Last night...

In about 24 hours, I will be meeting the rest of the team to drive to DC. From DC, we will fly to Atlanta, GA-- and then Guatemala City... it seems so unreal.

I thought I would I be really antsy, jittery tonight...I thought I would have those butterflies you get in your stomach when the person you have a huge crush on smiles at you... I don't feel any of that.. I'm excited--don't get me wrong-- but I'm calm? Could this be that thing called "peace"? Whatever it is-- I'm okay with it. I don't like it when my stomach feels all knotted and weird... haha

1. Thank you, mom.. for all you have done for me for this trip. Packing wasn't that bad since you had been getting stuff together. Love you!
2. Thank you to everyone, anyone who has said that they will be praying for me while I am there.. that really does mean alot. :D

I was thinking today on how this is my 3rd attempt to go on a mission's trip. My youth group was going to Peru one year... and at first I thought I was going.. but then I wasn't... won't get into the details of that.. haha
And then last year, I was suppose to go to Mexico, but this swine flu thing popped up... so now I have the opportunity to go to Guatemala.. for 2 months...

I know we can never fully understand God and His timing... but I still like to attempt. I was thinking about what would have happened if I had gone on those trips. Would I want to go to Guatemala? Would those trips have changed my life, or just the next few months? This week I think God has really been teaching me something... and maybe this can kinda answer why I didn't go on those trips...

I've heard so many people say how this trip is going to change my life... I know what they mean... but I think they have the wording wrong... I agree... this trip does have great potential to alter, flip-flop, and stretch my perspective and thinking. But I don't want this to be a camp thing.

Lots of times when kids/teens go to camp.. decisions made don't last. It's called being on a "camp-high." You could be at camp and decide that you have me the perfect guy/girl and that a long-distance relationship will work.....but it only lasts a week after camp. You could go to camp and decide that you are going to read your Bible for 45 minutes everyday... This goes well, but then school starts and you have homework....

I don't want to have a "Guatemala-high'' when I came back... I do want this trip to truly alter and turn my life upside down... but I know that only God working through this opportunity will cause such effects. I'm looking for God to change my life, yet again. The people of Guatemala will touch and move my heart... just by learning about them, this has already happened, but I need God to turn this touch into something that will change the rest of my life... Keep me accountable so that I don't just have a Guatemala-high when I come back...

maybe I was never mature enough to serve God in a way like this.. maybe it just wouldn't have made sense like it does now. whatever the reason...I'm gonna keep following, learning, maturing, and growing closer to the Most Wonderful, Amazing... God.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to end.

here it goes...