Off We Go

Well, the bags are finally packed and all the errands run.  This will be my third trip to the Dominican Republic but I have felt less prepared this time than the previous trips.  There has been so much other stuff going on that it has been hard to focus on getting ready to leave.  I find that each year it gets harder, not easier to leave the family as well.  I am really excited to go and am looking forward to seeing all the friends that I have made both on the team and among those to live in the DR, but I really hate leaving my family.

I sometimes wonder if these moments give us just the smallest glimpse of what Christ went through for us.  He left heaven to come to earth on a missions trip.  He knew that it would be really different than "home".  He knew there would be joys and special relationships.  He also knew it would be hard.  He came because He loved us so much that He wanted to connect to us and redeem us so that we could sometime "come home" with Him.

Me leaving home for the DR is such a poor comparison, but perhaps it gives me the smallest of glimpses into Christ's sacrifice for me.  I will miss Sarah and the kids this week, but I know they are well cared for by my church family and I know that in the end, we are all resting in the hands of our loving Father.

Obviously there will be no blog posts this week while Nate and I are away, but keep us in your prayers and I look forward to sharing some stories with you on the blog when I get back.