Hello ICC Family!
Laurel and I will be travelling next month, which means that there are quite a few lists of things that need to be accomplished. Some of these lists are actually in written form and some exist only in our minds. But there are a lot of things to do!
Find somebody to take care of the cat and get the mail. Check.
Double check flights and reservations. Check. (They have been cancelled and rebooked twice already. I think according to United we are now supposed to hitchhike to get from Munich to Innsbruck…)
Arrange for overseas travel insurance. (I think Laurel took care of that? Whatever… we’ll be all right.)
Arrange for guest preachers for the next couple of weeks. Check.
Send list of logins and passwords to the elders in case I don’t make it back. (Hmmm, I wonder which lawyer requested that?… Working on this one, by the way.)
Mow the lawn. (Waiting until tomorrow so it doesn’t get too tall while we are away. Hopefully it doesn’t rain!)
And about a hundred other things…
I also need to pack sometime. That would probably be helpful. That part doesn’t stress me very much, though. After 25 years or so of travelling back and forth across the world, we are pretty good at this. Quick and efficient and we can travel pretty light for westerners.
What I have been thinking about quite a bit the past couple of days, though, is what I am hoping and praying will be accomplished from this trip. Laurel and I want it to be a special time for us as we celebrate and look back at 25 years of marriage. I am confident that will happen. We want to have a great time catching up with our daughter and seeing her life and ministry in Germany firsthand. And be able to come back and report to you what the Lord is doing there. That will happen as well. We are hoping and praying that we are refreshed after spending time away in God’s creation - hiking and sitting and relaxing in the mountains. That is not guaranteed. Travel plans get messed up. Things get lost. It could rain the whole time. We don’t speak the language. Etc. Yet, we can usually make the best of situations and find the positives. I’m not too worried about this either.
You can pray about those things for us, and we would welcome your prayers. What I would like to ask you to pray most of all, though, is that we would both come back having spent wonderful time not only with each other and with Ellie, but with the Lord. Pray that we would have wonderful times of fellowship as a couple, but also with Jesus. I have been thinking about this quote from Dallas Willard the past couple of days, and I want to share it with you so you know how to pray for me…
For those who lead as pastors or teachers, it is important to know that the person we are becoming is more important to God than the work we do. “To obey is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:1) is a profound statement that character is what counts before God. And before men. Those we teach and lead will forget almost everything we say, but they will always remember the kind of person we were.
The author might be speaking to pastors, but what he has to say is true for all Christians. As Philippians chapter 3 challenges us: we should want to know Christ! We should want to know him, and his power, and his suffering, and even his death, because then and only then will we also know his eternal life. Our constant goal and desire should be to become more like him in every way. So, when it comes down to it, that is what I want more than anything from this trip… to spend time with Jesus and his people and his creation and be changed. Please pray that as a result of this trip your pastor has taken one step (or even a few steps) closer to that goal.
We will miss you while we are away! But I know you are in good hands. That said, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need prayer. I can do that from anywhere!
Blessings to you all!
Pastor Aaron
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