At a loss, but not lost

It's Wednesday night, and I am tired. The newness is beginning to wear off, and I think I am coming back down to earth about this whole thing. I still can't quite grasp that I will get on a plane in a few days to fly over the Atlantic. The thing I have realized is that this isn't easy. I am not discouraged; there is nothing about which I can be discouraged. I am beginning to see and experience some new things though, and not all of them are as fabulous as I imagined.

I love my team, but I have come to see that the only consistent English interaction I will have will be with these people. That is not a bad thing, but it sure is different. I have a woman who I am leaving (have already left) for the summer. It's going to be okay, it's just not the ideal. I am not in my mother's household. Haha, I'm not even sure the implications of that, but it's true nonetheless.

I'm even at a loss for what else to say. What to write about... I'm not upset or stressed out, not overly excited or anticipatory, not happy, not sad. I'm just... Contemplative? There is so much about which to think, to speculate, to presume. I guess I don't know where to begin... More to come in the days ahead as I process.

I do have a prayer request. You all know that God is God. You also know that there is one who opposes Him. This one hates when people come together to serve God in powerful ways. My team and I have seen how this one is attacking us spiritually, but we have come together to resist spiritual temptations. We pray for each other and with each other against these spiritual attacks. Well, this one who opposes the one true God has a presence in this world, and he has made himself known that he does not want us to succeed. There's good news and bad news.

The bad news is that we are human, and we are susceptible to the attacks of this evil while we are on this earth in its present form. We sometimes fall, even pretty hard. The bad news is that I, you, we are too weak to stand against this one who brings oppression. The bad news is that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Here's the good news - he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. Because he lives in us, he can work through us against this present evil.

My prayer request is this: Pray that the physical oppression we are facing will not be a hindrance. Pray healing for our bodies and perseverance for our spirit.
Prayer works. Hear me - prayer works. It transcends long distances. It has real effects. It transcends the spiritual realm. It is our highest form of communication, yet it is our simplest form of communication. Most importantly, it is our most effective means of communication. God hears His people. He listens attentively, and He answers.

Thank you for your love and support. You are a real friend to have read this all the way through. Please pray.

Grace and peace to you.