The first wave of snow birds have return to their roosts, the thermometer has dropped from “are you kidding me?” to a much more tolerable “good grief!”, and the kids are heading back to the classrooms. What does all of this mean? The end of summer? The preemptive start to another holiday season? A final 3-day weekend? Sure. But more importantly it means that our mission trip to Indonesia is only days away! Can I get a “Yikes”?
Most of the logistical issues have been addressed, now it’s up to us. We’ve been reading, studying, planning and praying, but the truth is we don’t know what to expect. Oh, sure, we know where we are going and with whom we are meeting, but the whole purpose of our trip is to blaze a path for the next group. Not knowing has given us the freedom to remain open-minded, and to adjust our expectations to the experience as it happens. In other words, go with the flow! We’re not planting fields, building homes, teaching children, digging wells, or tending to the sick. We have no agenda. No scorecard. We are explorers, voyagers, with a simple mission: go forth and see.
Like Louis and Clark or the Mercury 7 team, we are heading boldly into the unknown. Ok, we’re not facing the inconceivable dangers of vast, unknown frontiers (hopefully), but it is an adventure all the same. Our hope is that we will return (safely) with a clear mission for the next team, and that our efforts will not have been in vain.
As for the fund raising, we (Thene and I) have raised $1650, almost half of the needed amount, and we are extremely grateful to everyone. For anyone still wishing to contribute, we can take donations right up until our departure date – early September (for security reasons, I cannot say the exact date, let’s just say very early September). For those who have already given, thank you. For those who, for whatever reason, cannot contribute financially, please keep us in your prayers and please follow along as I blog about the trip!
Roger's Rhapsody 