Holiday Mayhem

As much as I would love to leave the last post up awhile, my workspace buddy Beka says it offends her journalistic sensibilities. Apparently, posting only a picture and a title does not count as an update. (Sorry to pick on you, Beka. I needed an intro.)

This time of year is stressful. Not news to you, I'm sure, but I didn't realize how much parents ameliorate the many demands on my time and money and emotional well-being. I have always lived according to a fairly rigid schedule, and let's face it - I'm not exactly a party animal, so I don't have a ton of regularly scheduled social engagements with which to contend. Lately, however, I have found myself in trouble because I agreed to do five things at the same time. Thus, my desk calendar has become my lifeline.

Unfortunately, in all the rushing about, the holidays arrived at my doorstep before I was ready. My apartment is a bit of mess with half-wrapped gifts littering the floor, clothes in various stages of cleanliness, Christmas cards that still need to be addressed and decorations that I've been intending to put up for two weeks now.

I understand now why the holidays are a lot more fun for kids.

Thanksgiving this year went well. My mother and I had been in Pennsylvania the week before after getting back from Spain, so we were just a bit crazed when the time came for feasts and hosting company. My sister Julie and her family came to my parent's place, and they actually did most of the decorating and helped with the cooking, so we were able to relax a little bit.

It was very strange being back in the office after three weeks of being away. It took some time to get back in the groove of things, but as there is no shortage of stuff to do around here, I took off running.

I had the opportunity to join Every Community for Christ on their retreat at the Shunem House in Noblesville in the second week of December. I enjoyed the company, and we had some excellent devotional times. I've been feeling a little troubled lately about various things (including my calling, which I realize I haven't mentioned again, mostly because if I do, I will be required to do something about it, and I'm just not ready to do that), but the house was such a stress reliever. Seriously, if I could move there, I would. People don't realize just how important missionary care really is, and I'm really glad there are places like the Shunem House.


This last weekend, I attended my dad's retirement party. He has been in ministry for more than 40 years, and while I don't think he will completely withdraw from ministry, he will definitely take advantage of not being required to get involved in so much. I'm really hoping he will take the time to write the books he's been talking about writing for awhile now. I am also hoping that he will start to write more about his childhood and the churches he's pastored. He was already an oldish man when I was born, with a lot of life lived, and I've only heard a very few stories. I got a unique look at his life as I made a short movie for his party. You can find it on YouTube.

I'm going home to my parent's for Christmas. I'm hoping for some time to reflect and really explore some new avenues for 2011. I will be 25 - kind of a milestone, and I feel like really celebrating it. Not sure what that will look like.

Look forward to receiving a letter from me early in the new year.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and a safe New Year's! May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen.

Winter Wonderland

Spain

It's been two weeks since I got back. In some ways, it seems like a really long time since then - I went to Pennsylvania, had Thanksgiving, and my apartment is decorated for Christmas. But somehow, I feel like I just got back yesterday. This is important, because if you had asked me how the trip went right after I got off the plane and had a good night's sleep, I would have said that it was amazing and a really awesome trip. After thinking about it and processing for a couple of weeks, I would tell you that it was a good trip, but that it was also challenging in many ways. So, depending on my mood when you ask me about Spain, I'll either be very excited, or very reserved - and both are important emotions to capture when it comes to Spain.

I'm warning you now, this is going to be a long post. It is also going to be heavily censored. I will do my best to cover the important bits, but there are things I either can't talk about online or am not ready to discuss personally. Plus, I took about 600 pictures on the trip, so I'm trying to limit myself to the highlights. Also, if you're expecting a lot of pictures of me, you will be disappointed. I spent most of my time like this:


...so aside from the few Troy took, you'd never know if I was actually in Spain. I hate having my picture taken, anyway.

I'm tempted to see how much longer I can continue to write about absolutely nothing, but I will spare you and just get on with it.

