Expecting Great Things

I'm blogging in my swimsuit...a combination I have never entertained before tonight. But if you've read Jennifer's post from earlier today, our team is experiencing a couple things we didn't expect.

Upon learning our time in Haiti would be shortened, there was a pretty huge cloud of disappointment hanging over the group. I was personally completely unaware of tropical storm Emily until dinner at Chik-fil-a (another first for me!!) so I guess I didn't have the anticipation that our cargo flight could be delayed for any reason other than Zach packing too many cans of Mountain Dew in his suitcase and therefore exceeding the weight we were allowed. But yes, I was disappointed, too.

We were talking through all the options and I started to tear up- I was remembering the prayer my dad had left me in a phone message the night before. Among other blessings, he ensured me that he had printed out our schedule as well as all the details I had emailed him about our Equip conference, and I knew that he would be praying over every single one of those details! But that's not the part that got me. At the end of his message he said, "And Rae, you should expect great things!"

So far, plans and new details have surfaced...
1. At the pool today, Jennifer's Florida youth pastor friend (who came with her youth group last weekend to do service projects for at our Edge building in MN!) contacted J with a "Welcome to FL!!" message...and it was revealed that they have a bunch of projects and painting that they just have not had time for. Well, hey-o!! We're here for a day or two!!

2. A couple of our members are a little under the weather and are glad for a slower pace to recover!

3. The New Tribes Mission campus (of which we got a tour of everything...except the maintenance wing :) we stopped at has a motel that costs only $20/night. Score!! Showers, pool, a kitchen, beds and the oldskool BBC Chronicles of Narnia on VHS. Oh, it's right on the river,too.

4. We are able to practice stretching our flexibility and perhaps our perception of what this trip is really about. It's challenging when you have prepared specific stuff for 8 months and find that 1/2 way through your travels, the plans have changed somewhat dramatically. Perhaps what we think are the "most important things to get done on this mission trip" are not what we have prepared (not that it is all for naught!) but what we do with this hitch in the git-along.

5. I'm fully convinced that we will do what God wants us to do in these seven days. He knew tropical strom Emily was hovering over our path, he knew that Angela probably didn't pack enough clothes (or so she says...), and he definitely knows that we've got this extra day in Florida. We still would love to get to Haiti ASAP, but I guess I don't want to change what He's lined up for us tomorrow.

I think I'm ready to expect great things! (Thanks for praying!)

Because I'll never hold a picture of the whole horizon in my view!
Because I'll never rip the night in two, it makes me wonder-
Who am I? Who am I? Who am I and great are You!
Great are You, Lord!