As I am planning this first mission trip of mine, I am realizing how much prayer I need. It truly is a humbling experience to take on a group of peers and try to lead them; I feel like it’s kind of like the blind leading the blind. I just simply have very little idea of what I am doing.

But God is good, greater than I have the ability to understand and He proves this to me everyday. He is bigger than me and more powerful than me and His glorious plan is so lost to my weak little eyes. Everyday I fight the urge to take control and do this my way; praise God that He is gracious and patient and loves me more than I can ever know. I am living proof of the cliché that God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.

One of the things the Lord is teaching me on this infinite list in Leading 101 is how powerful prayer is. On a personal level, connecting with God has calmed me and handing control back over the Creator of the Universe gives me a lot of peace. But prayer has also proven God's commitment to us as a team and His ability to provide for us. He has been answering prayers all over the place and we are just at the very beginning of this trip. I think it's easy to see that God is going to be teaching us much more than this.

As for our prayer requests right now, the one topping the list is finances. I have heard from the head of missions at CCU that most teams are really struggling to get the money together this year and that is hard to hear. It’s comforting that we aren't the only team struggling but I wish this economy was more forgiving.
To put things in perspective: we are only about a quarter of the way to our team goal of about $45,000 as a team total. We have all sent out our letters to friends and family and we now have to scrape together the remaining. I just pray that we can trust God in bringing in these funds for us whether that is moving our friends and family to give more or in encouraging us to work harder and harder in our fundraising and working efforts. If you could be praying about these funds and the means to which all the teams at CCU are going to be getting them, it would be much appreciated.

This entire trip has been a constant molding of the Lord. In the first stages of our planning, this trip had a very different look then it does now but God has been really re-working things. This is certainly a huge praise; I am most comfortable with God in control. However, at the same time, it’s hard to see the Lord change things so much lately and not know what He is doing. Would you please pray for daily renewal in the Lord’s sovereignty and our ability to hand over control to Him every day?

Lastly, would you please pray for me as a leader? Sometimes I feel incompetent as a leader but I know God is giving me the means to accomplish His will. Please pray for humbleness, selflessness, and reliance on the Lord.

Thank you all for bearing with me in this incredibly long post. Your prayers, support, and simple reading of this blog are bigger blessings then you know.