Well we are 12 days from flying to Tokyo Japan. Exciting yes... Scary yes... everyone seems to ask us "are you all ready"... and i wish the answer was a simple yes. Both Calvin and I are very much task oriented people. (I can handle many tasks at once while Calvin tackles them one at a time :P) Yet on this trip God is calling us to no specific tasks that we can prepare for, but rather just a preparation of the heart and spirit to befriend and influence those that have not trusted in him as their Savior yet. That's such a hard thing to do and prepare for for two task oriented people. But it seems that God always sets before us things that we are not comfortable with, to stretch us, to break us from our self reliance. I thank God for that.
This trip is going to require a sacrafice from us it seems in order to worship God. I'm reminded of the song "Blessed be Your Name" which has a line that says "though there is pain in the offering, blessed be your name". It tells me that if I want to worship God and make an offering to Him that he will be pleased with, it needs to cost me something significant, there needs to be a pain felt by me in order to make this offering acceptable.... because God's ways and our ways are so different. In order to please Him, we must give up that which comes natural to us.
Thank you all for your prayers... please continue to pray for my health, for Eli's adjustment and for our team unity (Mike, Calvin and myself).
