Tminus 4 days we're leaving on a jet plane

The craziness of the end of the school year activities have concluded and now trying to get my head around the fact we will be flying out this Friday.  We will be flying out of Seattle at 10PM to Philadelphia and onto Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from there we will have a 3 hour bus ride to Barahona.  Needless to say, it will be a long day of travel.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  Please continue to keep our team in your prayers for patience and stamina in traveling together.

Generally I don't get anxious about getting sick but this trip especially has kicked up my worries about being ill while in the DR.  It probably has not helped that one of my girls has a swimmer's ear infection and the other had 100 degree temp last night and my right eye has been still recovering from a virus for almost 3 weeks.  I don't know what to expect, but my mind is conjuring the worst case scenarios...which includes one of us being evacuated because of a medical emergency.  Pray for God's peace and comfort in regards to everyone's health and entrust that all things are in His hands.

There are many things I hope for our team and as individuals that we learn through this experience.
The single greatest hope that I have is that we walk away from this experience with a deep sense of gratitude and love for God and for people that propels us to live differently.  I don't have any grand illusions that our lives will be changed on a grand scale but even if we make small changes like forgoing that daily latte so I can sponsor a child through COTN, or waste less food because I saw many who were hungry, I would really savor the taste of ice cream because it is considered a "luxury" in the bateyes, or to make a donation to fund books for a library in the DR.  I know it's so easy for me to become overwhelmed by such huge needs of poverty and injustice in the world and throw up my hands and think "what difference will my small decisions make? "  Yet, it's in those little choices that I make and people as a collective make which can make a difference or at least that is my hope.

This might be the last post until our return.