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...
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