The Weekly Wrap-Up: February 8-12, 2016

Train & Multiply

Woohoo! I've finished checking Japanese! You know, we joked last year that we've probably read the English books around 6-10 times each. That's millions of words. I'm well on my way to that with Japanese. I've looked through the first 34 booklets and the SAG (Student Activity Guide) about four times now. I'm sure there will be many more.

One thing I'm especially proud of this week is that I was able to help facilitate a new T&M training in Australia. We live in a world where a man in Sydney, Australia, can contact someone in Greenwood, Indiana, who can put him in touch with someone in Taiwan, all in the space of a week. We've wanted to expand our training for months, so this is very exciting.

Chapel

So we start with something that isn't really chapel, but happens in the same place. On the second Monday of each month, we have a staff briefing. This is a time for each department to tell everyone else all the pertinent stuff that they are working on. Sometimes it's interesting, sometimes not so much. It's all good information, but on occasion, people forget that it's supposed to be a briefing.

CROSS-training finished this week, so we heard from the last few trainees. One is Colombian and will be working in HQ for a few months, two are headed to Taiwan, two to Ecuador, and one will be a CMF (church multiplication facilitator) in Africa. Our Mobi team does an amazing job of recruiting new missionaries for a wide variety of positions.

CROSS-training

Speaking of CT, it is usually the purview of HR and the training team. A few others introduce the various departments, but I get to play exactly one role. On the day they discuss spiritual warfare, I bring in my sword collection. I get to show off a little and then I talk about a couple knives I picked up from Sierra Leone. Spiritual warfare isn't a game.

Other Projects

We're gearing up for OMS International Conference this summer. Remember?

Anyway, I've been involved in planning the "Interactive Missions Experience" room. (We're working on the name.) I had a couple meetings this week so everyone could update each other on our respective progress. I think it's going to be a good program. You all should consider coming.

That's it for this week. Busy weekend ahead. Pray for me.

One Year

(I am fully aware that I have not yet posted the blog about Poland. I'm working on it.)

So. Despite the fact that I have been thinking about/planning this post for the last month, the actual date has caught me unawares. It wasn't until I was speaking to one of my fellow CROSS-trainees who just returned from the field after a year. I should have realized it sooner, because this morning was the graduation for the new group of trainees. I even took pictures for it, but the whole year anniversary thing completely slipped past me.

Duh.

Anyway. I've been here for a year. A whole year! This feels so weird to me. In some ways, I feel like I just arrived, like I'm still trying to figure everything out. But in many ways, it feels like I've been here forever.

Now that I've reached this milestone, however, I'm finding it difficult to really celebrate it. All I can think about is the future. There are two ways to look at it.

1. I still have a year left on my contract.
2. I only have a year left on my contract!

Where has the time gone?

I guess the first question is, has it been a good year? I think the overall answer has to be yes. There have been ups and downs, but I really can't complain about my experiences at OMS. I've traveled to some amazing places, I've met awesome people, and I work daily with really fantastic friends.

Am I still where God wants me? Absolutely! I committed to two years because I felt that this is where God was leading me. I still feel very secure in that.

Have I made a difference being here? I'm not really the one to ask, but I do believe that I have contributed to OMS, and I would like to think that God has used my work to benefit his kingdom.

Will I be with OMS forever and ever, amen? I can't answer that. If I stay with OMS, that means more support to raise. If I don't stay with OMS, then I have to figure out where I would go, what I would do, would I stay with missions, would I go back to school... There's a lot to consider.

How will I celebrate this occasion? I'll probably go home and clean my apartment. It needs it. I'm not really a party person, anyway.

I know. Shocking.

I guess for now, I'll leave you with an awesome photo taken this morning for October's Prayer and Praise Guide.



See? I'm happy.

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.

Two down, two to go...

I can't believe July is half over! Seems like summer just began, and now it's almost done. Crazy!

Well, I thought it would be hard to write about the first week. Turns out, week one had nothin' on week two. It was a real emotional roller coaster, and I'm pretty sure I was close to tears a few times. For those of you who know me, that should be a bit shocking. I don't cry in public. Ever. Not even in sad movies. I can't do it. But this week was enough to have them rolling down my face in spades.

The reason for this? Three days spent on "Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills". To do that, we had to learn more about ourselves. I thought I knew everything about me before this week. I had no clue. But it was good to get some things out in the open and learn how to relate better to people.

Only problem is, next week we're doing more of the introspection.

Yikes!

Training that is...

Cross-Cultural
Relational
Organizational
Strategic
Spiritual

This has been an absolutely phenomenal week for me. I wish I could tell you everything that has been going on, but I don't think my brain has even caught up. There is so much information floating around in there that I'm not sure where to start. Fortunately, I've got some time this weekend to let it soak in and marinate.

