Finally it's here...

Hey, this is Ben. First of all, I am just excited that the day is finally here. Tonight we are all meeting in Kansas City to have some dinner and enjoy some final American amenities before we head off tomorrow morning. My summer has been spent in Texas working on a ranch. Some of you may laugh because I am hardly the typical Texas-steer-ropin'-cowboy type. But the good news is I didn't do anything rancher-esque except feed a couple of horses everyday. One of my responsibilities for the trip is trying to keep Melissa sane....(should I give a pre-emptive "ouch" for when she punches me later??) but I have really enjoyed working with her so far. This isn't my first rodeo (pardon the allusion back to the quasi-rancher in me) but I have really enjoyed learning so much more about the leadership aspects of a mission trip and team dynamics, etc. that you don't always learn about as just a participant. One of my other responsibilities is to be "in charge" of leading the debriefing and devotionals every night. I have been really excited about this, and really hope that everyone else can get as much out of it as I have already gotten in preparing them. Thank you for all of your support and your continued prayers for our safety and efficacy in our mission of not just building a church, but in encouraging and strengthening the local congregations and building relationships with them that will bless both of us. Now, if tomorrow would just get here.....