We flew out November 9, and because I know you're dying to ask: Yes, I went through the full-body scan, and No, I was not patted down. At the time, I had no clue that the debate was going on, and frankly, I don't want to get involved. Other than that, no worries with the flights. The girl I sat next to on the flight to Madrid was alternately sobbing hysterically or sleeping with her feet almost in my lap for the entire flight. It was ... interesting. We arrived in Madrid early Wednesday morning. One thing I wish I had been able to get pictures of and didn't was the Madrid airport. It is gigantic and has carved arched ceilings - truly beautiful. But because it is so large, I think we walked about a mile to get from the gate to immigration. No joke.

My parents and I met up with Sam, who had flown in from PA, and Troy, our mission contact, and headed out to Guadalajara, where Troy and Julie live. Fun fact: the van was parked in the same parking area that was bombed in 2006. We also saw where the train bombings took place in 2004. Anyway. The traffic going in to Madrid was horrible. We got in right at rush hour, but fortunately, we were going in the opposite direction. I still don't want to ever drive in Spain. I admire people who can do it, but I felt like I was on a roller coaster where the tracks and speed randomly changed.

We pretty much crashed after we got settled in. Roger and Sharon were already there, having been on a cruise in the Mediterranean the week before. I didn't want to sleep too long because I hate jet lag, and the easiest way to beat it is to just immediately put yourself on your host country's schedule. Unfortunately, having not slept in awhile, I did require something resembling rest. I was awake in time for lunch, though, which was on Spanish time, meaning 2:30.

That night, we helped out at the English Conversation Class.


Having never been part of a TESOL experience, I was very curious about how it worked. It was actually pretty simple, though. As a group, we listened to a song in English and then talked about what it meant. ("Lemon Tree" by Fool's Garden, in case you were curious.) Then, we paired off and the native English speakers would ask questions on a certain topic. The group was fairly advanced, so we were there mostly for slang and individual words they didn't know.


On Thursday, we went to Toledo, Spain. It was beautiful!


Everything is just so quaint.


The Cathedral is absolutely massive. It is beautiful inside, and houses many priceless works of art, including several by El Greco and Carvaggio. The wealth in that place is unbelievable.


You can't see it very well, but our group is standing under the sign for Calle de Toledo, Ohio. The two Toledos are sister cities, and having lived in Toledo, Ohio for the better part of 7 years, I felt a deep bond with the Toledo in Spain.


For lunch, we went to a medieval-themed restaurant. I was in heaven with the decor, though the food was also medieval-themed, which was less than satisfactory.


While we did not (could not) use this parking garage entrance, I had to include it because everywhere in Spain are the tiniest cars you have ever seen. It's slightly ridiculous, but necessary, as evidenced by this:


That's a street. One of the wider ones, in fact.

We spent the majority of Friday getting ready for the English Camp. I knew going in that this was the purpose of the trip, but I had no clue what that meant. I just had to tell myself that I would know what I needed to know when I needed to know it. If you know me even just a little, you know I HATE going into something blind. I had to suppress a lot of my freak-out tendencies. Besides, I figured - it's an English camp, I know English, it'll be fine. And it was. Essentially, we had more than 40 people at the OMS camp in Spain. Some were native English speakers while the rest were Spaniards at various levels of English capabilities. My mom and Sam hung out with the kids and taught some basic lessons.


The rest of us would split up into two's and three's and discuss certain topics.


Mariam and Paula


Eva and Mercedes. Mercedes (in red) was there with her daughter, and we had some very good conversations at dinner.


Sam and I got to be good friends with Susana. She and I had a really good walk and talk that led us here:


It's an old Roman bridge over the Rio Tajo that goes to Toledo. It was a gorgeous spot, and Susana and I were able to talk about several things. She invited me to stay with her next time I go to Spain, which would be amazing.


We would also have workshops on various topics that people could attend. My Dad led one on the Protestant faith, a completely foreign concept in a predominantly Catholic country. It was very interesting to see the perspective everyone had on Protestantism, and it spawned some really interesting discussions.


I had to put this in because it is one of four paths to the Comedor (Dining Room) from where we spent the rest of our time. The first path is more of a road, but it takes too much time. The second is shorter, but isn't very direct. This path is most direct, but quite steep. The fourth path could kill you.

On Saturday night, we held Riverfest. Toledo, Ohio has a festival every year, and we did our best to copy it, at least a little. We had all kinds of carnival games and food (including buckeyes!) and prizes from Toledo for people to win.





