Leading up to November 2009 I was unexcited and a little apprehensive about participating in my first foreign mission trip. Our church started planning a trip to the Dominican Republic in early spring of 2009 and to tell you the truth, at the time, I didn't know why I signed up to go. Maybe it was because I was a deacon and felt that as a leader I needed to put my best foot forward and set a good example. But I don't think that was it. It could have had something to do with my 13 year old daughter wanting to go, but honestly, she could have gone without me. Perhaps it was because a dear friend was planning to go and we thought it would be fun. Ultimately, I think I signed up because I felt God's calling - even though I couldn't put my finger on why. I thought all along that if God provided the funding and everything else that goes along with preparing for a mission trip, I would assume it was God's will and I would go. Never in all the preparations did I get excited about the trip. I kept thinking, I'll go on this trip then I can say I've been on a mission trip but I don't think foreign missions is for me. I didn't think it was something I was supposed to do over and over again in my life. I kept thinking, some people are called to missions and some aren't but I think everyone should go once. I was a "go-once-and-be-done-with-it" type. I wasn't excited, not in the least.
Well, a week or so before the trip, I got up for something in the middle of the night and as folks who are half asleep in the dark tend to do, I stubbed my little toe into a piece of furniture. It hurt. It turned purple, I couldn't put weight on it, I thought I broke it. The very first thought that crossed my not-excited-about-the-mission-trip brain was "oh I'm GOING on that mission trip!" So apparently I was more excited than I thought I was. Seems that God had been working on me all along and it took a near broken toe to show me that indeed I wanted to go on this trip, that not only was He calling me to go, that I wanted to go.
My toe was fine by trip day, and I was thoroughly excited by trip day. The trip was incredible, life changing, too much to write in this post (but I will write about someday soon). Suffice it to say that at first I was just along for the ride, and a one time ride at that. Now I want to take the ride again and again and again and again.... God is good, even if He had to practically break my toe to show me!
