One Week

One week until I leave for Guatemala. One week until I begin the journey that I have been looking forward to, though didn't know it, since the day I stepped off the plane last July. Many things have changed in that year and my glasses aren't so rose-tinted; I just hope my heart for the work and the people haven't changed. It will be a bittersweet trip-no trip to Honduras for the first time in years. My friends have been emailing me asking when I will return; I have to answer them "I don't know." It was my brothers/sisters/friends in Honduras that truly taught me what it was to live the life of a Christian and what it means to be a part of the family of God. Their unwilling devotion to the causes of Christ taught me it's not about saying "I'm a Christian. A member of the (insert favorite political party here) and actively involved in my community and church committees." Rather, it's about living a pure life of sacrificial love and a life whose purpose is to show Christ to everyone, taking that next step even when one doesn't know where that next step leads.
But I'm rambling as usual. I'm looking forward to Guatemala and what it holds whatever and wherever in Guatemala that may be. You could say I don't exactly know my itinerary but then do I ever know? I suppose this will be a week of preparation and prayer for me. I ask for your prayers too:
That I am open and willing to do whatever God asks of me
That he will open the hearts of the people we encounter
That language and cultural values will not be a barrier in sharing God's love with others
That He gives us all strength and courage to face whatever we encounter

Thanks for your prayers. I know the previous trips would have not been what they were without them. More to come later...