The God Who Sees Me

Hagar, in a time of deep desperation, after conceiving a child by Abraham and being mistreated and driven away by her mistress Sarah, encountered God Himself. He told her to name her child Ishmael (God hears), because God had heard her affliction. She then proceeded to name the nearby well Beer-lahai-roi (the well of the living one who sees me). God was attentive even to an Egyptian slave. I venture to suggest that God not only saw and heard Hagar; He knew her pain. He understood her plight even better than she understood it herself. That is the kind of intimacy experienced by the Beloved.

Autumn was gorgeous in North Carolina. It was all I could do to stay in class during the day. In Strengthening Your Interpersonal Skills class, we learned all about relationship issues, from drawing people out and listening well to mediating conflicts between others. It was great input and will certainly be useful on the mission field where relationships with partners and nationals are so important.

One of the topics we covered was grief. Of course the content will be useful to help others through the grief process when necessary, but we were told to pay close attention to dealing well with our own grief associated with leaving our home country and traveling to a new place. Though it is a good move for all of us and filled with many joys, it also involves letting some dreams go and giving up some things that we have become accustomed to in our home country. Part of adjusting well to the new country is grieving those losses well. A friend of mine who was in the first class with us just wrote in her blog about the Ugandan orphanage that she is volunteering in until the regular school starts and she can begin teaching the older children. Her heart is absolutely broken with the horrible conditions that the babies are in. Grieving well in situations like this is so important in order to avoid excessive stress and burnout.

I’ve neglected the blog for nearly a month now, and needless to say, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. So, I’ll start where I left off.

A few months ago, I heard that my friend Dana from Taiwan, was not only in the USA, but that she was staying in North Carolina! Needless to say, the opportunity to see each other could not be passed up. Early in November, I made the 3 hour drive from Union Mills to Raleigh and enjoyed the fall colors the whole way. We had some great catching up time and took a long walk together. It was great to see her!

The next day was our last day at Gold Hills Missionary Baptist Church. A few of my fellow students and I really enjoyed our time at Gold Hills. We were welcomed every Sunday as if we were family. The last Sunday Pastor Oglesby took us out for lunch. We ate like kings and queens and had a great time with the pastor and his family.

Valuable

Today a friend asked me to come over and help her understand how she can better help a friend of hers that is struggling with being single. Wow!

We talked a little a few days ago, and she showed so much concern, empathy, love, and genuine interest in what I had to say about my experiences as a single woman. She recognized that my marital status doesn’t define who I am, but it does affect every area of my life. And she accepted me as a valuable friend and a healthy and complete individual.

She took the time today to invite me into her life and to glean important truth, so that she can be a better friend. Her love for me and for her friend that is struggling is priceless.

What did I learn from her? I am valued. I am not valued even though I am single. I am valued because I am me. I am even valued because of my singleness. Most of all, I am valued because God made me valuable.

Another Look at the Trinity

We talked about the Trinity on our first day of teams class. Since then, we have done so much more. But the importance of looking at the Trinity for the model of the perfect team seems really important to me. So, since we started with it, I thought I'd like to end with it too...

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:20-23

The first team was the Trinity. God is a perfect union of 3 distinct persons. They each have different attributes, but they are all equally God. Together, they form a perfect communion. That communion is the very essence of unity, peace, interdependence, perfection, and love.

Several years ago, I struggled with the philosophical question of the purpose of man. Why did God design us and create us. Surely it is not just to watch our silly antics all of the time. If that was the case, He would have destroyed all of us long ago because of our sin. No, I think He created us out of love. I think that the perfect love that flowed out of the union of the Trinity was something that God couldn’t help but share. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).’” That was God’s first act of love toward man. But the love continues to flow from God to man, even now.