I have to talk about this kid because he was pretty hilarious. Sam and I were the most lenient with our tickets when we ran games, so the younger kids would come see us when they needed extras. (When I stopped running the ring toss, Ethan was devastated. He probably got about twenty tickets from me.) Sam was running the basketball game, and this kid asked her what he needed to do to win all the tickets she had. She didn't think he was serious, so she told him he had to make a basket, run around the Casa Grande four times, make another basket, run to the comedor to get her coffee, make another basket, get two buckeyes for her and me and then make one more basket. I tell you, I have never seen a kid run so fast in my life. But he did it all, and he was handsomely rewarded for his efforts.


Two days really isn't enough time to get to know a lot of people really well. I'd like to go back next year and help out again. We had a really good group.

We finished English camp on Sunday, and on Monday, our last day, we headed to the little pueblo of Siguenza (pronounced See-gwen-tha). It is a beautiful little town, and we had a great time.


Siguenza is home to a parador, a castle that has been turned into a hotel. We got an inside look because someone knew somebody who knew somebody. I was definitely in my element.


La capilla


The castle also has history to it. Basically, the ruler got married to this girl, but then disowned her and imprisoned her in the castle. Feel free to translate the story - it's quite interesting.


During the Spanish Civil War, there were forces holed up in the local cathedral (pictured) and in the castle. You can still see the pock marks from the bullets that were fired at the troops in the cathedral.


We also took the time to visit a local pottery workshop. Siguenza is known for its beautiful pottery, and we had the chance to see where some of it is made. All by hand.


We were all pretty impressed.

On Tuesday, we were back in the airport, and while our flight to Chicago was unusually lengthy, we finally made it. We were exhausted, exhilarated and exceedingly glad to be home.

The rest of the pics are just random sights we saw while we were in Spain.


Troy holding a Tony Packo's shirt in his workshop on M*A*S*H.


Julie was awesome. She fed us and kept us in line.


This is very typical for Spanish homes. It's ham, and families will buy one of these and use it for a week.


I really, really love this house.


I met Sam for the first time in the Madrid airport. Because of the overabundance of couples, we hung out quite a bit and became pretty good friends by the end of the trip.


If you have read Don Quijote, you know he is the Man of La Mancha. We were staying in Castille de la Mancha, so we saw Don Quijote things everywhere.


I took about 100 pictures of the countryside. It was incredibly different from what I'm used to.


People have farmed these fields for hundreds of years, and it is still the rockiest soil I have ever seen. Everywhere you look, there are piles of stones taken from the fields.


During Franco's regime, the only billboards he allowed were the ones for his favorite brand of whiskey. Though there are a million billboards now, they have kept the bulls, which have become a national symbol.



Thank you for sticking with me through this post, and please feel free to contact me personally if you would like to know more. Thank you so much for the opportunity to go to such an amazing place!

I'm going to end with the traditional sunset, but I'm going to do it in a non-traditional way. When you think of Spain, this is a pretty typical image you might think of, and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. It's one of my favorite pictures that I've taken.

Spain Wants You...

So, I'm pretty sure that several years have passed since I last posted something. Because it feels longer than a few days. A lot longer. I mean that in a good way, though.

I'm sitting at the dinner table as I write this. Troy, Sam and my mom and dad are eating dinner late (early by Spanish standards) since they just got back. Julie, Ethan, Hannah, Roger, Sharon and I ate earlier. We had a smorgasbord of leftovers and tortilla, which is not what you normally picture. Tortilla is made from egg and potato and you can put other stuff in it, and it tastes lovely. We're talking about what we will be doing tomorrow, our last day in Spain.

This last weekend was amazing, and I'm still processing everything. I talked to so many people and heard so many stories. It was incredible! I made a lot of friends and exchanged email addresses and facebook names, and if I ever come back to Spain, Susana invited me to stay in her house. (That's good, especially if Troy and Julie don't invite me back!) This weekend was so busy and jam-packed. I'll post the schedule some time so you can see everything we did. I'll also post pictures; the mountains were absolutely gorgeous, even if it was overcast and drizzly most of the time. I think that's my fault - the day we left for the camp, I prayed that everything would go 'swimmingly.' I'm sure Troy will blame me for the weather. I told him that he was labelled 'master of all things' in my last post, and he's had that title since then. I should give him a new one, but nothing clever is coming to mind. I'll have to think about that.

