Latvia...

Just got back from the airport and dropping my daughter off to her first mission trip to Latvia. I did not cry at the airport but felt very unsettled on the way home. Not that I don't trust the leaders she is with, it just seems strange to let her go into someone else's care for two and a half weeks. It is not only that we will miss her but that she has never been away for that long much less in another country without the comfort of familiarity.

I know this will be the perfect growth experience for her to rely on God. It has been wonderful to watch her preparing for this trip. She has done a lot of studying God's word beforehand and I know a lot of prayer. She asked me if I was afraid for her and I could honestly say no. I know above all else to see my daughter working out her walk for Him is the greatest gift for me. I told her I wasn't afraid of the "what ifs" but more concerned for her lack of sleep (i.e. grouchiness) and for what can happen when your body needs food combined with no sleep. She thought that was the least of her worries and feels like the reason she is going is not to get sleep or a good meal , but to experience the chance to tell others about Christ. How proud could a mother be?

She turn sweet 16 while there and I know dropping off a 15 year old and picking up a 16 year old will be worth the stories she will tell. It will be a memorable birthday for her there (my friend Lisa who lives there said she will bake her a cake and make it a special day for her) even though we are not there to do our normal traditions.

If you could remember them in your prayers before God I would value that above all else. "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God Reigns!" (Isiah 52:7)