Well, it’s getting pretty real now.  Friday I received my last shot.  This Sunday my church commissioned the four of us for the trip.  That’s quite a moving experience.  Mark is now in Ogallala and will remain here until Wednesday when we take off to spend the night in Denver before our early morning flight on Thursday.

I’ve got most of my things packed.  Everyone else is talking about having a checked bag along with a carry-on.  All those years of motorcycle travel are paying off, as I believe I’ll have everything packed in just one standard carry-on and my shoulder pack.  Then it will just be a matter of discovering what I’ve forgotten, an inevitable occurrence.

One of the more sobering chores was in answer to a request from my wife.  She wanted to talk about what to do if the worst thing occurred.  That required a lot of thought and a bit of writing about the somber subject of a funeral and what to do with my belongings.  It has been quite an exercise and actually something that I would recommend to anyone, whether you are traveling across the world or just headed to work a few blocks away. 

There is nothing like contemplating your own death to make you wonder about the world you will leave behind and whether you have done what you could to make it a better place.  Even more enlightening is to think about your loved ones and considering whether you have loved them as they deserve and as we are commanded.  It hasn’t been so much about beating myself up for my shortcomings, but more about thinking what I can do a better job of in the future.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s unclear as to whether we will have web access while we’re in India.  As such, this may be the last post until I get back to the States.  I want to thank you for all of your prayers and your financial support.  Your continued prayer for the team is vitally important.   Below is a prayer calendar for the team.  In addition to the things listed on the calendar, please pray for the general health and safety of the team.  Pray for our families and loved ones as they deal with our absence.  Above all, pray for the mission, that the team would be effective in sharing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and that the hearts and minds of the people we come in contact with would be open to the message.

Prayer Calendar:

Peculiar

I was chided today, and rightfully so, for not having updated my blog for a while.  Things have been busy with preparing for the trip and are moving along pretty well.  It’s also been a goal at my work to keep everything caught up so that when I’m gone I don’t leave my crew in a bind.

Even with all this going on, I’ve still been trying to prepare myself mentally and spiritually for the trip, reading, studying, and really thinking about scripture more  than I have for some time.  All in all, it’s simply something I should be doing all the time and hopefully a new habit that will stick with me after the trip.

I’m an habitual reader.  When I’m in my recliner, even with the TV on, there is always a book or magazine or my Kindle open and being read either at the same time I’m watching a program, or during the commercial breaks.  My lunches are generally solitary affairs and I’m beginning to think that I am unable to take a noon meal unless I have printed material in front of me.

Lunchtime isn’t really conducive to an in-depth study.  As such I’ve developed the habit of just opening up my bible to any random page and seeing what God has for me.  This has proved to be really serendipitous and often a great way to study parts of the bible that I haven’t explored before.

Today I flipped open my old King James, my favorite for at-the-table reading because it’s large, hangs open easily, and was given to me by a dear friend who has since gone to heaven.  It opened to 1 Peter 2:9.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light:

Of course the way my mind works, the first part that jumps out to me is the “peculiar” part.  I’ve got that nailed.  It bugged me a bit that with some cross checking I found out that the ESV and my favorite NASB left that word out.  Oh well.

The next thing that hit me was a flashback to when my wife and I were teaching the high school youth group at the Berean church we did a lesson on this section of 1 Peter.  That’s been over a decade ago and I don’t recall the main points of the lesson.  I do hope it was more memorable for our poor students.

I take a lot of comfort in the words “ye are a………royal priesthood” as I prepare for India.  I don’t have any formal training, a great wealth of biblical knowledge, or any other earthly skill that qualifies me to go to India and teach others about Christ.  But I can have faith that through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, God has declared me a priest, someone who can share God with others.

Some Updates

Nothing too philosophical or wordy today but I thought I would give you some updates on the progress the team is making.

Last week a few of us got a start on the shots needed to help keep us safe.  Hepatitus vaccinations take place over the course of a year or so and those will be ongoing.  I’ll be able to have the first two injections out of the way before the plane hits the ground.  Hopefully next week will see me traveling to North Platte to get a typhoid shot.  Then there is the issue of which malaria drug to take.  Two of them have side effects that include stomach problems, not a good thing if, like me, you have Crohn’s disease.  The other can cause psychosis and despite what my lovely wife might say, I don’t normally have those symptoms.  Anyone with experience on malaria drugs feel free to lend advice.

My visa came today and I was quite surprised to find they had awarded me a ten-year multi-entry visa.  The folks that handle these things told me that those types of visas are typically not handed out unless accompanied by business ties or relatives in the country.  I decided to ask for a ten-year because the cost is the same as a five-year and a five-year isn’t a whole lot more than a 90-day visa.  So, in for a dime, in for a dollar.

The most exciting news this week is that Matt and his daughter Carlie are going to go on the trip with us.  Matt is a great guy, a board member of my church, and has a real open spirit that is great to be around.  I haven’t spent any real time with Carlie, but it’s exciting to see a young teen willing to make the trip.  That brings our total team number to ten members, about the perfect size I’m told.

I’ve also received a few donations this last week or so and that leaves the remaining amount I need to raise at about $1,000.00.  It has been a humbling experience to ask for help but even more humbling to see who is willing to give and what they are willing to give.  My thanks to all of you who have given prayer and funds.  God is good.

There are a lot of other little details to be ironed out.  I’m on the hunt for a small bible that is a bit more suitable to our travels.  I need to find a few more clothes that are compatible with the climate.  I’m told that my boots that I love so much aren’t suitable for the climate and conditions, so I need to track down some that are.  Seemingly small details, but its India: I can’t just go down to the mall and pick some things up while I’m there.  This is particularly true considering I’m 6’4” and 185lbs. in a country populated by a rather diminutive race.

All in all, things have come together much more smoothly than I anticipated.  It’s hard to believe that the trip is just 30 days away.