She said yes!

The big question was thrown out there several months ago and it took me until yesterday to answer it. And in all reality I knew from the very beginning what my answer would be, but I was terrified! So, I threw out every excuse I could come up with to postpone the inevitable. I even tried to use my son as an excuse. But I am super excited to tell you tell that I have finally said yes! Yes to "Send Me"! No to the excuses, no to the fear. No to the compromises like, maybe I could stay in the country (or the state or better yet the county!). I heard God say go and I'm going... and Devin is going with me... to Belize! There will be much more to come about the trip later.

I started feeling this tug a couple months ago and you can read more about that here. God brought about two different scenarios that will (hopefully) take care of the trip financially, so check that excuse off the list. Then there is my current weight, well God definitely is helping me work through that struggle, so check that one off the list too. (The trip will also be a huge motivator!) My unadventurous self will just have to get over itself, so that's not even a real excuse.

Then there was my last excuse and I held on to it tight, my son, Devin. Devin will be graduating 8th grade this year and I was planning to use the money I had been saving to go somewhere fun. Shortly after starting to save is when the tugging began. And I began to realize what better trip together than a mission trip. I had fears about taking him though. Was it safe? What were the risks? But I had to hush those thoughts. I began to feel Devin out a little about the idea before I told him. He wanted no part. Total rejection. So I had to begin praying that God would change his heart. I needed him to be prepared for the moment I told him we were going on a mission trip overseas together. In the meantime he left on a mission trip to Booneville, KY. The entire time he was gone, I prayed the trip would soften his heart (and mine too) for missions elsewhere if he was supposed to go. He had an amazing time on his trip, but I still wasn't sure how he felt about doing missions overseas.

So yesterday I figured it was time to start the conversation. I could sign us up regardless and his heart didn't have to be there yet spiritually or mentally, but I needed to know how much work was left to be done. So, I laid it out there and his response was pretty much let's do it. There was no great excitement (but he's really not that kind of kid) but there was also no shred of disappointment or hesitation. When I asked if he was scared or nervous, he said no (better than me!). He had gone from terrified, please never ask me to go there, to let's do this without an coaxing from me. God gets all the glory for that one.

So I suppose there are no real excuses left. I've checked them all off. Well actually I believe God has cleared the way past all of them. Reassuring me that he wants me to go and his hand is on me. So, it's settled we are headed to Belize!

So please keep me, Devin, the rest of the mission team, and the people of Belize in your prayers as we prepare to follow God where he leads us!