Off We Go!

Life gets kind of crazy with three kids, so I haven’t blogged in quite a while.  I want to get better at fitting it in periodically though.  Someone once told me that a blog is a great way to keep a scrapbook for your children, and well, since I’m not the scrap booking type (I get enough cutting and pasting and cutesy in my job), I will try to blog more. 

The Hawkins family is embarking on a brand new journey in October.  A few years back we committed to going on short term missions for Christ as a family as often as possible.  Our first “out of Thomaston” trip was three summers ago to Baltimore.  I will admit it wasn't all that easy with three under the age of six.  However, the experience was wonderful, and our boys still talk about it all the time.  Since then we've waited for God’s guidance and calling on the next trip to take out of town.  Through different doors opening and closing, we are being led to take our family to Nicaragua over next school year’s fall break.  There we will minister to children and adults in a poor fishing village who need to hear about and feel the love of Christ.  Jeremy and I are thrilled yet a little nervous about going to the unknown with our kids.  The kids are just excited about seeing monkeys and toucans!  The trip is designed for families with children –no, we aren't taking a twenty mile hike into a rain forest to a tonal speaking tribe of naked people (though that would also be cool).

Sometimes people ask the question, “Why go to another country when there are people right here in our community who don’t know Jesus?”  It’s simple- because Jesus tells us to in His word.  We are called to tell people at home and everywhere else!  We hope to instill something eternal in our children.  Being selfless and placing the needs of others first is a value we want them to carry into adolescence and adulthood.  We want them to see the needs people have whether it be here in T-Town, Atlanta, or in another country.  People need Christ.  And Christ needs us to be His hands and feet. 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8