When I was little, I wondered what it meant to be created in God’s image. Certainly it doesn’t mean that we physically look like God. No, it had to be something else. Many adults tried to explain abstract ideas about what it meant to be created in the image of God, but none of them were satisfactory (I guess I was analytical as a child too). It wasn’t until I discovered this idea of unity and love that I felt I was beginning to understand God’s image. God is not just the Father or the Son. He is not just the Holy Spirit. He is all three, in one, perfectly unified and springing forth love. That is what His image is. So, to be created in the image of God is to be designed for community. To bear God’s image, we must bear also His love. To experience life as we were designed to experience it, we also must be unified with one another.

The purpose of man: to bear God’s image

The image of God: perfect unity and love

Two very difficult answers to two very difficult questions. Bearing God’s image is not easy, but it has great reward.

WinShape

Today we got out of the classroom and did some activity!! A group from WinShape came up and did the training for the day. It was raining, so we spent most of the day in the little community gymnasium across the street, but it was physical activity, and it was good!!
Of course, it was all about teamwork. We broke up into teams and began doing activities that required cooperation, communication, leadership, and a bunch of other critical stuff that we are learning about. To give you an idea of what the day looked like, I'll describe two of the activities that we did.
One activity was to get into the middle of a small contraption described as a jail. We were to "escape" from this jail, but we had to devise a strategy based on some rules that were given to us by our facilitator. We lifted some people over the top bar, helped others through the middle, and cheered others on as they squeezed under the lowest bar. There was lots of cheering, and by the end, some of us were a little smelly:)
Another one of our exercises was to do a trust walk with a partner. First, I was blindfolded and my partner led me around the campus, up and down hills, under bars, through trees, all without any words, only physical guidance. We had to accomplish certain tasks, which was difficult without any verbal guidance, but not impossible. Next, my partner, Jim, put his blindfold on, and I got to lead him around, only this time, I was not allowed to touch him at all and had to guide him with verbal guidance only. Without the physical contact, the tasks were a lot less comfortable, but a little easier to accomplish. Surprisingly, I think it took more trust to follow verbal commands than to follow physical direction.
It was great fun, and we learned a lot about ourselves during the debriefing time at the end of each exercise. Three things I want to take with me from these experience are to listen with the purpose of really hearing those I am communicating with, to trust and be trustworthy, and to use the gift of encouragement better.
A bit of trivia: WinShape is an organization formed by the owner of Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain specializing in chicken. The owner is a Christian, and part of the profit from the business goes to support WinShape.
A group of us made the 35 minute drive to the nearest Chick-fil-A for dinner tonight as a show of support for the organization, and as an excuse to go have fun together:) YUMMMM...

Trinitarian Unity

For the next two weeks I am in the Effective Teams and Team Leaders module of CIT. This morning we were challenged to imagine the Trinity before the creation of the world. We were told to envision how the three persons of God interacted with each other and to think of adjectives and nouns that would describe this interaction. Words like perfect harmony, interdependence, peace, love and unity came to mind.

Then in groups, we were asked to look at different Bible passages and find the principles and values about teamwork that were illustrated through the Trinity. My group was given Genesis 1:26 “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.” God’s very identity in the trinity is diversity unified. The three persons of the Godhead had perfect unity and love even before the creation of mankind, but God desired to draw us into that unity. He wanted to create man in order to generate even more unity, not that God could be more unified.

No wonder the two greatest commandments are love God and love people.

Transitions

I was going over some material from our first module today, and I found something that I want to share.

When I first went to Cameroon, I experienced a strange phenomenon. As time drew close for me to leave, some people grieved openly and said heartfelt, genuine goodbyes, and others just closed off, unwilling to invest any more in our relationship. It was an exciting time, full of new adventures, but it was also difficult, due to strained relationships. I noticed the same thing happening when I left for Southern California for school, at the end of each school year, and each time I changed employment and/or moved. In short, leaving others behind has become a painfully familiar theme in my life. It comes with the territory, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

I know that my family and friends also grieve each time we must separate, and they don’t get to be the one going to a new and exciting place.

