A Little Pencil

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

- Mother Theresa

I have been given the opportunity to travel to Ukraine later this week. I am excited to go... and nervous.

This trip is different from ones I have taken in the past for two reasons:

• I am going without Kory (he is staying home with the kids).
• I am not going with an obvious purpose.

In the past we have gone to run a summer camp at Loubetein orphanage.

This year, there will be no summer camp.

A small group of business men and women are going as part of a vision team with my parents. Some going on the trip are committed to becoming more involved in the Ukraine ministry. Others are going to see if they want to become more involved.

I am tagging along.

I'm not exactly sure what I will be doing. I hope to be that little pencil Mother Theresa was talking about to the kids I meet. Not that I can't be that little pencil here in the States. I can. I hope I am.

But when God drops a trip to Ukraine in your lap, out-of-the-blue, with the doors wide open, you step through them.

Even when it is hard to leave your family and you don't know exactly what you will be doing and you struggle with whether you bring enough value to the trip to justify the cost and it means leaving your comfort zone.

I hope to see my friend Varya. I also hope to see Valya (a miracle I am asking for).

My main purpose in writing this post is this: Please pray for this trip. Please pray for Varya and Valya because I love them and I don't think many people pray for them.

And selfishly, please pray for me, that I can be that little pencil who, by the grace of God, is not afraid to move out of my comfort zone and participate in God's love letter to the children he puts in my path.