A change in my thinking

19 days until I leave for Haiti! I am so excited. We had our group meeting today at EIU Christian Campus House. One final meeting in April and we will be leaving. There are eight of us in this group. We each shared what we learned researching different topics about Haiti. I know I learned so much more about the current state of Haiti. A group from EIU CCH just came back from Costa Rica and they shared with us things that might be helpful to know going on a mission trip. A couple of things really stuck out to me. One was to not go with a preset agenda or preset expectations. Sometimes I immediately start my list of what I want to happen when I go somewhere. The truth is, I don't know exactly how God wants to use me. If I go with a preset agenda, I will end up being disappointed that things aren't going the way I think they should. What God has planned far surpasses what I could ever expect. I want to go with the mindset that I will be flexible and open to God's leading. I will be looking for God in the little things, the seemingly insignificant moments of each day. Another thing that was stressed is to build relationships with people- the staff, the students, the other team members. The relationships I begin building will continue far after I leave Haiti. I have to make a conscious decision to listen and ask questions. So, as the days get closer, I am reevaluating what I want to get from this short trip to Haiti. My expectation is to watch God work in me and through me. The time will fly and I don't want any regrets about what I did or didn't do with what God has given me.