We were asked to write a blog about how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. Here is what I’m expecting….
 
The past few months, I’ve had an array of emotions. Excitement to travel, nervousness about leaving all that is familiar to me, excited/nervous to meet my teammates, uncertainty about doing “community living” for a year, but oddly enough right now I have peace. I’m not excited, not nervous, not anxious, just content.

However, if I will be completely honest, I do wonder… how will I change? Will I completely surrender my will to God in all areas of my life during the World Race? Will I let go of preconceived notions I have about people, and will they do the same for me?

Nevertheless, I believe God will do GREAT things through my teammates and I. No, actually…scratch that….I expect He will do GREAT things through my teammates and I.

I also expect growth. Growth in me, my teammates, team leaders, and the communities we will visit. I expect there will be times I will cry out to God in emotion (anguish, sadness, hurt, fear), and He will be by my side.

I expect to develop some awesome relationship with my teammates. Hopefully some that will last a lifetime.

I expect that since I like my “alone time”, I will want just that, some alone time, and I possibly will want it often. Yet, I expect I will adjust to the community lifestyle, and who knows, I may just miss it when it’s gone.

A not so fun one…I expect to offend some of teammates at least once (unintentionally, I presume), and I expect I will be offended by others as well. However, I also expect forgiveness, understanding, and communication (that’s the key) among members of the H squad.

I expect times of pure joy. Hearing laughter as I play with children in Mozambique, watching people give their lives to the Lord in Romania, having fun speaking in Spanish (or trying to) in the DR, experiencing the breakthrough of women leaving prostitution in Thailand, physically being in South Africa (that’s enough to make me smile), seeing men, women, and children smile because of the hope of Jesus Christ even amidst the devastation of the Hurricane season in Haiti, and simply witnessing the hand of God move over every country we visit.

 

Last, but not least, I definitely expect the UnExPeCtEd. Simple enough, eh?

So now that I’m thinking about it, did I say I was only experiencing peace and no excitement???….Scratch that! I’m very excited!!! 🙂 Excited that God chose me for such an experience as this, and excited to do some damage for His Kingdom! So yes, I am at peace no matter what trials may come my way (consider it pure joy my brothas and sistas!), and excited for the things God will do during the World Race, and for the rest of my life.