One Week Later by the Pilgrim’s of St. Mark’s
Its been almost a full week since we returned from our pilgrimage to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and the transition back into normal life couldn’t feel more odd. To suddenly go from a place that felt calm, relaxing, and safe to a fast-paced environment filled with responsibilities, stresses, and an inability to keep up feels like diving headfirst into freezing cold water. Reality has suddenly sunk in that our pilgrims no longer have their leaders to look to for answers and support. They must now go off into the real world and make their own choices.
Fortunately, Jessica, Donald, Rachel, Eva, and Jakob, with the help of their leaders Kathleen and Wendy, and Shawn Small from Wonder Voyage, have been given the skills they need to live fulfilling, meaningful, and spiritual lives in Christ. This past week, each of them has had a unique one-on-one experience with God and have opened themselves up to hear His message. As we were given the opportunity to let go of the things that hold us back while in Cape Breton, we must learn to do so while living in the real world. This trip has allowed us to discover feelings and emotions we may not have otherwise. To then share those feelings with people we see maybe once a week at church has also allowed us to build closer, more intimate relationships with our peers, and feel each other’s love and support. It would be an understatement to say that this trip has affected our lives. It has changed each of us as individuals and shaken the core of who we are as people. Shawn has given us the tools to make our lives what we want them to be, and has assured us that whatever problems we may have on our shoulders, God is here to lift them. We thank Shawn and Wonder Voyage for all that they’ve done for us, and we lend our support to future groups of young people who plan on going off in the world to meet God face-to-face.
