Counting down

12 sleeps

That's how we always did our counting down to missions trips in the past. I've been on two, both to Costa Rica. After the first one my friend and I swore we would not be going back, not because it was an awful experience but because it was sooo flippin' hot there that year. His nickname became Big Drippy and I was dubbed Little Drippy. You get the picture. But God has different plans and I went back a second time. Or maybe I should say that I was blessed to go back a second time. That's the truth of missions trips, that although you go to bless others, really the blessing you receive far outweighs what you would have imagined.

So now I have 12 sleeps to my next adventure, this time to Thailand. The experience this far has been completely different from the trips I've made in the past.

I can honestly say that until this last Sunday I was completely unprepared emotionally and spiritually. I was telling the bowwows on Tuesday night that I felt like I was going through the wilderness, being tested, like Jesus had been for 40 days. (I don't know when the countdown began so I'm not really sure when the due date for my wilderness adventure will be.) I feel as though I'm being tested in many areas of my life. Tested; absolutely. Tempted; surprisingly so. On Sunday God gave me such a sense of His presence and although I've been wandering He let me know that He was pleased with me. Such a relief.

I don't know what this trip will bring. Although we have some concrete plans most of what we want to do will be in the Lord's hands as we try to be open to where and what He wants us to do. Please pray for us.

And for me because I'm positive that Thailand is going to be hotter than Costa Rica was, and Big Drippy won't be there for me to commiserate with.