Stretching Their Wings

Yesterday we applied for passports for the kids. They are both going on a mission trip to Jamaica this summer with our church and will be gone 10 days. I'm proud of them for both wanting to go and help and being so enthusiastic about it, but I'm a little anxious, too! The longest we have been apart has been 6 or 7 days, and that was way back in grade school. DS was enthusiastic without question right away, but DD was undecided for a few days about going. She wanted to be sure she was going for the right reasons, which I have no doubt she is. But while we were talking about it, I told her I needed to have my priorities for this trip as much as she did. It would be very easy for me to say, no, you can't go - too much money involved, too far and too long to be away from me, going to a foreign country at a young age, etc. - but I told her I knew that it was a good thing for her and her brother to do. It will be a good thing for them to be the hands and feet for Christ, first and foremost. It will be a good thing for them to experience a different culture while under the supervision of godly and trustworthy adults. It will be a good thing for her to have to eat something other than pasta and Cheerios every day! And it will be a good thing for both of them to start to learn to live, even a few days, away from home. As for me, I'm trying to get a few ideas of what I could do while they are gone. I will be working, of course, but I will have at least 1 full weekend and possibly part of another to fill. I already have a short list of home and away ideas, so I think I will get through it. haha I just don't really like being home by myself overnight alone. I told my one friend I may be "borrowing" her dog for the 10 days the kids are gone! haha The other issue that concerns me, of course, is finances. It's approximately $1500 per child to go. That doesn't include work clothes from Salvation Army or Goodwill, a lightweight bed roll or passports. I've prayed that if this trip is God's will for the kids, He will provide the funds for them to go. The first confirmation of that came yesterday when the kids' dad paid for the application fee for the passports. I had to pay for the passports themselves, but I hadn't considered at all that he would volunteer to pay for anything, so that was a definite blessing! And I'm sure there will be more confirmations to come. As an aside, yes, their dad was with us to apply for the passports. I wasn't 100% sure if he needed to be there or not. One spot on the government site said both parents had to be there in person if the applicant was a minor without specifying an age, another spot said both parents had to be there only if the applicant was under 16, and another spot said if one parent had sole custody, the other parent did not need to show if there was proof of custody. Kinda confusing so as long as he was being cooperative, I thought it best if he was there. And they did have him sign the forms and took his ID copies and such, so that was good. And the kids seemed to enjoy talking with him, which was very good. They talked about all sorts of things, and it was only when he was talking about doing "12-ounce curls" for upper arm strength and telling the kids that some day they may enjoy beer, that I had to bite my tongue. Other than that, he behaved. :-) He even said he would be making a donation for their trip fund - again, another confirmation. So off they go in a few months. It's time for a short flight from the nest before they leave for good in a few years.