T Minus 10

With only ten more days left in this country, it feels like things are closing in incredibly fast. Erik and I have been spending nearly all of our time fundraising for Mongolia, which through your help and by the grace of God is paid for, and for Woodleaf and our first ever Summer Blast, a camping experience for kids who want to go deeper in their search for Christ, which are coming up in July and August.

Most days Erik has been engaged in some form of carpet cleaning, whether in a home or in cars of friends and supporters of Young Life. We have also been doing lots of yard work and other small jobs on the side in the effort to raise money so that kids can go to camp. The best part though, is that we do this alongside our kids. This way our young friends take ownership over their camp experience, and we can better know them before our week away together.

 In Young Life we talk a lot about contact work, or getting to know kids, but I have come to call this fundraising time “pre-cabin talk work.”  It has been such a blessing sitting with Ruben and hearing about his family life. Or listening to Jacob’s big questions. Seeing Leslie’s work ethic. Laughing with Amber, Emily, and Maddy. Joking with Christian, Diego, and Gerardo. It is so good to know these kids before we have the close, personal conversations in our cabin at Woodleaf.

We have also been scrambling to put together our new Summer Blast, which we plan to run every summer for students who have already been to Woodleaf. It is a chance to get away and look deeper into the gospel, to ask questions, and to seek answers together. I can’t give away too much at this point, but we’ll be spending those four days at a cabin at Huntington Lake, with Kayaks provided by local Fowler businesses for our enjoyment and ministry with kids.

On top of all that, I have had several visits to the doctor, trying to get healthy before the trip. I’ve had a rough go of it since my trip to Peru, and really long before that. But I’m pushing through, keeping my head above water, some days swimming strong, others barely able to tread. But there is hope for healing from the truly heavy experiences faced in Peru and thereafter. And I fix my eyes on that hope.

It seems like it was just yesterday that we started talking about the possibility of this trip, but now my bag is by the door, slowly gathering its contents. Sleeping bag? Check. Rain jacket? Check. Shirts, pants, socks, shoes, are all crossed off the list. In just ten short days we will be ready to go.