SPLICE

It is hard to believe that its already February 5th. I have been in Colorado since December 31st, yet it has gone so fast. We ended the 5 weeks of training with a huge snow storm (they are saying 20-40 in). It was fantastic, we finally got to play in some snow, I went sledding! These last three weeks were SPLICE: (Spiritual, Personal, Lifestyle, Interpersonal, Cultural, and Endure/Enjoy) training!  It was challenging, encouraging, tiring, rejuvenating all at the same time (thats called a paradox, which we studied, because in the field I will be experiencing great things yet during those great times I could also be experiencing trials hence the paradox). It was really refreshing to have a sense of community, fellowshipping with people that have the same passions, goals, and dreams as I do. We covered everything from leaving families, to resilient families in the field, from singles to married, from moving to settling, from grief to joys. It was an amazingly emotional couple of weeks. There were small groups that we met with at least twice a week for encouragement and to share any questions we have, or fears, or struggles we had. I also had the chance to meet with a personal coach once a week to ask any questions and hear a little bit about what it is going to be like being single and on the field. I will greatly miss all my friends that I met and got to know, but God is bigger that everything and I am positive that one day we all will be together again. I met people going all over the world, Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and it will be great to see how God is using his people all over. If I had to narrow it down to the top 2 take away points that I learned these three weeks I would have to say the grief session, and the bridge analogy were the two that hit me the most. The grief session was so freeing (and emotionally draining) in that every period of life has a component of loss that requires grief. There is extreme grief but there is also every day grief. I learned that if tears are streaming down my face its doesn't necessarily mean that I'm being dramatic, or reading into a situation too much, its just the way I'm wired to process things. With out properly processing these griefs I am not free to move on to the next stage of life. The bridge analogy also stuck with me... Think of an extension bridge.

On the left side imagine the US. In the US life is settled, calm, I have control. But as I started pursuing missions my life started becoming unsettled. I know this is where God wants me and instead of me having control God has control, things arn’t as clear as they were. The middle of the bridge holds the chaos. Completely leaving the US and moving cross-culturally. Everything is new, I have lost all control, and total reliance on God. on the other side you have resettled, life is getting easier, beginning to feel at home until completely on the right side is New settled. Still a stranger but more understanding of the culture, feeling at home, regain some control but still relying on God to help you. This analogy was really helpful to understand the steps that I will be feeling, and encouraging to know that God is ultimately in control and that one step isnt going to last forever. 

These were just a few of the take home messages that I learned these weeks. There are many, many more things that I learned but I’ll spare you any more details!

I am truly blessed to have met the people I did, learn the stuff I learned, and been challenged the way I was challenged. 

More pictures to come.. I just have to upload them on the computer... 

Thanks for all  your prayers during the training time!

Trials part 3.. What to do with this trial

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS TRIAL

Now that I have accepted the fact that life will not be easy and there will be trials that come to me at every stage of my life, what am I supposed to do with these trials? This lesson is about how to embrace the fact that all Christians will suffer trials, and help you to life so that your life will bring glory to God no matter what is going on!

Step 1:  Acknowledge that suffering will come. (1 Peter 4:1-7). Suffering is a part of the every day Christian lifestyle. You will face trials no matter what. Focus on pulling your joy from God, and reflect His glory to those around you! I teach a 5 year old Sunday school class and I think these kids understand the concept of reflection a lot better than I do. One of the first lessons I’ve ever taught was this concept of reflection. I took a paper heart, covered it with tinfoil and asked them what they saw. The answers varied from nothing it’s not smooth enough to see anything, or I see everything, but the one answer I like the best was… “I SEE ME”. God should be able to look at our hearts and lifestyles and should be able to say “I see me!” But he can’t. Sin entered the world a long time ago and ruined the perfect relationship that we had with God and covered our shiny hearts with darkness. To emphasize this to my group of 5 year olds I took out paint and started painting over the tinfoil. They went into momentary panic, “what are you doing, you’re ruining it, and stop”. But it gave me the chance to explain that when sin entered the world so long ago it covered up everyone’s heart and no one was able to reflect back the glory of God. The kids were devastated. But the next lesson was on how Jesus came into the world to cover up our sinful hearts with grace so that by accepting Jesus to come into our lives our hearts would once again become reflective of God’s glory. At the start of each Sunday school class the kids give me a review of what happened the week before, and it always goes the same way. Noah had a dark heart full of sin. But he trusted in God and his dark heart was covered up by Jesus to reflect God’s glory. Abraham had a dark heart full of sin. But he trusted in God and his dark heart was covered up by Jesus to reflect God’s glory. (Okay I’ll be truthful; those are the only two that we have covered so far.) You can still look through the entire bible and see examples of people that, no matter their circumstances, whether good times or times of trial they chose either to reflect God’s glory or fail miserably. The choice is yours. My mom always used to tell me growing up to change my attitude to gratitude. We are all going to face trials. How you deal with it is up to you!

