The Travel begins

Today began really yesterday actually.  Last minute packing and some Spring cleaning even filled the last few hours at home.  Sleep was scarce due to the trip jitters.  At 7:30 we met at NCU to load up bags and pray before embarking on our journey.  My parents drove me to the airport and there Michael Fuller the Vice President of NCU also said a prayer over the whole team. The prayers were focused on the safety of our travels, this Psalm seems very appropriate to the day. 

Psalm 16:1-11 NIV

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. [2] I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” [3] I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” [4] Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. [5] Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. [6] The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. [7] I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. [8] I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [9] Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, [10] because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. [11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

I am beginning to pray the Psalms.  It is a peculiar thing to be so familiar with the Bible and yet for it to surprise you over and over.  To be newly acquainted with Psalms and texts that I have read dozens of times.  I'm finding Psalm 16 especially meaningful today - asking for God to keep me safe each step of the way.  A tradition that my mom always had us do as a family when we traveled was to hold hands at takeoff and landing.  We would hold hands and pray.  I can't hold hands with them, but I continue the praying, continually reminded of who I am and who I belong to.  

These days travel is really marked by advances in technology.  Mostly on the airplanes.  This long flight has new seats with power in them, video screens, and better leg room.  Travel time now is passed watching movies on your own personal entertainment device.  Technology also enables me to send these blogs on my trip too!  To keep you updated on how the mission trip is going.  It also allows me to text my parents while I am on the ground in the US.  I can continue talking to them up until just before takeoff.  The last text I read before shutting my phone off and taking off from US soil was this: "God be with you" - sent from my dad.  Again reminding me of Psalm 16 this time in the last verse about the presence of God.  That is my  biggest prayer, that God would be present, with us (with me) on this trip. 

Pictures for this post will come in a separate post. 

May the Grace of The Lord be present in your life