If you are reading this article, then I am on my first mission trip to a beautiful place called Honduras.

After much anxiety and nerves before leaving, I knew that this was what the Lord is calling me to.

And this is why...

A very long time ago, there were three Jewish men named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men were being forced by their king to worship a false god. The king's decree, "Anytime you hear the trumpets and musical instruments sound, you must bow down."

The Jewish men refused to worship a false god.

This infuriated the king. He ordered the men to be tossed into a fiery furnace, but before that, the king demanded to know what god could rescue these men from his power to kill them.

The men replied by saying, "King, we do not need to give you an answer to this question. Our God exists, and He can rescue us from this furnace, as well as the power of you, our king. But even if He doesn't, we want you to know, we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up."

You see, as I prepare to go to a place that I have never been, I am putting myself into my own furnace. Not only will it probably be just as hot, but I am out of the comfort zone we have all become accustomed to: the United States. Yes I might get sick, I might get a few cuts and bruises, I could even die.

Not once did God ever say that His will for our lives would be easy. In fact, He said it was going to be hard!

What I do know is that the Lord will rescue me, even in death. But even if He doesn't, I will still put my trust in Him, because He has called me to this.

The faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not rest on whether or not God would deliver them from death, but that He is a Sovereign God, and that He can be trusted.

The Apostle Paul said, "For me living is Christ, and dying is gain."

Lately I have been praying that God would show me exactly what this means. Now that is a scary prayer!

Do I think I am going to go over to Honduras and die?

Of course not! I have amazing leaders and a great team! I believe that we will be very safe.

But as C.S. Lewis said in the Chronicles of Narnia, "He is good, but He is not safe."

What the Lord calls us to will not always be safe; it won't always be easy!

We just have to sit back and be obedient to His call, answer it and see the evidence of God's faithfulness in our lives.

But even if He doesn't, trust that He is God and we are not!

Daniel 3:8-19

Philippians 1:21