Taking leave of loved ones is only one aspect of the changes that become all too familiar to a missionary. Many things are lost, many things change, and many things simply end. I have to come to grips with the fact that even the loss of insignificant things like my kitchen in Manteca, may be painful. Then I have to deal with changes in climate, culture, language, cleanliness, and privacy. All these changes precipitate an internal transition from what I know now to reality in my new place. This takes time, but knowing what is happening makes a difference in understanding how to make a good, though not painless, transition.

Through this portion of class, I realized that I have been undergoing almost constant transition for the last 8 years. No wonder I feel homeless sometimes!

Transition involves many endings, a long unsettled neutral zone, and many new beginnings. Transition is not over until the new beginnings begin to normalize and I become settled once more. I am looking forward to ending this time of transitions soon, and settling down to my home in Cameroon. Home, that sounds good!

Lord, until I reach my final home, my real home with you, help me to live well in the many transitions that you have given to me.

Credit goes to G. Schultz at Center for Intercultural Training for many of the ideas expressed in this entry.

Childlikeness, Phonetics, University and Village Life

On Friday, we finished up the Second Language Acquisition module. No, I am not yet fluent in either French or Baka, though I hope to be near fluency in both within the next few years. To be completely honest, we didn’t even work much on our individual languages (people here are going all over the globe, so we are not all working on the same languages), but we certainly learned a ton. Through the course of this 2 week module, we learned how to approach a new language humbly, how to find a language helper, how to supplement language school, how to use different tools to learn the language in a more effective way, and how to better articulate the sounds of the language we are going to learn.

I found out that I am a structured, analytical learner, and that I will probably do very well in French language school. However, I will probably be challenged when it comes time to learn Baka, since there will be no structure provided for me. We discussed different language learning options ranging from very unstructured tribal type situations where one must learn from an illiterate native speaker, most likely without a “bridge (common) language,” to a highly structured university type setting. I get to try to learn language from both ends of that spectrum. Many in our class will have to do something in between.

With the help of one of our instructors and many people in Wycliffe, I was able to procure a copy of a Baka phonology. This is a document, written about 25 years ago, that describes, in linguistic terms, what sounds are in the Baka language. It was very difficult to locate, but it is a very neat tool to have.

At the end of last week, when I was beginning to get a little discouraged about learning two languages, God used two events to encourage me. First, I heard from a teammate, who has just reached level 2 in Baka. That means that he will get to begin doing formal ministry now and dedicate less time to language learning. If he can do it, then it must be possible! Second, when I met with our phonetics specialist to go over some of the sounds of Baka, I was told that I was making all of the sounds just perfect! I knew that I had been listening to Baka the whole time I was in Cameroon before, but I didn’t know that I had heard and remembered the sounds so well. What a great encouragement at the end of two weeks of learning. Now, I can’t wait to get started!

Sunday Morning

I went for a short walk this morning before church, and look at all the little treasures I found!

Linville Falls

A week ago, a few of us took a trip to Linville Falls. It was only about an hour drive, and we got to enjoy the emerging fall colors the whole way. We took a short hike, and saw the falls from several different viewpoints

Then we piled back into the cars and drove about 4 miles on a dirt road to a canyon overlook. It was quite a spectacular view.
After our hike, we were all quite hungry, so we invaded a little home town style restaurant, and enjoyed some southern cooking. It was just what we needed!

Language Aquisition

It's time for a new course here at CIT. We've finished the Equipping course, where we learned some of the basics for leaving our own culture and entering a new culture. What I have learned is priceless, and I am still trying to process some of it, but it is time to move on. We begin the Language Acquisition course tomorrow morning. We get to learn how we each individually best learn language and acquire some skills to take into the language learning process. Unfortunately, we don't come away from this two-week course with another language learned:)

Our Heart

John Chisum, George Searcy

Our heart our desire

Is to see the nations worship
Our cry our prayer
Is to sing Your praise to the ends of the earth
That with one mighty voice
Evey tribe and tongue rejoices
Our heart our desire
Is to see the nations worship You

Heavenly Father
Your mercy showers down upon all people
Every race upon this earth
May Your Spirit pierce the darkness
Break the chains of death upon us
Let us rise in honest worship
To declare Your matchless worth

