prepared

heartfelt thanks pour from me to my friends, my pray-ers, my hope-ers and encouragers. you all have been a blessing, are a blessing....and will forever be a blessing! haha.
ok.
really, though, i am so grateful. with this guatemala trip, there has been so much love given to me from you all. the prayers have been efficacious; i am not afraid., and there is a bit of excitement[ read:: expectant, happy, slightly-stressed-body-from-not-feeling-like-im-sleeping-well nerves].
so much of my prayers and thoughts have been selfless- woohoo!  but it did get me thinking...why in the world does it take a trip to be "godly" toward strangers, to make me want to really shine for him, and truely love people with his best?
what is it about these things that makes it easier to pray for his will completely, and for him to move through us only, setting our own desires aside?  why dont i want to love the people i know and see daily, that well?

tonight i got to interact with one of my downstairs neighbors, where before it had just been hi's and how are you's.  pray that i would make space to chat w her more, and  my other neighbors, when i come back. that i would find my day in and day out people just as precious as these guatemalans. we are all in poverty. God is the riches. continue to pray for our teams' unity, and thank the Lord with us that we will be better be- ings who love well than do- ers who get frustrated. i am personally asking God to just  stretch time out, so that we can love exponentially in the days we have. already i think hes giving me that; i got home at 7, ate, packed, cleaned some things....it was 9 30 when i looked at the clock, and i was pretty sure it was going to say at least an hour later. what is so cool was that i hadnt rushed myself.

pray for shyness to be removed. i tend to be shy when i dont know the language, and it makes me hesitate in my actions or attempts at speaking, even if its just to a translator.
here are my teammates.
shawn
hannah
john
joshua
rick
reagan
john
annie
katie
trey
joana
rachel
travis
leah
andy
jennie
jaime
nat
cullen