I just want to start by saying how incredibly blessed I feel to be traveling with a Belmont group on one last Mission Trip! Each trip has been so meaningful and unique in its own special way. Upon arriving home after our trips to Ukraine and Venezuela I completely humbled- and nothing compares to the experience of a mission trip. I will admit that I have not exactly felt as though this trip to Brazil was so close. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend most team meetings and felt out of the loop. The spring semester has been so unbelievably busy for me with an internship, classes, basketball, and preparing for graduation. However, classes are finished and graduation is quickly approaching and will soon be over. I cannot wait for Monday to be here; better yet I cannot wait until we arrive in Rio! As we prepare to leave in just a few short days, I am feeling somewhat anxious because I do not know exactly what to expect. At the same time I am excited about experiencing a new culture and also sharing the love of God with people in Rio!
When the group met last week for the final time, several people mentioned how they not only witnessed changes in people’s lives in Venezuela or Ukraine during previous trips, but also experienced changes and growth in their own lives. It is easy to return home and slip right back into the ways of life and forget about the experience in an underprivileged country; however, as I embark on my final trip as a Belmont athlete I have been praying for God to take complete control of my heart while we are gone and give me the strength to carry these changes over into my everyday life when we return home.
Thank each of you for your thoughts and prayers for the Rio Team over the last few months and we appreciate prayer for traveling mercies as we prepare to leave on Monday. God Bless!
Brooke