Our departure date is quickly approaching! I am very excited to see how God will use my team and I as we finish preparations and fly down to the Dominican Republic. I have recently been praying asking the LORD to continue preparing our hearts and the hearts of the people we will serve and with whom we will work. I know that He has already been working in my heart because I was VERY nervous about this trip over the past two weeks. This is very uncharacteristic of me (I don’t get nervous easily!!) so that made me even more apprehensive about the whole thing. I was not nervous so much for safety or the flights, but for the trip in general and doing His work. I felt a little lost and not sure why I was going on this mission trip after all. But as I continued to spend time with Abba and in His Word, I was reminded that there is a much bigger purpose that I (and my whole team) am involved with. Our telos (Greek for complete purpose) lies in God’s plan of Redemption for Creation, specifically those in His image — us!! He made us to glorify Him and be His rulers and His royal priesthood, offering up the sacrifices that creation gives to Him. He made us to love His creation and take care of it. He calls us to bear His image in all places and at all times. Being reminded of THAT…. that was what God used to assuage my fear and anxiety. Reminding me that this is a small (but NOT insignificant) journey in light of His whole plan took away the pressure I was feeling and brought back my excitement for missions, specifically this trip. As we complete our packing and preparation, please keep my team and I in prayer. Our team hasn’t met for a few weeks, but if I know my teammates, some of them are nervous much in the same way I was. Ask God to work in their hearts and minds. Pray that they trust Him with whatever their fears and anxieties are. Ask God to reveal to them His vision for His body and the Earth, just as He did for me.

I love you all, friends!!

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed,do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” ~Colossians 3:15-17