Oh, there is so much I want and need to say, but I feel like if I try right now, it'll be disjointed and incomprehensible and I could never do it justice. I won't be able to really convey everything anyway, but I can try. That's one of the hardest things as a writer - it's hard to write other people's stories because I wasn't there and I don't really understand the feeling behind it. I can come close sometimes, but it's never quite right. But it's also hard to write stories when I have experienced something because I know it's never going to be enough. I suppose all I can do is tell stories the best way possible and then encourage people to go on trips themselves. The good thing about traveling is that I can whet people's appetites for several different countries.

I've seen a couple different comments about the post where I talked about my calling, and I think I am going to elaborate, but I don't know when. Right now, it is still terrifying, and I'm struggling with it, because I really can't see it. It's frustrating, to say the least.

Okay, now they are talking about bologna, so I'm going to take that as my cue to end this thing. It's nearly bedtime, and my feet and back are killing me. I hope you all are doing well and not missing me too much. ;)

Con mucho amor.

0322

That would be the current time. Clearly, I have some adjusting to do.

BUT, my pain is your gain. So, here we go!

I'd just like to say first that 8 hours on a plane is way too much. It's like sitting in a car for eight hours with 150 other people without stopping to get out and stretch. And depending on who you sit next to, this can be a very interesting experience. I'm going to have to work on my endurance. There are a lot more interesting places to go that take twice the amount of time.

Anyway, I'm here now, and it's lovely! As Troy (our host/guide/master of all things) was driving through Spain (not something I'll be attempting any time soon, btw), I felt like I was in Pennsylvania or out West. It felt so familiar, and yet so foreign at the same time. I'll see more of the country tomorrow (today), but just the brief glimpse I got today was beautiful. Minus the rush hour traffic - that just looked ugly, and I'm very thankful we didn't have to deal with much of it.

We probably got to Troy and Julie's house around 0930, and then I don't remember much of anything until 1330. I think that nap is what is keeping me up right now, but I'm not sure I would have made it the rest of the day without it. Ah, the perils of travel! We had a lovely lunch, and then Samantha and I talked for about two hours. She is the other single senorita on the trip, and she's from Pennsylvania, and she makes me laugh. A lot. Like, every time she says anything, I'm laughing. Though that could have been because I was tired. But I'm pretty sure she's funny all the time.

Then one of the senora's made dinner (really early for Spain) and we got to meet Hannah and Ethan, Troy and Julie's kids. Hannah is a junior at ECA, and Ethan is in 8th grade and collects swords. Awesome kid. :)

We were off to an advanced English class/discussion group after that. I admit, I was nervous, because this whole TESOL thing is completely new to me. It was a lot of fun, though, and most of the people who came were fairly fluent. I had some one-on-one time with Elena and Laura, and we talked about movies, hunting, writing, Protestantism and everything in between. It was an excellent experience, and it was a great opportunity for me to learn more about Spain. It definitely makes me feel better about the English camp this weekend, though I am still nervous. I have faith, though, that it is going to be awesome!

Okay, hopefully I'm more tired now. We'll see. If you could pray for something specific, though, I'd appreciate it. I have some kind of respiratory thing and a very sore throat, and I would like both to go away, so please pray for that to happen. I really don't want to be sick the whole time I'm here.

I'll post pictures and such at a later date. Next post will hopefully be at a more Godly hour. ;)

Day Zero

T minus whatever and counting...

I've realized something important. As I was packing my bag, I kept thinking about all the things I was forgetting - mosquito netting, bug repellant, plain t-shirts, skirts, sunscreen ... the list went on. But I'm not forgetting them - I just don't need them.

I'm not used to packing for Europe. But I love it!

It also made me realize that while my heart has revised the definition of 'missions,' my head has yet to get the message. Or is it the other way around? Either way, I'm starting to think a little bit more about the idea of missions.

