...and we're off again!

Fact about Heather: I always have been...and probably always will be...a late night person. I try to go to bed early, but it just doesn't work so well for me. This, in turn, also means that getting up in the morning is one of my LEAST favorite things to do. Really, really don't like it. My alarm is my nemesis and I play the "snooze game," at which I am a gold medal champion.

There is always a groan in my heart when I have to get up earlier than normal. Like tomorrow morning. I have to be at the church around 5:45 (yes, that's AM, folks) so that my team can go to the province at 6:00. Chances are we won't actually leave at 6:00 since "on-time" around here is usually left to some loose interpretation. But I have to be on-time. I am the the one who dislikes early hours such as these and yet I am the one that picked the time to leave. What was I thinking?!

Oh, yeah, I was thinking, "We are painting a church and it is going to require a lot of time to get it done." The Harvesters Class is heading out again tomorrow for an outreach to the Takeo province. It is very soon after our last one, but we actually only have one more week of the class before graduation so here we go! We will be painting, going to talk to people in the villages, leading a children's program for about 80 kids, and taking part in the Sunday morning worship service at a local church.

This is where I love to see the students shine. I am all about knowledge. I love learning. I even enjoy teaching. But the application is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. This is when they get to take the truths that God has been pouring into their hearts and watch it overflow in love for the world around them. And they definitely have a lot of that love to share. This is a group of people with what I see as very sensitive hearts and spirits, ready to hear...and ready to obey...the voice of God.

Please pray for the health of the team. There has been a lot of flu/strep/cold sickness going around the office, church and dorms lately. Also, please pray for boldness and faith as the students are given opportunities to share the reason for the hope that they have. Pray for the people that we will meet in the village that they will see the love of Jesus shining out of us and respond to Him in a real way. I will post a report and pictures early next week and let you all know how things went.

And yes, it will all be worth the early morning :-)