St. Patrick's Breastplate, for our team members

“Christ be with me, Christ within me;
Christ behind me, Christ before me;
Christ beside me, Christ to win me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger;
Christ in hearts of those who love me;
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

This prayer flips upside down a lot of things that we normally think about when we prepare for a journey. Sometimes, we think going on a mission trip means we are "bringing" God "to" a people, a place, a culture, a time... But God is every where and can be found anywhere -- even "in mouth of friend and stranger". That could mean Christ is embodied in the person who is a friend, and also the person who is a stranger, someone you don't know.

And, Christ is within us just as Christ is within those we visit. Christ goes before us to prepare, and Christ follows behind to push us when we can't take that next step.

Let us prepare ourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for we are falling excruciatingly in love with the work God has called us to do. And the Spirit will catch us when we fall.