Day 9 – The Journey Is the Destination

Today marked our final full day of the Greece and Rome Signature Study Tour. It was a choose-your-own-adventure kind of day, filled with exploration, wonder, and reflection.

Some of our group boarded a bus south toward Pompeii, that hauntingly preserved city frozen in time since AD 79. There are few places in the world where you can step back two millennia and see streets, homes, and frescoes exactly as they were. It’s like walking through history’s pause button—mesmerizing, sobering, and utterly fascinating.

Others boarded Italy’s bullet train, racing at 225 kilometers (about 140 miles) per hour toward Florence—the cradle of the Renaissance. There, amid art and espresso, museums and marble, pizza and piazzas, the day unfolded at its own unhurried rhythm.

Still others chose to stay closer to Rome, savoring one last day of pasta, cappuccino, gelato, people-watching, and slow strolls through ancient streets that have shaped the story of the world.

Tonight, all forty-five of us gathered together around long tables at one of the most memorable restaurants of the trip. With our beloved guide Loredonna  beside us, we laughed, shared stories, and reflected on the journey we’ve walked together: the places we’ve stood, the Scriptures we’ve opened, and the ways God has met us along the way.

As the trip comes to an end, we were reminded that the journey is not over, it’s just beginning.

It may take weeks, months, maybe even years to fully unpack the wisdom, insight, and spiritual formation we’ve experienced and to process the Scriptures that came alive, the voice of God that whispered through ancient stones and fellow travelers alike.

But one thing is sure: as we head home, the same God who led Paul across the ancient world is still leading us. Our prayer is that we would continue down this road that leads home, pouring ourselves out into others, walking in the way of Christ, and echoing Paul’s invitation:

“Follow me, as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

The trip may end here, but the pilgrimage continues, in every conversation, every act of service, every step of faith back home.

Because in the end, the journey is the destination.

Jerrell