In other news, I think I may have stumbled on my calling while I was getting ready this morning. It's been in the back of my mind for awhile now, but I had a moment of perfect clarity when my future was laid out before me. It was like being in Africa all over again. And Beka, we were right - it's terrifying, exhilarating and definitely not something I'd have chosen for myself. This is going to take real work to accomplish.

Now I'm nervous. If all this is happening even before I get on the plane, what is waiting for me in Spain?

EDIT: I've just read this thing again, and even I think it makes very little sense. I'll try to clarify when I've had a chance to consult with Dad.

Whimsy

So here's the deal. Last week, I was still dealing with some issues. And because I have not yet resolved the internal debate about exactly how much I reveal on this blog, I hid behind my dear, dear friend Arika. And she was kind enough to let me. However, the time comes when all must confess and receive due judgment. So, with a penitent heart and a much-healed spirit, I return to you, my faithful friends, and beg your dispensation.

I'd like to introduce you to my department. I've mentioned a few members in passing, but at the risk of calling down their ire, I'd like to fully divulge the ins and outs of the lovely people with whom I work. To a point - I can only say so much before they refuse to exculpate me and drum me out of the department like a proper militia.



And there they are...

Please excuse how horrible I look. I was sick that day, and was only there because my lovely coworkers called me in for the picture. We made the hearts because the picture was going on a shirt for another coworker of ours as a going away present.

Now that I think about it, I'd better just give you their names and move on. If you want to know more about them, we'll have to meet in a secluded location where there is no chance of being overheard. (I'm just kidding, they really are awesome.)

Right.

Left to right, then: Sarah is a wonderful videographer; Foster, behind me, is our graphic designer; Lori (in pink) is a fabulous editor and knows everything about OMS; Lon, in the back, is another videographer who gets very lonely in his cave; Susan, next to Lori, is my boss, and is generally pretty amazing and forgiving of my many mistakes; Pat, down front, works on prayer letters and printing; Jason, in back next to Lon, works with One Mission Kids and has been helping me with radio advertising; and last, but most certainly not least, is my dear friend Beka. She started when I did and has been an excellent source of encouragement and journalistic know-how.



On rare occasions, we have fun in our department. One such time was National Punctuation Day. It was pretty amazing and as you can see, I tried to dress for the occasion. We had punctuation cookies and decorated the office. While some people didn't appreciate our merriment, we persevered and had ourselves a lovely time.

It's not all fun and games, though. We do end up doing actual work. In fact, I've had a couple stories rotate through on the OMS website. You should check them out: Stories! It amazes me constantly the people I get to talk to and meet - true spiritual giants of the faith. It is easy to see the impact Jesus Christ has had on everyone in the office and in the field.

Last week, I got to travel to Huntington University with our director of Mobilization. It was nice to be back in the old stomping grounds. While I was more sure than ever that I really don't miss the college schedule, I did get to see how God is at work at Huntington. I met some wonderful young men and women who are exactly where I was just a few years ago. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about some options and share my journey to OMS.

Now for the exciting news. Ready?

I'M GOING TO SPAIN!

Next Tuesday, I'll be hopping on a plane for the lovely country of Spain to participate in an English camp for families in Madrid. This is new territory for me in more ways than one, so prayer would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure yet what exactly I'll be doing, but you can be sure I'll be taking as many pictures as possible and blogging about it when I get the opportunity. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about this. I love traveling to new countries, and I love meeting missionaries and hearing their stories. This is a fantastic opportunity to do both.

Before I sign off, I have to apologize for this post. I've been a little distracted at work today, and I needed to deflate my brain a little. The result: this thing, which I'm pretty sure is only legible because I had to type it. So, thank you for your forbearance, and look forward to the next post when I will hopefully be less circumlocutory.

No guarantees, though.

And now, the lovely and talented Arika B...

I've been having some trouble getting a new post around, and my wonderful friend Arika was kind enough to guest star. Over to you, dearie...


