Monday March 25th, preparing for Guatemala 2013

Preparing for the trip next week, I keep praying and thinking about how we are preparing ourselves to go to another country. Today we are putting VBS supplies in boxes and making sure some of the finances are in order. Practically getting ready for the trip always makes things more exciting since it is so close! But in our final meeting with the guys yesterday, I kept noticing that when we pray we are asking for certain things that The Lord will prepare in us for the trip. And all of that is great if what we pray carries over when we come back home.

In high school, I used to study for tests only so that I can pass and get a good grade and then I would forget what I studied and not apply what I learned. It was very common for me to stay up way too late and cram, but I've noticed in my life how that could possibly carry over.

For us to go and serve The Lord we want to adequately prepare ourselves, but I want us and our students to not be in the mindset or impression that we should prepare ourselves just for the trip (like a test) and then when the trip is over we are done. When we ask The Lord to work on our hearts and prepare us for the trip, I think the impression we can sometimes portray is that we are asking The Lord to give us something for a period of time, or according to our need when we are in Guatemala. When what we need to be asking for this trip or any is, "Lord what in me needs to be less so that I can serve you regardless of our location?" Because God longs for lasting effect, He longs for us to take in and learn so that it sticks, and we in return conform more to the image of Christ regardless of our situation or necessity.

Because when we get home our heart for people should not change. People here are broken and hurting in many different ways that a lot of times are masked and hidden. So as a mission group, my prayer for us is that whatever we ask for in preparation of Guatemala will carry over into where we live. Cause it can be just as hard to share about Christ with those who are closer to us. So my prayer is when we ask for boldness or passion or a servants heart we will allow God to strike us a little deeper, so that it sticks.