Travis and I are about to embark on a 10 day mission trip with our youth kids. We're headed out early Saturday morning (read: 6am) in a convoy of 4 mini-vans, 14 youth, 6 adult chaperones, and 1 purpose. We driving the 1,400 miles in just 2 days, stopping only in Oklahoma City on Saturday evening. We'll be spending Sunday evening through Friday morning on the Navajo Indian reservation in the Arizona side of the Four Corners area (where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, & Utah meet). While we're there, we'll be doing some home repairs for the Native Americans and also working a Vacation Bible School for the Navajo children. As many of you know, I went on a similar mission trip back in the summer of 1997, so I'm anxious to revisit the area and see how it's changed, if at all. The area is quite impoverished, and maybe the closest to "real" poverty we can see inside the United States.
After our week of service, we'll be taking the youth to camp at the Grand Canyon for a couple of nights. If you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, you know that just seeing it is a religious experience in itself. I think I'm really more excited about seeing the reactions of the youth than I am about seeing it again myself. Pictures, no matter how well taken, do not do the Canyon justice. Hopefully, we'll also get to stop at Walnut Canyon (where we'll see ancient Indian dwellings carved into the walls of the canyon) and Crater Rock (where an asteroid pummeled into the earth many thousands of years ago and left an unbelievable hole).
If you would, remember us in your prayers over the next week. Travis and I have been praying over this trip for many months, specifically that the youth would not see this trip as a vacation or to go into it thinking about what they are going to get out of it. It is our earnest prayer that they would be prepared to serve these people and to show them the love of Jesus Christ. And although we know we, too, will be blessed beyond comprehension, I pray that the focus is not on us.