I met Jessica on Friday, August 20, 2004. I’d like to say she made a lasting impression on me. But she didn’t. I only know I met her that day because it was Freshman Orientation at Huntington College (now University) and we were in the same College Life class. Each semester we had classes together, we both worked at the library - we even started a short-lived American Historical Film Society our sophomore year.
But I did not really get to “know” Jessica until our junior year when her computer came down with a bad case of the blue screen of death and she asked for my assistance fixing it. It’s amazing how a technology crisis draws people closer. I will always be grateful for that crazy computer. It had so many odd problems that year - I must have spent at least a two weeks total working on it. The result: Jessica had a mostly working computer and we gained a closer friendship.
Since that time Jessica has become a rock in my life and I try to be the same for her. When something joyous or devastating occurs - I call Jessica, confident she will drop everything and listen. I do the same for her. The last few months we have drawn even closer together as we watched our mutual friend, Jill Haskins struggle through the pregnancy, birth and death of her son Joshua.
As a member of World Gospel Church of Terre Haute, IN, a church with very close ties to OMS, it was almost surreal to learn her plans to work for organization. I have observed Jessica the last few years as she raised funding for OMS and am convinced that regardless of how ‘atypical’ a missionary she is, Jessica is where God wants her. The closer Jessica and I become, the more I am amazed at the extent of our similarities - sometimes its scary! I am confident that we are friends for life. We will probably end up in the same nursing home where she will organize my pills, while I fix her hearing aid.
I could ramble on and on telling you about Jessica and our adventures together, but I’ll end with this: if you have computer problems, ask for help. If you are asked to fix a computer, do it. You never know when a computer problem may bless your life more than you could ever dream.

Tomorrow, I hope to get a new post about OMS life out for you to read. But right now, I want to give an update on Joshua Haskins. I shared a couple of weeks ago about his situation, and you can read that post below.

Last Wednesday, Jesus took Joshua home. I wanted to thank you all for your prayers for Joshua and his family, and I would ask you to continue praying for Jill and Shane and their children Caleb and Hannah. I would also encourage you to visit Jill's blog to add your thoughts and prayers.

As a rule, I don't post really personal thoughts on this blog for a couple reasons. I prefer to use it as more of an informative tool, and to be perfectly honest, I am a very private person. This situation with Jill and Joshua, however, has raised a lot of questions and deeper issues in my mind. It has been very difficult to continue on with normal life in the face of such a tragedy. Even now, I don't know if I'm actually going to post this.

Please just keep the situation in your prayers, and please pray for me as I work through some of these issues.

Joshua

I'd like to share something that has been on my heart for the past few months. There is a link, over to the right, that will take you to my friend Jill's blog. It's been up for awhile, because Jill is always posting amusing stories about her kids (Caleb and Hannah), reflections on being a wife and mother, and is generally incredibly profound.

For the past few months, though, Jill has been posting updates about her son Joshua. A few months into her pregnancy, Jill and her husband Shane were told that their baby had a severe heart defect called HLHS. Jill shared this information on her blog and kept her growing audience up to date with doctor's visits, milestones reached and valleys conquered. She detailed the procedures Joshua would have to endure following his birth, fully embracing her new role as a Heart Mom.

Jill and I met in college. We worked at the library together, established one of those crazy inside jokes, and just had a good time hanging out. After college, though, I lost track of Jill. We were busy - she was a new mom, I was finishing school and trying to figure out what to do with my life. We're on the peripheral of each other's lives. I follow her on facebook and through her blog. Jill became one of my prayer supporters as I began raising support to work at OMS.

Slightly more than a month ago, Joshua was born. He is an adorable little boy. Jill posts pictures of him on facebook and twitter, and underneath the tubes and wires, you can see his sweet spirit.

He had his first surgery a week after he was born. It's been an uphill battle since then. I read about everything they have gone through, and I wonder when the mountain will stop growing. Joshua's second surgery was scheduled for February. It will now likely take place tomorrow - today, by the time I post this.

Through all of this, Jill has continued to blog. She doesn't have to. No one would blame her if she stopped. Every day, I read about her fear, pain, frustration and despair at what is happening to her little boy. But I also read about her faith - her abiding, constant faith that God will see her family through this. I read about her joy that people have been able to seek God because of Joshua. I read about her love for her husband and kids who she hasn't seen in days.

