60 Days

Today marks sixty days until we will depart from Columbus International, destination Haiti.   Today was a great day.  First, I spent time with a friend who has helped bless our trip financially.  Penny sat with me for 20 minutes, and shared some laughs, some memories, and also her experiences from missions that she has taken.  Penny was a lady who attended the church where I grew up, and I was so overwhelmed by her and her families generosity in helping us make this trip (like so many others).  Penny is one of the first that I have gotten to sit face to face with and discuss our mission.  Needless to say, by the end of the conversation I was filled with joy and blessed by the time she spent with me. I told Penny of my plans to chronicle the trip in this blog.   I want our friends to feel everything that God is doing the same way we are feeling it.   Penny expressed that she didn't think that she would physically be able to make a trip like this, and I want her to know that she, and all others whom have made this possible are just as much a part of the mission as we are!  God is Good.

    In addition I had lunch today with Pastor John.  We discussed, sports (of course), being a father to teenagers ( it is comforting to know that a Pastor has the same struggles I do), and also the Haiti Mission. John has been there several times, and his stories have me in such anticipation of the trip that I don't know if I can wait 60 more days.  I pray that God will use this time to prepare our hearts for this trip. I pray that we as a team will radiate the love of Christ to the Haitians.  I pray that we make a difference in someone's life.   I have spent time reading about Haiti, and the people, and the situation.  It seems so helpless.  I pray that the spirits of our team are high, and that we focus on the ability to change the life of individuals, and are not discouraged by a country that seems destitute.  I also pray that we are blessed by individuals who show us you can't let your circumstance dictate your joy.  I pray that we learn to see adversity as an advantage and a blessing.  Hear my prayer Lord.

The beginning of the journey

     I must start somewhere, so this is it. Myself and my two daughters, Paige, and Peyton, are planning to participate in a short-term mission, trip to Haiti. In January of 2015 we will be boarding a plane and flying to Port Au Prince. Why? Very good question. Not one I can answer yet. The quick answer would be that my daughters decided they wanted to go. My wife mentioned several times that they were talking about going. Usually she was telling me as my mind was drifting off to what I needed to get done at work. Then one day my wife informed me that the first meeting for the trip was after church on Sunday.  That is the short answer to how this happened.

     I had listened many times to people in our church talk about mission trips they had taken.  I had heard them tell about how life changing they can be.  "Wow , that looks really nice I would think".  "Maybe I will do that some day when I am older.  That was code for, some day after I have done all the the things that I need to do.   Well, I went to the meeting anyway.  After listening to the group leader talk, I knew that we would not be able to go for financial reasons.   I was so happy that my daughters wanted to make a trip like this, that I thought, let them stay involved for a while, and then I will explain to them that maybe if they saved their money, they could go in a year or two.  That is about when he started talking to me.  Yes, I am talking about God.  In a future post, we will talk about all the people who made it possible, but it is important to say that God started to provide.  My daughters wrote support letters, and made a list.  He said it to me loud and clear. If your excuse for not serving me is money, "YOU WILL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT".

While the trip was already moving forward, at least on paper, it was still very doubtful in my mind.  Would we really go?  Would my daughters really go?  Every morning I listen to one of my favorite pastors, Dr. David Jeremiah.  One morning he said it, and I knew he was talking to me.  "The reason we don't get much accomplished for God, he said,  is that we don't attempt much for God. " It hit me like a ton of bricks.  My whole life I had been working as a PGA Professional, and I never even bothered to ask God if that is what he wanted from me.  Now, I am not saying at this point that it isn't what he wants me to do.  The point was I never asked.  While I am still not sure if he wants me in my current career, I am sure that he wants me and my daughters to go on this trip.  Who am I to say no?

Why does he want us to go?  Is it for us?  Is it for the people of Haiti?  All of this remains a mystery to me at this point.  I do know that the answers are always in Gods Word.  Right now I am leaning on Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

For now,  I am learning to close my mouth, and listen more.  I am more focused than ever on following his lead.  I am excited.  I can hardly sit still in anticipation of the great things to come on this mission.  However, so many great things have happened, and we haven't even boarded a plane!