Are You Ready - Utah Devotional (March 20)
May I ask a rather imposing question: “Are you actually ready for this trip?” I know it feels like the obvious answer should be yes. You paid to be here. You came to trainings. You made the decision to say yes to a pretty untraditional mission trip to Southern Utah. You packed, hopefully did your “Devotions,” came to the send-off breakfast, said goodbye to your family, and now you’re in Idaho. On paper, it makes perfect sense to say you’re ready.
But I want to ask you again: “Are you actually ready for this trip?” I don’t ask this to create confusion, tension, or intimidation. I ask because it’s a real question that deserves real reflection.
If you paused to think about your answer to this question, you probably felt something rise up in you — maybe anxiety, fear, sadness, or excitement. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably feeling excited. And if you asked me when I started feeling excited about Utah 2026, the answer would be oddly specific: April 9, 2025. That was the day I met with a man named Chris Kellum from Cru (formerly Campus Crusade). He handed me a book called Cojourners, and inside it was a quote from the founder of Cru, Bill Bright, that stuck with me:
“What is the greatest thing that has happened to you? If the answer is coming to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, then what is the greatest thing you can do for another person? Introduce them to Jesus Christ.”
That quote sparked something in me. It was the beginning of the vision and excitement for Utah 2026. And if you know me, it’s no surprise that I think and talk about this trip a lot. What may surprise you is this: There are many days I don’t feel excited about this trip. There are days I don’t feel ready. There are days I doubt it entirely. There have even been moments where I thought it might be easier to stay home with my wife and kids and send my interns instead.
But every time I drift there, the Lord brings me back to one truth: This trip is not about me. It’s not about how well I planned. It’s not about how prepared I feel. It’s not even about what we accomplish. This trip is about Jesus. That’s it.
If it becomes about anything more than Jesus, we’ve added to His mission. If it becomes about anything less than Jesus, we’ve lost His mission. Either way, the result is the same: we miss Him. A trip that becomes more than Jesus turns into a spiritual performance. A trip that becomes less than Jesus turns into checking boxes so we can feel good about ourselves. Both are unbiblical. Neither are what we’re here for.
So, are you ready? Are you ready to make this trip about Jesus, and only Jesus? I’ve been thinking about this trip for a long time. Some of that thinking has looked like prayer, Scripture, conversations, and reflection. Some of it has honestly looked like what you might call “research,” but what really feels more like the diary of my heart whenever I think about Utah. And through both excitement and doubt, the Lord has repeatedly brought me back to a few moments in my life surrounding Utah that shaped my heart for 2026’s trip. They’ve shown me that readiness is not instant. It’s something God forms over time.
July 13, 2022 - Obedience
I met with Pastor Lane at the NewbergDundian for a get-to-know-you lunch. He had been at Red Hills Church for one week, and I had been there for one month (a very experienced duo). He asked about my dreams for the ministry, and I told him I wanted to start a mission trip for our youth group. I said I was deciding between Uganda, Mexico, and Utah. He nearly choked on his food. He simply, and graciously, asked, “Why Utah?” I simply, and snarkily, said, “They need Jesus.” We laughed, but even I didn’t fully understand why that desire had been on my heart for years. I just knew that somewhere along the way, God had stirred it and obedience meant saying yes, even when I didn’t fully understand why.
January 22-26, 2023 - Humility & Love
One afternoon I came home, walked upstairs to our apartment (more accurately, our attic) and saw my new bride holding a present. Inside was a positive pregnancy test. Every emotion rushed through me, but excitement was strongest. Excitement I had to contain as we went to youth group that night. Excitement mixed with fear as my wife processed what this meant for our lives. And the next morning, we left for Utah. We flew to meet Pastor Pete for the first time. In the middle of life-changing news, the last thing either of us wanted was to be in another state, staying in someone else’s home, trying to figure out whether this unusual mission trip even made sense. We knew obedience meant going. But our hearts were not fully in it. On the last morning, Pete took us into his office and showed us a map. It had thirty pins marking the towns around Cedar City without churches. For three days I had internally moped and counted down the hours. But at that moment, something shifted. I felt humbled. I felt quiet. I felt love rise up in me. I didn’t care what Pete said next, I just knew I wanted to be part of what God was doing there.
March 25, 2025 - Surrender
Night five of our 2025 Utah trip hit me like a brick wall. We were heading to Pete’s house for a worship night when I realized we forgot all the s’mores supplies. I had already been having a rough day, — cleaning toilets, feeling frustrated, asking God why this was how He wanted us serving — I volunteered for some alone time. Driving back to the church, I passed through Enoch. Kids were playing at a park, families laughing, the sun shining and across the street stood a church building. An LDS ward. I remember thinking I should pull over and tell them the gospel. I should tell them. They needed to hear the Good News. But I kept driving. By the time I got back to Pete’s house, I felt overwhelmed and disconnected. During worship, I slipped away, knelt in the grass, and began to cry. I didn’t stop for about forty-five minutes. God met me there. Not to affirm my frustration, but to invite me into surrender. One by one, I gave Him everything I was carrying. Then Eric Wilson found me and brought students to pray for me. As they did, God revealed the final thing I was still holding onto: My pride and ego. He wanted all of me.
I hope these stories show you something, including my imperfections. Being ready isn’t instant. It’s a process God patiently works through obedience, humility, love, and surrender. Those four words are not just ideas. They are the way God prepares hearts for His work. Obedience is the “what” — saying yes to what God asks today. Humility and love are the “why” — they keep the mission centered on Jesus and people. Surrender is the “how” — it keeps us dependent on Him every step of the way. Without heart preparation, a mission trip can just become a trip. With it, God turns it into ministry.
Again, I ask the question, “Are you actually ready?” The answer shouldn’t be forced. It shouldn’t be hype. It shouldn’t be pretending. The right answer is honest surrender. Maybe your answer is yes. Maybe it’s not yet. Both are okay. Because readiness begins the moment we honestly place our hearts before the Lord and say, “Prepare me.” This trip can only be about Jesus. May we be honest enough to let Him shape our hearts into that reality.
Suggested Prayer:
God, help me be open and honest with You and with others. Remove anything in my heart that keeps me from fully trusting You. Lead me into obedience, humility, love, and surrender. Create in me a heart that is focused on Jesus. Prepare me for this trip as we invite people to come and see You. Amen.
Scripture:
1 Samuel 15:12-23
Philippians 2:1-11
Questions To Ponder:
Group Questions
1 Samuel 15
Saul thought he was being obedient—but wasn’t fully. Where are we tempted to obey God partially instead of fully?
Philippians 2
What stands out to you about how Jesus lived—and how is that different from how we naturally live?
General
What might it look like for you personally to walk in humility and surrender on this trip?
Is there anything in your life right now that you feel God asking you to fully surrender before we go?