Jill is the strongest person I know. I wish I knew what was going to happen. I wish I had her faith. I wish I could be a better friend. I pray that Joshua will grow up to be a strong man, sure in the foundation of faith his mother has given him.

Pray for the doctors and nurses who care for Joshua. Pray for Jill, that she will continue to draw strength from the Father. Pray for Shane, as he is unable to be with Jill at the hospital. Pray for Caleb and Hannah, separated from their mother and brother. Pray for the lives that Joshua's story has touched already.

Pray for Joshua.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exaulted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:9-11

A (Brief) Guide to One Mission Society Lingo

In the two months I've been here, I've heard so many new acronyms that sometimes I think I work for the military (minus the drill sergeants, weapons, uniforms, bad food and anything remotely resembling boot camp, of course.) In the future, I will likely use the following acronyms with frequency, so I shall endeavor to explain them now.

Radio 4VEH - This is the OMS radio station in Haiti. They have a very unique and powerful ministry.
CPM - Church Planting Movement; this is the goal of church multiplication.
ECC - Every Community for Christ, the church planting catalyst for OMS; I have been acting as an advocate for ECC in communication needs, so I've seen first-hand just how much they have been able to accomplish.
EMS - Extended Missionary Service; believe it or not, a lot of our retirees continue to serve in their golden years. Now that is dedication.
GOMB - God Owns My Business Seminar; I've not had personal experience with these, yet, but MFM (see below!) is very active in urging business owners to consider using their businesses for the kingdom.
HMA - Homeland Missionary Assignment; I could call it a vacation, but honestly, our field missionaries do a ton when they are back in their home countries.
MFM - Men for Missions; These guys mean business. Every member has work outside of his missionary service, and each takes an oath to do what God asks them to do, go where God asks them to go, and give what God asks them to give.
MSR - Missionary Support Requirement; We spend a lot of time on these, making sure missionaries have what they need to continue serving.
SEMBEC - Evangelical Biblical Seminary of Cuenca; This is an awesome school in Ecuador.
SEMBIMEX - Biblical Seminary of Mexico; Another awesome school in Mexico.
SYIS - Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills; A workshop given occasionally to help people communicate more effectively. Also known as the bane of my existence. (It's slightly invasive.)
TCK - Third Culture Kid; Chances are, you know one or two. They were the weird kids in college who weren't interested in the latest video game or phone.

There are at least a million more, but this should give you a general idea of who and what I work with everyday.

I hope you all had a fantastic Labor Day weekend! I myself took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep and hang out with some pretty awesome people. I am discovering more and more things to do in and around Indy, which is nice because it gets me out of my apartment. Don't get me wrong, I really like my apartment - but as the only person around to talk to is myself, and as I tend to be a rather boring conversationalist, the joie de vivre factor can be a bit lacking.

Anyway.

I'm still liking my job, and the people I work with. (I have to say that, see, because they have a nasty habit of actually reading this thing.) I've had the chance to interview some pretty amazing people, so go read the website articles.

Olusegun is a pastor in Tver, Russia, who is starting a missionary school for university students. He has high hopes that when the students return to their countries, they will begin planting churches using what they learned in Tver.

Allar and Piret are from Estonia. They accidentally planted a church, and are now learning ways to be more intentional.

Did I mention just how awesome this job is?

The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything...

...is 42.

For those of you who haven't read/listened to/watched Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a) you really should consider it and b) the answer is 42, but no one knows what the question is.

For the past two and a half weeks, that has been my life. Answers have abounded, but most of the time, I don't even know what questions to ask. Life in the Communications Department of One Mission Society is always an adventure, fast-paced and jam-packed and

C
...R
......A
.........Z
............Y.

On Beka's and my first day, Foster, our graphic designer, was inspired to comment that there was too much 'e' in the department now. 'E' being estrogen - there are a lot of us women around here. It's a fun place to work - at any given moment, there will be a couple visitors, a 'discussion' about something grammatical, cookies, jolly ranchers, loud music or tangential conversations about refrigerators or good books we're reading right now. Sometimes all of them at once.

