Camino Pilgrimage Gathering

 I am so excited about the opportunity I've been given to help coordinate a trip to Spain next summer to walk part of the Camino de Santiago with a group of young adults and mentors from different churches here in Seattle.  We had our first gathering of folks who will be on the trip at a restaurant tonight, and it was such a treat to welcome everyone to the pilgrimage we are embarking on together.  Here's more about the trip we are taking: Pivot NW Fellows Cohort Program 2022 2023 Arts and Artistry

We will be walking the Portuguese Way this summer-- different than the French Way I did with Mom, Dad, and Anna in September. 

with Celeste and Martin (the other two trip coordinators) 

with Erika, Keagan, Josh, and Brooke (I'll be Erika and Brooke's mentor on the trip as I've been involved with Vision 16 with them the last few years) 

Blessing the Threshold
This blessing
has been waiting for you
for a long time.
While you have been
making your way here
this blessing has been
gathering itself
making ready
biding its time
praying.
This blessing has been
polishing the door
oiling the hinges
sweeping the steps
lighting candles
in the windows.
This blessing has been
setting the table
as it hums a tune
from an old song
it knows,
something about
a spiraling road
and bread
and grace.
All this time
it has kept an eye
on the horizon,
watching,
keeping vigil,
hardly aware of how
it was leaning itself
in your direction.
And now that
you are here
this blessing
can hardly believe
its good fortune
that you have finally arrived,
that it can drop everything
at last
to fling its arms wide
to you, crying
welcome, welcome, welcome.
-Jan Richardson