Don't Worry, Be Happy

The days leading up the this trip can be mighty stressful. I not only have to worry about getting myself ready, I need to make sure that 34 other people get everything prepared. One of the worst times is Saturday morning. We are at the mercy of the airlines and TSA, so getting held up at the airport and missing the flight is one of my biggest fears. While I was eating my breakfast Saturday morning, I opened up the devotion for July 9th's 'Jesus Calling.' You know how sometimes you think, "Was that a God thing?" When I read the title, there was no doubt - "Stop Worrying Long Enough to Hear My Voice." Just what I needed. I had done my part to get the team to this point. It was time to let go and let God take over the trip. From there out, everything went smoother than any trip we'd ever had. The team got there on time, the bus left on time, we arrived with no issues, the lines at the airport were no problem, we departed on time, had a smooth flight, landed 10 minutes early, checked in at the hotel with minimum problems. The kids were great all day. They were playing cards, laughing, helping each other with luggage, swimming, splashing. I kind of was waiting for something to happen, and then it finally did. Around 9 o'clock, as 28 people were crammed into one room playing Empire, and I was about to jump in the shower, the power went out. I kind of chuckled thinking about how God has a way of humbling people when they got it under control. It was only out a couple minutes, but long enough for me to get the message. Today was another incredible day. It was great to see the reactions to the service. Not only do they last for about 2 and a half hours, the message is usually filled with politics and government issues as well. Definitely something different from what we are used to. The message was given by one of the church's elders, Elder Smith. She was FIRED UP! She was using a microphone, but she did not need one. Her message was a simple one - you were born with a purpose. You don't know what it is, but it is there. And God has assigned a time to complete your purpose. She also touched on what God has given us to keep us from deviating from that purpose - the Holy Spirit. If you're not aware of the devotion verse for the week, it's from Galations 5:25 "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Each day we will be focusing on different aspects of the Holy Spirit and how to listen to Him. It seems that every year the message at our church service is connected to what we are studying in small groups. Just a little wink from God saying, "Don't worry, I got this!" Please pray for out team as we begin our work in the village of Eight Mile Rock.