"So let us seize and hold fast to the hope we cherish"

Well here we are less than 7 hours away from walking into the airport.  It is unbelievable how good God has been to us.  We have both just about conquered what we think we will be the most challenging part of the whole summer (packing).  I mean really...how do you pack for two months in another country?  To say the least, it has been a struggle and something that I have been putting off till the last possible minute.  Packing up was like the final weight that fell into my lap to set my nerves racing.  It really is true that Satan will continue to attack until the last possible second.  Tonight, mine and Laura's family had dinner together as an almost final goodbye (they will be taking us to the airport in the morning where we will have our official "sob fest").  I cannot believe the time is really here.  We have been so encouraged the whole way leading up to this, and I think I can speak for Laura as well, but these next few weeks will be when we need encouragement the most.  As soon as we can we will try to post an address to Jovenes so that we will be able to receive cards and letters.  There is just something about getting a hand written card from loved ones that can turn a bad day around.  We also ask that if you don't want to mess with sending a letter that you leave us your encouraging thoughts here on our blog.  There will be times when we will have down days but encouragement from loved ones back home would mean the world to us.

I really am excited.  It is with scattered emotions that I try to stay positive.  I think it is normal at this point to be nervous and scared.  But I also know that God is with us and if our goal is to do His work (not our own) then nothing Satan can do will stop us from achieving that goal.  I have a strong faith that God's will will be done this summer.  He has gotten us this far and I am very excited to see what He does.

So after 11 months of planning, stressing, scheduling, fundraising, packing, and saying goodbye, we are finally ready to leave our comfort zone behind to a place where we will be out of our bubble and looking forward to God's plan for the next two months of our life.  Thank you to EVERYONE who has said a prayer for us, helped us out financially, and encouraged us through smiles and hugs.  We literally (for lack of a better word) could not have gotten this far without you.  Each and every one of you will be a huge part of God's mission to the boys and Jovenes and we cannot wait to share with you all of the exciting stories and pictures.

It is with our love that we part this country.  Please stay in touch by reading and commenting on our blog!