Prayer Requests...

I leave for Chicago in the morning for a mission trip. I am driving with 40 some odd high school kids in vans to the inner city. Can you hear the energy in my voice?

This is my final mission trip with HS students. It is a beautiful bittersweet moment. Beautiful to be part of watching God's transforming hand touch and shape students eternally through the opportunity to serve and extend beyond themselves. Bitter being the oldest person on the trip!

This is an amazing privilege. A joy and gift. I want to grab and suck the marrow from but instead all I can think about is: will they have coffee?

Does that question reflect my spiritual maturity? I hope not. I am thinking it just reflects how chronologically mature I am. I am the old lady obsessed with finding enough mattress things to sleep on so my back won't hurt all week. I am so old I went by AAA to make them show me the best route to Chicago. (*I am glad about this one since all of Iowa is flooded and we wouldn't been in detour heaven.) I have packed my own food filled with fiber so I wouldn't get all backed up while traveling. (does that sound like your grandmother??) I packed my little eye covers so I could block all the light in the gym that we will be sleeping in. (and I have the matching ear plugs!) Let's see, I also carry a magic bag with everything from band aids to Gas-x. Yes, I have become my mother!

I remember the trips I took when I was young and carefree. I looked forward to staying up all night with the girls whispering and telling stories. Now, all I can think about is: will there be anytime to catch a moment alone to refuel and refocus? I loved driving forever, singing with the students and telling our life stories. Now, I am so worried about safety and protection of the students. I clench the wheel so hard my wedding ring is the shape of a triangle. I have so much to trust Christ with for the week, I invite you to pray for us.

So please pray for:
Safety and protection out and back to Chicago.
Pray for students to radically be transformed by the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit moving in their lives.
Pray for more of Christ and less of me. less and less and less of me.
Pray that our team of students would extend to the ones that are new to our group. That they would have servant spirits, joyful hearts and sincere love for one another.
Pray against a spirit of opposition or division...that would like to distract and destroy the work that could be accomplished on behalf of Christ.
Pray for those who we will be ministering to, that they would be open to the Holy Spirit and that the Lord would be glorified.
Pray for my spirit, that I would not be the bitter old lady on the trip.

I hope you hear from me sometime next week after I recover. For the record, I packed my own light Starbucks coffee, in case you were wondering! Thanks for praying. Have a good week! We'll miss you JULES!!