Thirteen Hundred ...

My kid is 1,300 miles away. 

Thir-teen-hun-dred miles away y'all ... in another country ... for six days.

Kollin is on his very first Mission Trip.

Kollin is seven, emotional, indecisive and has one of the biggest hearts. With that being said, his feelings have been jumping around the past couple months about going on this trip. 

Kollin: "Aaaaah, I can't wait to go to Honduras Mommy!"

Kollin: "Mommy, how am I gonna be gone from you for six days? I don't think I can do it."

Kollin: "I bet riding on a plane is going to be awesome!!"

Kollin: "Mommy, what if my plane crashes and I never see you again?"

Kollin: "I'm worried about the toilets. Are they gonna be weird like Japan?"

Kollin: "What if I get lost?"

Kollin: "Building a church in a week is gonna be so cool!"

Kollin: "Am I gonna sleep on the ground? Like on the dirt?"

Kollin: "I don't wanna leave Kolt."

Kollin: "I know God is so happy about me going to Honduras Mommy!"

Seriously all over the place. 

And me? My feelings have been totally stable until I watched him hop on the church bus before the sun came up this morning. I hugged the crap out of him, smothered him in kisses, snapped a grainy picture in the parking lot, watched him turn away from me as he waved goodbye and literally ran to my car and lost it. I sobbed, sniffed and second guessed the decision of letting him go the whole way back home. It's tough. Letting go just a little bit is really, really, really tough. 

Kollin and I are always together. Other than a night away with family here and there, he's with me. He has never taken a trip without me. He has never been on a plane without me. My heart aches that I am missing out on such an experience in his life. I've never missed a first and today I did. And tomorrow I will again. And the next day and the next.

(Kollin and the hubs after boarding the plane this morning)

I will not be the one who sees these monumental moments in Kollin's life this coming week, but next to those selfish feelings sit feelings of being overwhelmingly proud of him. More than anything, this kid has been most excited about telling others about God's love in Honduras.

About a year or so ago while we were on a 19 Kids and Counting kick on Netflix, Kollin watched some of the older ones go on a Mission Trip to El Salvador. Ever since then he has wanted to be a part of one himself.

And now he is. Right now as I type this, he is fulfilling a dream of his. And I am on the couch eating delivered Chinese, watching Property Brothers and praying my husband will take all the pictures I asked him to.

(This is the group going from our church, Kollin is our youngest missionary)

I miss them already. I am counting down until I see their faces on FaceTime again and more so until Friday afternoon gets here. 

Please join me in keeping this trip and those on it in your prayers each day this week. Please pray for their safety, for a smooth process in building this church and most of all for others in Honduras to learn about God's mighty, unconditional love.