Oh, the Places We'll Go!

It has been nice to be back on American soil and enjoy the comforts of this great nation. The past few weeks have been filled with friends, family, and fun, and have lent some good reflective moments as well. As I look to the future, I find myself staring at many blank pages, but the immediate future is in the first stages of being written.

In January 2011 I will be participating in the World Race, an 11 month mission experience that will be visiting 11 countries for a month each and joining with the efforts of established ministries in each location. I feel God's hand tugging mine in this direction and feel drawn to this specific trip for a few reasons. The first few countries on this trip are heavily Muslim and hot spots for child sex trafficking. I cannot eloquently explain why, but I really want to learn how ministry is done in these circumstances and what approaches are used to help (especially) women and children.
We will also be visiting 3 countries in Africa and doing a lot of work with HIV/ AIDS education, care, prevention, etc. An area in which I have a little more exposure and am excited to broaden my knowledge.
The last leg of our trip will be spent in numerous eastern european countries; many areas where faith seems to have gone dormant. I am excited to see the ways ministries in this region are working to infuse life and passion back into the idea of religion and Christianity.
I am excited to embark on this next chapter of my life, but struggling to wrap my mind around all the preparations and fundraising I need to do in the meantime. My mantra is quickly evolving into "One day at a time, just one day at a time".