One week from today, I will be leaving bright and early in the morning (2AM to be exact) from our church’s parking lot to catch a plane in Newark, NJ as I head down to Guatemala with my daughter and the rest of our team.  How did this happen so fast?

My daughter is mostly packed.  But I still have a lot to do to get ready.  I still need to pack.  I need to finalize plans for the Stretched blog while I’m away (thanks to those who have offered to guest post in my absence).  I need to get a haircut, and I need to pick up a few essentials required for the trip.  It is sure to be a busy week!

From a fundraising standpoint, we are still trying to see if we can raise enough money through The Stretched Community to pay for one of the houses we’ll be building while we’re there.  We still need $2,550 which may seem like a STRETCH, but I think we can still hit the mark.  Please consider how you might be able to help to close this gap.  If you’re interested in giving, you can contact me or you can go to my fundraising page to learn more.  Thanks!

As an update on our itinerary (so you’ll know how to pray each day), here’s our rough schedule:

• Thursday (7/26) – Travel
• Friday (7/27) – Home build with Casas Por Cristo
• Saturday (7/28) – Home build with Casas Por Cristo
• Sunday (7/29) – Church, Home build with Casas Por Cristo, and possible visit to Mayan ruins
• Monday (7/30) – Bible School/Kids Camp in the AM (we’ll be using the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego throughout the week), Football Camp in the PM
• Tuesday (7/31) – Bible School/Kids Camp in the AM, Football Camp in the PM
• Wednesday (8/1) – Bible School/Kids Camp in the AM, Football Camp in the PM
• Thursday (8/2) – Bible School/Kids Camp in the AM, Football Camp in the PM
• Friday (8/3) – Travel Home

You can continue to pray for the following as we head on our trip:

• Pray for safety for our team as we travel.
• Pray for effectiveness as we minister to families and kids in Guatemala.  We especially want to share God’s love with the families who will get the homes and with the children who will attend our camps.
• Pray for the impact on our team – may we be WRECKED!  (I’ll share more about WRECKED in the coming days.)
• Pray for Leanne and Isaac at home that they would have a safe and fun time together, and that I would have peace of mind while we’re apart.

I think that does it for this Guatemala Update!  Thanks so much for being part of the journey.  I can’t wait to share with you all about the trip when we return.

Have you been on any mission trips?  Where and when?  What did you do to prepare for these trips?