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
gates to enter the Valença fortress ready to welcome our pilgrimage team
six folks on our team on the bus on the way to Valença
greeting the bus with bubbles
Jaime, Erika, Keagan, Brooke, Emily, Josh, and Regi
(appropriately wearing my shirt that says "So excited to be here")
taking these four into Valença so they could explore
(and Keagan found his wedding ring for their upcoming wedding August 28th in town at a shop I pointed out to him!!)
bringing bubbles to the train station to greet this whole crowd who arrived this afternoon
This wonderful train conductor joined me in blowing bubbles to welcome the team
so happy to have Renee and James B here!
gardenias on the side of the road!
it was a hot day so a few of us headed down to jump in the Minho River (fun fact-- it also is the natural international boundary between Spain and Portugal)
with Mike and Lorelle
Regi, Jaime, Emily, Hannah, and Lorelle
opening dinner at Restaurante Solar do Bacalhau in Valença
Cheers! (with edible glitter in our wine glasses that I brought!)
delivering a thank you note to Alexandra at Restaurante Solar
Valença at sunset
heart rocks spotted in the cobbled stone streets
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