August 18- Pilgrimage Director Jason Wendel
Final Thoughts
11 trips, 10 different locations, over 35,000 miles… I’m a little tired. The problem of working with Wonder Voyage is that you can never really take on any other job and be as satisfied. Sure, I could move down to New Orleans and help gut houses, pass out needed supplies to those who lost everything or pick up trash and debris in the 9th ward but then the urge to be hiking up a 14,000 foot mountain and rafting down the rapids of the Arkansas river sets in so I move out to Colorado. As I am rafting, I start thinking about my friends at Fathers Heart Ministry in New York City and how much I missing helping with their huge feeding ministry they do on Saturdays, where the homeless and hungry can come and eat as much as they want, get help on finding a job or getting off of drugs and really see the love of Christ in the eyes of the pastor, his family and all the volunteers. And as I am handing a plate of food to a mother and her child, I think back to the orphanage in Jamaica and all the kids we got to take on a hike through the Jamaican forest that led to an amazing cave. But then, as I am standing in a Jamaican apple tree and dropping fruit down to the kids I think about Daily Bread Ministries in San Antonio and about all the fruit, vegetables and bread that we loaded in to cars, vans and even a couple U-haul trucks. Of course no matter where I am, I always think back to Ireland and my love for that country. I think about the Curry’s and An Tobar Nua Café and all the kids they get to minister to just by them coming in for an inexpensive lunch. I think about the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the trees and all the green. I think about the little roads and the little towns and all the friendly people we meet in-between.
So what exactly do you do when you have a love for travel, adventure and people? I don’t remember there being a major for that when I was in college. I guess this is what happens when you say, “Okay God, you can use me.” 11 trips, 10 different locations, over 35,000 miles...Man, I love my job.