The whole goal of this week, in the words of our Member Development caretakers, is to have us "become effective missionaries for the glory of God." For the past two years, I've been working toward the goal of being here and joining the OMS team, and I guess it's just beginning to sink in that this is who I am now! There are so many questions I've been forced to ask myself that probably should have been answered a while ago, but just honestly never occurred to me. I've been so focused on getting here, but this training is designed to get us into the right mindset for ministry.

There are some really great people going through training with me - some who will be staying here in Greenwood like me, and some who are planning short-term trips to other countries, and some who will be involved in longer ministries. It's a great mix of personalities and nationalities, and I'm really blessed to be able to spend this time with them.

One thing I've experienced this week that has really captured my attention and forced some real soul-searching has been the concept and practice of Intercession. It's really a very involved process of prayer and interaction with the Word, and it's just so foreign from how I normally think about prayer. It's going to take a few sessions to be really confident in the practice, but I'm looking forward to really working at it.

Yesterday morning, we had a really good praise and worship session, and I have to share something we did that just threw me for a loop. Our worship leader had us take a piece of paper and write down some of the challenges we thought we'd have to face or some of the fears and worries we'd been experiencing. Then we rolled them up and stuck them in a balloon and headed outside. You probably know what the next step was, but it wasn't so much the action of letting go as how it happened. I expected to have the moment of contemplation and surrender, to give up control over these issues to God, but before I could really think about it, my balloon was almost wrested away from me and next thing I know, it's up up and away. I was just so surprised, but it got me thinking. These are things that have bothered me for years, and I've always said that God had control over them, but I was very hesitant about really relinquishing what little control I had. But God was tired of that - He made it clear that if I wasn't going to give these things up to Him, He was just going to take them. I just felt that burden being lifted from my Spirit, and it gave me a chance to stop focussing on these things and really listen to what God wanted to reveal to me this week.

We spent today hearing from Every Community for Christ (ECC), which is the church-planting ministry at OMS, and something I will be working very closely with in the future. It was fascinating to hear about God's provision in other countries, but really to see how everyone fits into the church planting movement. We got to talk to some missionaries currently in another country who are actively working to plant churches, and it was just an awesome experience. I marvel more everyday about all that God is doing and has done and will do!

I want to leave you with a final thought. Some of you are involved in churches that are very active in ministry, whether it's financial support or community outreach. Some of you go to churches that aren't really mission-minded at all. But one of the ECC people reminded us today that God calls us all to minister in some way, and that He will always find a way for His will to be done. So keep this in mind - if you're not going to be an Acts 1:8 church, you just might find yourself being an Acts 8:1 church.

Look it up.

And ponder.

Day One

I feel like there is so much I want to say, but it's going to take a lifetime to get it all out! This first day of training has just been a great experience. There are some really great people going through it with me, and our instructors really know their stuff. It's also teaching me that I need to be more prepared to dive right in. I'm so used to just putting a toe in to test the waters, and imagine my surprise when they just toss you right in the deep end! But you learn so much about yourself and about others, and everyone is so helpful. We got a lot of the preliminaries out of the way, and then got right into the heart of some doctrinal issues that missionaries have to face, and our motivations in the face of what is happening around the world.

Plus, we got to play with play-dough.

Right now, I've got some homework to take care of, but check back frequently, as I'll try to keep you apprised of my doings.

Ciao!

Well, I'm here in Greenwood! I can't really say I'm completely moved in, yet, but I've got quite a bit unpacked and most everything is in it's proper place. I've met some wonderful people already, and I'm anticipating training, starting next week. I'll be posting more as time goes on, but check out my Flickr site to see some pictures of the move.

This is what happens when I don't update more frequently.

I have too much to tell you, and not enough time to give a proper accounting. These past few weeks have been incredibly busy, both with my work at Hallmark, and especially with my new job.

Yes, you read correctly. I am officially a government employee now, working the 2010 Census. It's a time-consuming job, and I have a suitcase full of forms and manuals that I have to refer to every ten minutes, but it's fascinating work, and I'm enjoying the opportunity to get to know more about my community. My floor isn't faring well under the strain, but I've promised my mother that I'll get it clean at some point in the undetermined future.

Next bit of news - I may be in Greenwood earlier than I thought. This is privileged information, so I don't know what will come of it, but there is a chance that I'll be able to get started on things without having my full support raised. Things are happening in this world, and we can't really wait any longer to get the word out. This has caused some reshuffling and has prompted a lot of prayer, as I don't know what this will entail. Whatever happens, I'm thinking I'll definitely be attending CROSS-training in July and take my first trip before the year is out. Praise God!

Otherwise, things are going well. I had to buy a new calendar the other day so I could keep track of everything and know where I have to be. I have another meeting tonight, but before I'm out the door, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of me. You are all wonderful, and I can't express enough gratitude for all you've done. As I've been doing quite frequently lately, I'll let Paul explain it for me.

Philippians 4:10-20

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. You sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.