Heavenly Father,

What a blessing it is to surrender this season to You and have the opportunity to fully live out my faith. Thank You for calling me to be a light in the darkness. Thank You for surrounding me with such loving and supportive family and friends who continually point me back to You.

Thank You for filling me with a confident hope that is rooted in You alone. Thank You for reminding me that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Thank You for giving me both boldness to obey and stillness to rest in Your presence. Thank You for a healthy body, willing hands, and a voice that sometimes works! 

Above all, thank You for saving my life. You have given me a gift so incredible that I cannot help but share it. I will never fully understand the depth of Your love or the greatness of Your forgiveness, but I am endlessly grateful that You never gave up on me.

There will be days when I want my own desires more than Yours, but I pray that my obedience will always be greater than my temptation. As I prepare for this mission, may Your love overflow from my life into every person I meet. Even when I am afraid, give me the courage to take the next step, trusting that You will receive all the glory.

Your Word says in John 3:30, "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." Lord, make that true of my life. I am imperfect, but You are perfect. May everything I do reflect You, and may every bit of glory point back to You alone.

Give me wisdom, discernment, balance, and encouragement. Strengthen my body with the nourishment it needs to serve well. Bless those I will meet, those I will serve alongside, and those I love back home. Bring healing wherever You choose to work, and keep us all under Your protection.

I know I will stumble. I will make mistakes, but when I fall, draw me quickly to repentance. Remind me of Your grace, lead me with Your wisdom, and give me the strength to rise and continue running the race You have set before me.

Nine months will feel long at times, but they are only a moment compared to eternity. Teach me to live each day with gratitude and contentment. Help me embrace wherever You have planted me, and when I return home on May 12, 2027, may I return exhausted — not because I relied on my own strength, but because I poured out every ounce of myself for Your Kingdom, trusting You for strength every step of the way.

Amen.