India is 38 "chain days" away.

We had our third team meeting last night and I always leave with flushed cheeks. I have so much emotion about this trip. I am overwhelmed with how compelled I feel to go, how clear it is that God led me to this project and the excitement I feel. But I also have this undercurrent of anxiety. I am nervous to leave Jake and the boys (and our families). I remember the cab ride from the airport to the hotel when I was there before. In a short half hour, I was broken, ashamed (of my hat, earrings and other 'costly' things I had worn to travel), and emotionally frozen and in shock by all the pain I saw.

Even as I write this, my cheeks are burning. When I return this time, I will see an even deeper wound in humanity. Women who were stolen, sold or forced into this life and literally have no hope to escape ... none except through Christ. I am encouraged, though, that we will have the privelege of meeting a group of women who have seen God's power work in their lives in dramatic ways. I am humbled that we will be able to work alongside them. I am hopeful that we will be able to share hope and the love of Christ which "covers a multitude of sins".

To prepare my heart, I am reading "The Good News About Injustice" by Gary Haugen (President and CEO of International Justice Mission). One thing I know that we need prayer for is the anger that many of the women struggle with. You can imagine how they must grapple with a loving and just God and the depth of pain they've lived through. Please pray God will prepare me (and the whole team) spiritually for how to support these women in the few short days we are there.

And especially thank you for China

The past 6 months or so it seems we have had a strong emphasis on Missions with Miles. I wanted to prepare the boys for me leaving for India so I took a few minutes with Miles to explain where I was going and why. When I told him I would be leaving for India in a couple of months, he kind of looked surprised. I said, "you will stay with Daddy and your Mimi and your Nanny Ray." He got excited and asked, "Can you go to India tomorrow so I can see them?"

A couple of weeks later, AK Lama came to the Missions Conference at our church. I was at Beeson with AK and he was the one who led our small team to India back in 1999. I told Miles all about AK and then we were able to have lunch with him. Miles was so excited to see him and actually hugged him when it was time to leave (and Miles, unlike me, is not a hugger).

We made a "chain of days" with multi-colored chains to show the boys how many days there are until I leave for India (and when I return). Each day we tear off a chain but Miles still asks every few days when I will go to India. He is also discovering so much about the world asking, "Is Georgia in America? Is India in America? Is China in America?" etc.

Last night, I was putting Miles to bed and we had our bedtime prayer. After I prayed, Miles said, "Dear God, thank you for Emily and Ella. Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Will. Thank you for YOU and for Jesus. Thank you for You being born .... for Jesus being born and especially thank you for China".