Don't get me wrong - we get a lot done. But we're all the type of people who work best when there are a few distractions. If you check the website (www.onemissionsociety.org) in the next few weeks, you might see a couple of stories I've written. I'm also working on projects for Every Community for Christ, Development, and whoever else needs something written, edited or designed. It's fascinating work, and I'm learning TONS of great stuff.



This is where I spend most of my time now. We're working on getting some trips lined up for me, but when I'm in Greenwood, this is where I hold court. I'd love it if you stopped by sometime. Like I said, we're always getting visitors and friends to come in and see us, and it might give you some perspective.

I was telling someone earlier today, I'm really glad to be here. The journey was long and difficult, and there were times when I wanted to hang up my hat and say 'Forget it', but I am so glad that I didn't. These last few weeks have been so rewarding and amazing, and just to be able to hear stories from all over the world about God's faithfulness is so awesome, in the truest sense of the word. I feel like I am really serving a purpose here, and I'm so thankful to everyone who has enabled me to be part of such a great opportunity.

You guys rock.

Warning: Epicness Ahead

Okay, so I need to recap the last two weeks in one measly blog post. Well, I don't have to, but I'm going to cover as much as possible, because I doubt there will be a lot of time in the next few weeks. I'm going to admit right now that I am alternately freaking out and matter-of-fact about tomorrow - it being my first day and all. I'm looking forward to getting started. It's nice to know that the last two years are finally going to pay off.

Last time, I was coming off of three days of 'Strengthening Your Interpersonal Skills' and I was frustrated, emotional and completely out of sorts after that experience. But honestly, it was good for all of us who went through it. It brought everyone closer together, and gave us the ability to share on a wonderfully deep level. I think the best way to recap everything about training by introducing you to the people who went through it with me.



This is Gail and Karen. They were our guides through this journey, truly fabulous people. There were other facilitators, but these ladies were responsible for keeping us on task and on time. This was the first time they extended training to four weeks, and I can't imagine how they covered everything in such a short time before.



Alfredo and Jen were only with us for a couple of weeks. They were in another training course before they joined us, and they left here a week early so they could head to their assignment in the South Pacific. Jen and I got along really well, and the two of them had the dubious honor of being the first people I invited over for dinner. These guys have such a passion for their work and a heart for people.

Incidentally, their experience at Ahavat Yeshua, a Messianic service in north Indy, led me to try it for myself. It was a fabulous experience, one I would repeat and recommend to everyone. There is a reverence to the Messianic Jewish service, but also an informality that allows such freedom of worship.



These girls got to room together during training, which was really nice for them to get to know one another. They all have very different personalities, but their ministries overlap in some awesome ways. Emily, on the left, is going to Japan. Christina, in the center, is going to South Korea to work with migrant workers, and Marta, on the right, is also going to Japan. They are funny and lovely, and they allow me to freak out about science fiction stuff at the drop of a hat. I didn't get a chance to know them as well as I hoped, but I'm looking forward to having some good conversations with them in the future.



Beka, on the right, is going to be my rock here at headquarters. She is also working in the Communications Department, and she actually knows what she's doing, so I'm going to be relying on her heavily to help me out. She's also good about getting me out of my apartment.



David and Catherine are from Australia, but they work in Spain. David is funny and direct, and Catherine is elegant and a little bit wacky. :) They get to stick around a little bit longer, so I haven't had to say goodbye, yet. Their kids are pretty awesome as well. David, Catherine, Beka, Alfredo and Jen were all in my Intercession group. I've never experienced such intense prayer. I think it's a great tool to use.



Ken and Cathy will be working with OMS Canada. They were of great help to me, and wonderfully supportive. For our first ethnic service, we got to experience a Lutheran service in Latvian. It was pretty neat, and then we went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It was a fantastic place with some pretty good art, and some real creativity in the contemporary section. Not the paintings - I've never been a fan of those, but the construction was interesting and the fashion design was pretty amazing.



This whole experience was really fantastic, and there is so much more I could say about it. If you'd like to know more, you could call me, or skype me, or write me a letter. I might even let you visit.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the blog. I hope it has been and will continue to be epic.