Blogging in Poland

Later today we leave for our high school mission trip to Poland. Throughout the trip there will be two blogs running detailing our trip and experiences. First, I will be blogging on the trip from the perspective of the youth pastor. It is my hope and desire that what I am processing will let you more into my heart and mind as I lead this trip. Second, our team will be blogging. You can access that blog on the sidebar of this blog by looking for 180inPoland. Jon got the blog going for our trip and will be our support back here in case we don't have internet at camp! Here we go!

Tonight is a weird night, or should I say early on the morning we are leaving is a weird morning?I am supposed to be sad I am leaving my family and absolutely pumped to go on this trip. There is no question I will miss my wife and three kids. When I come home Adah will be eating rice cereal! Who know what Noah and Josiah will be doing new? I'll miss praying with them at night and walking in the door to be hugged as hard as boys who are 2 and 4 can hug. I'll miss hanging with Julie and the kids on the 4th of July. I miss swimming at Nana's. I miss hearing about VBS everytime Noah comes home. So many things...and these are just a few!

And as I am feeling all of this my thoughts are running through the list of students going on the trip and praying like mad that the Spirit of God will move in a mighty way in their lives. I am thinking through all the details of travel tomorrow. I am wondering what will mark this team this year? I wonder who on our team will be brought to tears with the realization that there are millions in Poland without Christ? Who will come home weeping for their friends who are far from a relationship with Jesus? Who on our team is going to struggle to engage the students? What will Auschwitz be like the 5th time for me? I can't wait to see Alice, Dan, Laura, Mickey and Tori! I can't wait to walk into the square in Krakow and eat ice cream with our team at night. I wonder if there is a student on our trip that will be called by God to "GO" into a career in missions? So many things...and these are just a few!

With all of these thoughts about my family and the trip running through my mind early on the morning we are leaving, I wonder if I will ever get to sleep?