“Souvenir” is a late 18th century word from the French for “remember.” We’ve all brought souvenirs home from our travels – post cards, sea shells, shot glasses. Objects like these summon images of people or places to the surface of our consciousness. Some of our most treasured souvenirs are not physical objects, but only simple recollections afloat in our memory waiting to be remembered.
I traveled for 20 years to world missions on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, collecting lots of souvenirs. For example, I brought home a necklace made of camel teeth. My wife Kathy succinctly expressed the difference between her sense of fashion and mine: “What were you thinking?”
For my grandchildren, I recorded notes about some of the objects I brought home, some of the people I met, and some of the places I visited. I’ll be sharing those observations from mission travels here every other Tuesday, starting July 11. I hope my little vignettes will prompt someone to think, “I never knew about that!” And then to think, “The world is a pretty big place, isn’t it?” And then, “That big world is where missionaries are sharing the Gospel.”
As time goes by I plan to archive these posts at worldmissionsouvenirs.com, and to add more pictures and stories. I hope you’ll be interested!
Steve Petersen www.worldmissionsouvenirs.com
Supporting those who share the Good News that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ secured forgiveness of sin for all people – including you!
