Backpacks and suitcases :-)

I am laughing today because I got a voicemail yesterday from my former teammate in nepal that she had found and picked up a suitcase that I sent home with somebody when i left nepal 3 years ago and has been missing since. Somehow she met up with the guy who had it and got it back.. so

after three years

I will get to open a suitcase..  and I have no idea what in the world is in it.. how fun.. !
It made me think about my backpack…
My family loves to make fun of me and my backpack.  In particular my sister.  I wish you could hear us at a Hand family dinner sometimes.
1) they are hilarious
2)  there is lots of laughter
3) we are CRAZY

But just get my sister going on me and my backpack and she will have you in hysterics. She gets this crazy voice.. a mix between a British accent and Gonzo from the muppets.. it’s hilarious but she probably wont be hired for the travel channel with it. 

Anyways– just get her going.  She will start talking about all my crazy travels and all my adventures– and my backpack.  See anytime I travel my little backpack goes with me…..  and that’s pretty much all I take.   I’ve gone through 2 backpacks in about the past 6 years…. 

She loves to talk about my backpack adventures and roll all together in her crazy voice.. and she’ll add a little twist to the stories..  It will go something like.. well Jenn went to england and had scones with the queen.. and then to malta where she saw the very snake that bit paul.. and then onto mt. Everest in nepal.. hahah.. with only one pair of clothes and her backpack… and she will continue to make us laugh until we are in hysterics…..

sure some of it’s an exaggeration.  I mean i did have scones in england just not with the queen. I did go to malta and see where paul was.. just not the snake.. and i did fly over mt. Everest..

So
…
Why am I saying all this?  Just reflecting on this morning how crazy awesome God is. How He loves to take our comfort zones and stretch them.. if we will say yes, even reluctantly to God’s plans.. it will surpass our wildest dreams. We never know what will be inside if we truly open the suitcase called God’s plan for us and see what He has packed inside!!  (psalms 37:-4, 5)

Who would have thought God would take this girl who can’t find her way around the town she grew up in all over the world on crazy adventures?
The girl who had never been on a plane all the way to Japan
The girl who is terrified of the teacup rides at disney on elephant rides in jungles, worlds most dangerous roads in nepal. and driving a motorcycle (well a mopad but i like to call it a motorcycle. It had a motor for goodness sakes!)

Only God could have thought, I sure would not have.

Some photos of me and my backpack

 excuse the no shower i am in haiti look and look at this precious little guy.  This was from my last trip to haiti .. have loved this little guy and he loves loves Jesus!

 note my backpack in my lap.. i thought i needed it for comfort or something.. as I ate.. yes.. if you look closely.. a duck bill and duck head.. wow.. that makes my stomach turn just remembering it. This was in China and I did not want to hurt my chinese hosts feelings.. so i chowed down

 the time Leah and I backpacked through europe for 3 weeks literally this backpack.. crazy huh.. such a glorious time!

Backpack and me in Turkey (ephesus!)

I want to continually take the suitcase of my heart I pack full of my dreams, adventures, fears, ideas, thinking of what is possible.. lay it at the feet of Jesus

and watch Him give me a suitcase packed full of HIS plans (Jer 29:11) dreams, adventures, tools to move forward in spite of fears and His everything is possible GIFTS
And go on adventures with HIM!

Wanna go with me?