The apostle Paul told Timothy, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

The number one tool in God’s chest for chiseling our character is suffering, so we can brace ourselves. God’s design is to make you a better person. 

NOW WHAT TO DO WITH TRIALS:

Guard your behavior (1 peter 4:1-6). Make your mindset like Christ’s. Arm yourselves like a warrior, this will make you a better person and better equipped to handle these trials.

Remember: 1. Trials remind us that life is not going to go on forever. Life is short! Live it for the will of God!

1. Sin over promises and under delivers every time. Sin looks so tempting but really it’s not worth it! Yet over and over I give into that temptation. James tells us that sin begins when we give into the temptations and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Spiritual and sometimes physical. 

Glorify your God (1 Peter 4:11b-19) my existence should be a SHOUT about God’s existence, in comparison to the muted voice of creation. People should be able to tell right away that God is in you! We should be walking billboards of the gospel!!!

Rejoice when God’s glory is revealed in your suffering even as it was revealed in Christ’s suffering (1 peter 4:13) Rejoice, manifest the reality of the presence of God in you life. The whole earth will one day be filled with His glory! Don’t be ashamed! Self examine and entrust yourself to God. God is faithful and in control. Don’t stop believing that! 

Grace your relationships (1Peter 4:8). Be self-controlled sober minded. Above all, Love earnestly, love covers a multitude of sins. Use your gifts to serve one another especially when facing a trial yourself, or when you see others facing trials. In trials you will never go wrong sharing scripture with people. Whatever you do, do it in the power of God. However, If you want to help someone in trials, you better be sure you are right with God first! Grace doesn’t just save you. It keeps you. It is the reason the sun rises, it is the reason the sun sets, and it is the reason everything happens. It is all because of GRACE!!!!        

The follow pictures are just some of the sights in Antigua, Guatemala!

MISSION TRAINING INTERNATIONAL

Beau Jour Tout, 

That means good day all. This past couple weeks (starting January 2 - 13th) were intensive PILAT (program in language acquisition training) training. MTI is going great!! Oh my goodness there is so much that I have learned. I learned the International Phonetic Alphabet, the spanish phonetic alphabet, the best way to learn language, a little bit of pigeon english, french, and JEH (a vietnamese tribal language), I learned that without learning the language you will never have an effective long term ministry, I learned that when called to go into the mission field I have to step out or "my" cultural, and language boxes and fit into theirs, and that was just the PILAT part of the program. These next three weeks are more emotionally based and what to expect while we are there and how our emotions and values will be challenged. Im am so blessed to be able to come and be a part of this training it has been so helpful!!

Here are some of the phonetics stuff that we learned: 

Im am so blessed to be able to come, and I cant wait for these next three weeks. They start the SPLICE (The cultural, emotional and spiritual) training side of the program.

Here are some pictures of my time here in Colorado!!!

 The first weekend I was here I went with a family that is here to Garden of the gods. Here is a picture of Balancing rock.

 This is a picture of the Beautiful family, that have taken me in while here at the training, and they also took me with them to garden of the gods. 

 This is me with their two oldest girls, in front of balancing rock. 

 The three pictures before this one are some  of the beautiful rock formations at garden of the gods. 

 We also went to Manitou springs where they have springs of naturally carbonated water. This is me tasting it!!! totally carbonated. It was kinda cool!

 This past weekend I was taken in by Deb and Kurt Emanuelson, they took me to Whit's end and seven falls. 

 Here is me and their daughter Erica at Whit's end. 

 And at seven falls

 Fun picture!

 Us "pretending" to rock climb!

 But really we were about a foot off the ground!

 And here is seven falls! Frozen solid but still amazing!

I thank God for all of the people supporting me and praying for me! Please continue to pray that God will show me what he wants me to learn in this training and as I pursue his plan for me in Guatemala!