewhere?
Sometimes that’s me.. Almost two weeks ago I trailed my suitcase through Heathrow. I was excited about visiting Malaysia for the first time, but more importantly I was looking forward to the event I would be attending and the people I would meet.
This year I’ve enjoyed visiting a number of different countries and cultures with work. Looking back the value wasn’t ticking off a list of countries I’d managed to see, it was about connecting with people and sharing their stories. The best parts for me weren’t the number of ‘selfies’ clocked up at top tourist spots, it was making new friends, listening to stories and sharing meals and special times with people I’d never met before.
Last week’s trip was no exception. One day I shared breakfast with a man from Nepal who told me about the hardship and trials after their terrible earthquake in 2015. He told me how they had offered practical help to those who had lost everything including family, homes and food. This man had the cheekiest smile and he laughed as he told me his surname, “I’m from Nepal and my name is Nepal…” That’s easy to remember I thought! Rachel England… now there’s an idea.
My time in Malaysia was being part of Scripture Union’s Global Assembly, which drew some 350 people together from about 100 countries representing Scripture Union teams from across the world. It was an enriching time being with so many different cultures and hearing people speaking and singing in Russian, French, Spanish and Korean. Yet despite the differences, everyone was united by a common passion: to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with children and young people and help them come to know God through the Bible.
That passion was expressed in so many different ways as we engaged in discussions, worship and games, then listened, prayed, cried and laughed together. It’s hard to describe the experience, but on the final day when the room had stilled and there were loaves of bread and cups of wine to be shared, one person from Pakistan said the few days in Kuala Lumpur had been a little taste of heaven for him.
Travelling can be lonely. You might see something beautiful or unusual, but if you can’t share it, the moment can disappear. Somehow it’s so much better when it’s shared with someone.
I suppose that’s why my little tastes of heaven this trip was standing alongside friends from India, Australia and Cameroon and knowing I am part of a huge family of God that is connected around the globe. Being part of the global family of Scripture Union has definitely been my travel highlight of 2017.
rachelfarmer 