I started packing last night.

Soon my husband and I will travel with 10 other wonderful people to the Sosua region of Dominican Republic.

We’ll work with a group called Go M.A.D. (Make a Difference) – fixing up a church in the village of Munoz and working on a children’s centre/medical clinic near Cabarete.

We’ll attend two churches (one that speaks English and one that speaks Spanish) on the Sunday that we’re there, and we’ll spend a few hours having fun at a place called Lake Dudu.

We’ll also spend a morning with Mustard Seed  because we just can’t get them out of our hearts since we visited last June (I still remember sitting in that room, feeding kids who couldn’t feed themselves, kicking a ball around with that boy full of laughter, hearing that girl say, in the most fun-loving way, “Idios” after my husband and a friend starting singing animatedly to the kids to make them smile). They’ve doubled their capacity since we were there last, and something about the place just encourages us like crazy, and we’re excited to take them some supplies and play with the kids for a morning.

So last night I gathered my travel-sized toiletries and started thinking about which book(s) I’d like to take on the trip.

I also did something that I knew I would have to do eventually – tried on my shorts that are inevitably too tight after months of cold winter and little activity on my part.

I made a small pile of old t-shirts to bring for the hot days of work ahead, and piled a few other shirts for the days of orientation, church, and play.

Two swimsuits are in there – because nothing dries quickly in Dominican. These are for the quick swim we’ll get in before dinner and nightly debrief with the team.

There’s also a bandana, a ball cap, old sports sandals and a sundress. And a pair of flip flops that will double as church shoes.

My Bible and a letter-sized notepad are coming as well. I hope there will be lots of words to share from the trip.

Actually, I KNOW there will be lots of words, because I have to start processing all that is growing in my heart – it’s building up too high in me, bubbling over and spilling out everywhere. These three trips to Dominican in the past three years, the university courses on global issues, reading the whole Bible last year – all these fit together in amazing ways.

I will be trying to make sense of it in the coming months.

I’d love to share the journey with you.

As always.