Define shower...

This is my friend Bailey, she went on last year's trip!

It's hard to believe that in one week I'll be at the House of Hope ministry in Haiti.  This orphanage will be home for me and 14 other Nebraskans for a whole week.  This winter I felt called by God to serve him somehow before I went into my senior year of college, and this opportunity was the perfect fit.

While there we will be doing a little bit of everything.  The word of the trip will be flexible and that's exactly what the group plans to do.  There will be days of manual labor: building, painting, and gardening, and there will be days of social labor: worshiping, encouraging, and playing.  Beyond that, we will follow where God directs our group.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so my big prayer for the trip is patience and graciousness.  I'm praying that God keep my heart open to see the big things and not be distracted by the lack of electricity or showers.  The farm girl lifestyle has prepared me to get down and dirty and work hard, but God will need to silence my complaining, and keep me focused on serving.  He alone will keep me joyful as I clean up with a bucket and rag at the end of the day.

If you're reading this please join me in prayer.  Pray for my attitude and those of my fellow travelers.  Ask God to keep us focused on his tasks not our own.  That we would remain patient and considerate of one another is important not only for the group, but for our ability to work effectively for the Kingdom. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

So, there probably won't be blog posts for the next two weeks, but please keep me in your prayers and I promise to do a post full of photos and stories when I get back from this great adventure.

'till the cows come home,
Ellie