1 Day

Everybody remembers their firsts. First day of high school, first love, first job.
For me, this is a big first.

I have a countdown on my phone. Today it says, "1 day." We leave tomorrow and I have a looong list with "to-do" at the top that must be attacked by the end of the day. Little errands, final things to collect for my carry-on, chores I want done before I'm gone. The gravity of the trip, the length of it, hits me every now and then. As Rick said, "I can't believe you're going to be on the other side of the world!" I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm scared, I'm anxious, I don't think I was any of these things before my move to Georgia as much as I am on the eve of a two week mission trip. I feel like a lot of my excitement is overshadowing most of my anxieties. Probably to my advantage on this front is the fact that I've never flown overseas and you I can't anticipate what I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that I will entirely be out of contact with my parents, my boyfriend, my family, my dog...don't get me started on how much I'm going to miss Tybee. I swear, I'm going to miss him and worry about him more than anything or anyone over the course of the next 16 days. Yes, even more than Richard. But I think that's part of the blessing and the purpose of the mission trip, to be entirely out of contact with your day-to-day. To focus 100% on why you are where you are, doing the work that you're doing, and experiencing those experiences.

In my nature for writing, I'm taking a (mostly) empty journal to log this first-time experience. I've written a couple entries already over the course of the summer. My last one was right after our final meeting in early August. I wrote about how I feel a little bit unprepared for this experience. I've always been a personal person, some may call it loner or introvert. Some of you may disagree, but I do feel when it comes to my faith and my personal relationship with God, I tend to keep it private. I write about it on here and I may talk here and there, but I don't express it on a personal, face-to-face level with just anyone. I keep it at that: personal. But that's the issue. I should be sharing it. I need to share it. I'm commanded to share it. This trip, I'm sure, God is mixing up points that will force me to be expressional with how Him and I are, what we've talked about, what we've wrestled with, what we've walked through together, and what he's had to carry me through. A part of me is dreading it. But a small part of me is very much looking forward to it because I know it will be so amazing.

As with each mission trip launched from the church, we were commissioned this past Sunday at the end of service. It was so nice to have my entire family in attendance for the 3.2 minutes I stood on the sanctuary stage with my teammates as the entirety of the congregation prayed over our departure, safety, and health. I know God has great things planned through us.

Thanks to all my supporters and with my wonderful parents and my aunt and uncle, I'm so happy to say that my funding for the trip has been covered 100%. Many of the connections I reached out to gave generously (more than I ever expected) and some even gave twice when the need was expressed. I have even received from individuals that I didn't think to contact but who found out of my trip from word of mouth. I'm blown away every time I try to comprehend the amount of support and the response I received. Thank you! An offering is collected at the end of the trip from the team members and given to the church we will be working in to help them fund medical supplies and medication throughout the year as well as financially help members of their congregation. Since my tips and paychecks from working at the restaurant are not needed for the cost of the trip, I will be donating my earnings to this fund.

So I go for Him, I go because of Him, I go to work for Him, I go in a response of gratitude to Him. He's given me this desire to serve people, to care for people, and to serve Him. For the purpose of the Kingdom and to bring honor and glory to His name.

"Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work being done in someone else's territory. As the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."
2 Corinthians 10:15-17