"Give Me Details...."

A few days ago one of my sweet friends called to remind me of how quickly our next trip is approaching (we leave THIS SATURDAY....whoa!!) and to ask me what she can be praying specifically about. Then she quickly changed her mind to say, "Never mind. Don't tell me what you think I should be praying about. Tell me what YOU are praying for this trip. Give me details and don't leave any thing out, no matter how long the list is. "

Sweet, sweet friend. I love and adore those people that forget about their own lives for the briefest moment just to remember and sincerely pray for others. It is so easy to say, "I'm praying for you..." and never give a second thought to that person, but to go repeatedly to the Throne on another's behalf? Amazing. I am so grateful for those that are praying about this trip and that are constantly supporting us through prayer. We are also thankful for each of the people that are traveling next week and for those around them that are praying, as well.

I guess since Saturday is so close, it would be a good idea to post the same list I gave my friend here. People that are around us already know what we are praying for, but you can never have enough people praying. Thanks to everyone that has called, sent emails, written notes of encouragement, etc. to let us know that you are thinking of us and praying. You all mean so much to us!

Okay....so here is the LONG list (because I am any thing but short and to the point...lol) of my prayers for this trip:

- Two of our team members have been sick....one of them has been seriously ill over the last 2 weeks. Both are excited about the trip and have no plans to cancel. We are praying that they are fully recovered by Saturday. For the one that has been VERY sick, we are praying that she will not only be fully recovered, but will have no recurrence of symptoms while we are in Guatemala which would mean the likelihood of an emergency return to the U.S. As always, we are praying for the health of all team members while we are in Guatemala.

- We are praying for everyone's safe travel and for the safe arrival of all of luggage which contains supplies that we are counting on for this trip. Of course, we also praying for our safety throughout the week and for our safe return to the U.S.

- Some of us have family members that are very concerned about us traveling to Guatemala. We pray that the Lord will give them peace about what we are doing and remind them that He is our greatest protection. For those of us with children, we pray that we also will have peace about being away from them and that God will somehow comfort our kids while we are away.

- Customs has become a nightmare for many missions teams in Guatemala. Because we are each loaded down with supplies, we are praying that their eyes will be closed to us. We need to make it through customs without having to pay an enormous amount in taxes or having items confiscated. Our supplies include medication and medical supplies along with all of the vitamins that will be used to start the vitamin program. We also have a few items that will left for the December trip. Having to pay a lot in taxes or having any of these items confiscated would make things very difficult.

- The Servants 4 Him team is working with us to provide dental clinics. Without their help, we would be unable to provide this service for the people of Parramos and Pueblo Nuevo. As always, we are praying for their ministry and team, their needs and their health.

- We are praying that not only will God touch lives through us and our work in Guatemala, but that our eyes will be opened and our lives will be changed during our time there.

- We have a very clear vision of what our first long term community stabilizing project is to be in Guatemala. As we have said all along, before beginning such a project we must begin building trusting relationships within the community by doing smaller projects such as the ones we will be doing next week and in December, in order for any of this to be a success. We are praying for answers to some very serious questions over the next 2 trips and that trust will begin to grow between us and the people we are working with in Pueblo Nuevo.

- Next week we will be spending time in an orphanage that we may begin parterning with on orphan care projects. We have been praying all along about how AAB is to provide orphan care and have taken this part of the organization very slowly. I believe that the possibility of working with this orphanage on big orphan care projects is great and we are praying about ways that we may be able to best serve the children and the orphanage directors should we discover that this is, indeed, where God wants us to begin providing orphan care.

- Above all else, we pray that His will, no matter what that is, be done during this trip. We are praying that our hearts remain open to Him and that regardless of what He calls us to do, we will follow Him completely.

Saturday. Just 6 sleeps (or for me, 5 sleeps because I certainly will not be able to close my eyes Friday night) and I will be landing in Guatemala again. When we left Guatemala in June, I was unsure about so many things, but I am returning with certainty and an excitement that is uncontainable. I am nervous, but I am sure that this, AAB's first actual mission trip, is the beginning of something that I could never imagine.