Trinidad: Wisps & Other Stuff

Well, our Trinidad adventure has commenced! Four of us spent the night in a hotel near the airport - that was a very wise move (especially, for non morning people like me!) The hotel stay also afforded closer bonding with those present! We learned things about each other that were complete unknowns until last night. We also laughed a great deal and were able to start our morning off with prayer for the entire team, for our travels today, the families, friends and pets we all left behind...and for the women we will all encounter in a matter of hours.

So far, God has shown great favor in numerous ways: for instance, my checked bag exceeded maximum weight by .5 lbs - instead of a $100 fee - I got a casual wink and a nod! We are presently in the Miami airport and the flight from Atl to here was uneventful (and NO crying babies or barfing nervous flyers on board!)

With limited room in my bookbag, I packed minimal toiletries including "wisps". Most military moms are all too familiar with this ingenious invention: a small, pre-pasted, disposable tooth brush. As I was brushing my teeth this morning, I was reminded of the many "wisp-filled" care packages I sent to my son when he was in Afghanistan. He, and thousands of other troops have gone there to bring hope, peace, and a new system of government to the Afghani people.

Standing at the sink, it occurred to me that Kelly, Barb, Trish, Elizabeth, Kim, Hilary, Cathy and myself are "troops" - heading to the battlefield. Like Tyler, we are going to a war zone with a mission of taking the hope, and peace found in Christ to desperate people. We want to give them a new ruler as well, A King - THE KING!

Another interesting parallel- the value of encouragement and prayers from those we love back home! I was brought to tears when I realized my husband, my daughter and my "adoptive mom" wrote letters of encouragement, prayers and scripture for me to open each day we are in active battle. (The phone messages, texts, Facebook comments are meaningful not just to the individual recipients but to our entire team!) Please keep'em coming!

We will update from Trinidad when time and connectivity permit!

Pray for us as we board the next flight to Port of Spain - we'll have "boots on the ground" in just a few short hours! (chacos, sperrys, keds, and flip flops anyway)

Love to all,
T

PS-posted from my iPad - please forgive grammatical errors and overall aesthetics!