A Trip, But No Vacation

Day 119 (Written Monday April 9) ~ Growing up I spent a lot of time in Florida during the summer. My family loved the coast and we took as many trips there as possible over the years. They always say that what one generation does in moderation, the next does in excess. Perhaps there is some truth to that, particularly in my family. I have taken my wife and sons to Florida a few times through the years, but this summer we will not be taking a vacation, but we will be going on a trip. Although our plans are not completely finalized, they certainly have taken shape. Our plan is to fly to Costa Rica, then drive to Nicaragua and finally fly to Panama before returning back home to the states. We will spend nearly a month in three different Central American countries on missionary campaigns. We are excited, anxious, scared and impatient all at the same time. It seems so long ago that we made the decision to begin working with Latin American Missions. We have enjoyed traveling the country, talking about the work, raising money and meeting new people, but the real reason we joined this team was to get overseas and make a difference in peoples lives. It will be a long, and at times exhausting summer, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. My parents took me to Florida for the summer, I’m taking my sons to Central America for the summer, I wonder where they will take their families? I have a friend and a supporter who tells me every time I see him, that I am crazy, maybe so. But to quote Jimmy Buffett (yet again), “I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.”