Missions and Prayer

Becca is going on a mission trip this Summer.  I'm kinda doing the mom freak out...still, and I've known since mid-December.

The whole thing started a couple of years ago.  Becca saw the flier for mission trips through Teen Missions International.  Tony gets it every year because he went a few times as a teenager.  At the time it was no big deal because there was no way she was going to go to Florida at 6...and she wasn't old enough to be a Peanut (7-9 year olds are Peanuts there) anyway.  She asked to go the next year.  I put her off thinking that she would forget about it.  The next year she saw the flier and asked again.  We were in the middle of Girl Scouts and I put her off again because we were so busy all the time that I was sure we wouldn't have time.

The flier came again for this year's mission trips and she asked again.  She came to me with the argument that she isn't too busy this year because she didn't want to start anything new with starting "the hard GATE class" at school.  She said she didn't want to be bored this summer and she has been wanting to be a missionary since she was first saved.  She did, too.  Saved at 6, she immediately felt this burden to tell others.  She's very open about telling people about Jesus.

Her argument was valid.  I hated to say no.  The problem was that the trip is in FLORIDA!  I didn't want her traveling across the country!  There is no way I'm putting my 8 year old on a plane by herself to cross the country!  Sure, there are ways, but I don't even let her cross a street by herself, much less the country.

I prayed about it for a while and talked to Tony.  He was just surprised that it's taken me this long to realize that Becca needs to go.  She's not your "normal" 8 year old, very mature.  I'm just the mom trying to be overprotective when I just can't.  She has to do what she has to do.

Anyhoo, Tony and I decided that if she was going to Florida, someone was going to travel with her.  Tony can't do it because he won't have enough vacation time.  He's going to be taking a week and going to umpire training at Western Regionals this year.  Not enough time left after other stuff that is going on too.

That leaves me.  We originally started this thinking I'd have someone to travel with us and we'd take a road trip, but that may not work, so we're thinking airplane because I really can't drive out there alone.  I'll stay out in Florida doing...I don't know what...for the week while she is there and fly back with her.  Yeah, it seems a little weird, but I don't like the other options.  I don't have the money to take all the other kids with me and go to Disney World or anything.  That would be cool, though.  If I had the money, I'd rent an RV for the trip and just take anyone who wants to come, but that's pretty pricey.

So, here I am.  I told Becca that she has to raise the money it would cost for her to go on the trip, not my tickets or anything, so her goal is $1000 by May to do the trip.  So far in her plans is a lemonade stand, a bake sale, and possibly a dinner.  She's also working for my grandma once a week doing vacuuming and stuff for her.  I think she's going to make it...I'm just not sure I will.... :)