Tomorrow, I leave for five days to join 19 other people on a vision trip to Guatemala. Although I can't take you all with me, I'd still like you to be part of the experience (if you want).
Our team will be traveling to Antigua, where we'll spend a few days visiting various ministries that Adventures in Missions works with. But that's not why we're going — not exactly.
Why are we going?
We're going, because we're not satisfied. Because we believe there's something more to life. And that something isn't “me.” We have a hunch, an inkling, that the best way to live is not for ourselves, but others.
We know we can't find this life on our own. We need an experience; we need to be wrecked.
For five days, we'll have an opportunity to step outside our comfort zones and catch a vision of what a more meaningful life might look like. The trip is relatively short, but the point is what happens after, when we all go home.
I explore these concepts in my book, but it's one thing to write about something and quite another to live it. Each person on the trip (including me) is looking to take the next step in living a more generous, sacrificial life. I'm excited and at the same time nervous, not sure what to expect.
A few of us are bringing our laptops to share the experience with you. I'll tell you more about that in a minute, but for now let's see who's going to Guatemala with me…
Who's going
Even though you're not going with us — this time — I thought it might be fun for you to “meet” the team. We have people from all over the world participating; here's who's going:
- Clint Bokelman (leader)
- Angela Aston (project coordinator)
- Stephanie May (videographer)
- Christine Niles
- Jeff Dolan
- Jason Smith
- Alene Snodgrass
- Eric Paliga
- Chris McArthur
- Sara McDaniel
- Laura Harris
- Katie Axelson
- Matthew Schwartz
- Emily Gallimore
- Dawn Muench
- Dayna Bickham
- Susan Stilwell
- Sheila Campos
- Carolina Sizemore
How you can “join” us
If you want to follow along, here are three ways you can do that:
- Read the stories. Make sure you're on my email list to get free trip updates. I won't be blogging about anything else but this trip for the next few days. You're welcome to sign up now and unsubscribe later, if you want. You can also follow along on Twitter (we're using the hash tag #wreckguate) and Facebook.
- Pray for the trip. If you're the praying type, we'd certainly appreciate your thoughts and prayers, especially as we travel on Saturday and Wednesday. During the trip we'll be visiting a hospital and some local ministries.
- Give a donation. Any money given to the trip will cover additional expenses and on-the-ground ministry (travel and lodging is covered by participants). Make a tax-free donation here.
Have you ever traveled to another country? What advice would you give to someone who's a first-time traveler? Share in the comments.
