My arms are aching. Not because I did a major workout yesterday…yah right. It is an empty and waiting sort of ache. All because I know that I am within 36 hours if holding onto my family members that I haven’t seen in a year.

It is that time of year…and I am on my way with the annual Russia team to visit Velikoretskoye orphanage. I wait all year for this visit. It’s as though each year at this time, a piece of the puzzle falls into place, and all seems right in the world.

Which is weird, because the whole reason I travel is because things are very wrong in our world. Sin runs rampantly unchecked. Injustice plagues every continent. Generations are being raised that don’t know a time without a war somewhere. An unimaginable numbers of slaves exist in our world. And there are hundreds of thousands orphans. Things are very wrong.

I serve a God who restores, transforms and creates beautiful futures through our relationship with him and others. Which is why I have always felt like a ministry of relationship and presence fits me so well. After all I am the person who will drive 20 minutes for a conversation instead of talking on the phone.

I ache to be in community with others, and that sometimes leads me across oceans to fill my aching arms with my friends…family…that I cannot wait to see how much taller they’ve gotten!

To follow our Russia Team blog, it can be found at: www.russiamissiontrip.blogspot.com.