There is no power that for one hour
Can withstand the greatness
Of Your Word on tongues of faith
So we're bold in intercession
Praying now that every heart will bow
Before You Lord in praise in praise

Our heart our desire
Is to see the nations worship You

© 1993 Integrity's Hosanna!/Integrity's Praise! Music

Modern Epistle

In the course of my Baka research, I read through an email document sent to a colleague of mine from a missionary working among a different group of pygmies. At one point he said “I notice that the most effective churches are the ones far from where the missionary lives. They take charge of the work whereas the ones close to where the missionary lives develop dependence. With this in mind I see the missionaries task as traveling from region to region and calling the Pygmy Christian leaders of that region together for training, focusing vision and organizing literacy classes. Priority is given to local churches that are planting new churches.”
As I read these words, first it struck me how similar this missionary seemed to the apostle Paul (in fact, his name is Paul).
The second thing that occurred to me is that this work is a big deal, a really big deal. God is allowing my team and I to be involved in reaching an entire people group with the Gospel. Wow! What an honor, what a privilege, what a responsibility, what a burden. This has nothing to do with me. This has everything to do with the Gospel of Christ, which is for all peoples. In the light of this truth, everything else fades. Any sacrifice or suffering is so quickly forgotten in the joy of being a conduit of the Gospel. Oh, there is nothing better!!
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1

He Leadeth Me

Joseph H. Gilmore

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Refrain
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
Refrain

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
Refrain

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Refrain

Perfect Harmony

Today we learned about cross-cultural communication. At the end of class we were shown a concert video from Steven Curtis Chapman. The video centered around the 5 martyred missionaries to the Waodani Indians and the resulting ministry among the Waodani. It was a picture of love and sacrifice, but it was also an amazing picture of grace.
The very last song was introduced by Steven as the closest thing to what will happen in heaven that he could imagine. He sang in English, exalting and worshiping God, and beside him, in another language and even another melody sang a Waodani man. Both sang songs of worship.
My heart was pulled to that day when we will all worship God together. Every one of us will express our worship differently. I picture a huge choir, worshiping in perfect harmony, each nation of people expressing adoration for God in a different way. What a wonderful concert that will be! For eternity, all of us praising God in purity and truth.

Variety

God loves variety. Why else would He create so many different kinds of plants and animals? Why would He vary the landscapes so dramatically? And why would He create each one of us humans to unique?
We were looking at the story of the Tower of Babel the other day in the context of cultures. All of the people of the world had come together and begun to build a great city with an enormous tower. The people were filled with pride and thought that they could overcome anything through their unity. The consequence of their pride was that God confused their languages and caused them to be scattered throughout the earth.
It occurred to me as I read this that God did not want to have one race of people. He valued variety. He was not harsh in His punishment. He did not send a plague or cause the people to die. He simply caused them to no longer understand each other. And now, He's created such a beautiful palette of different people all over the earth.

The Love of God

Frederick M. Lehman

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God's love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam's race-
The saints' and angels' song.

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song.

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

by Stuart Townend

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Saved a Turtle

Mom, this one's for you.
The other day, when I and a couple friends were on our way home from a grocery trip, I spotted a little box turtle attempting to cross the road. Cars were straddling it as they sped by, and it was quite apparent that it was in eminent danger. So, I flipped a U-turn and headed back to save it. The cute little bugger just sucked in all his legs and peered out to see why this car was going so much slower than the others. Karen jumped out, picked him up, and deposited him on the other side of the road. I am sure he was grateful:) It's a good thing that Karen was the one who actually got out of the car, since I might have been tempted to keep him.

Fall

Ever since arriving here, I've wanted to document photos of an East Coast fall. I have not yet found a good place to begin taking my fall photos, but as soon as I do, I'll begin sharing weekly pics of the fall colors.

Culture Shock!!

This afternoon, we began class by playing a game. It was a simple card game where you win tricks by having the highest number in a suit or by trumping it with a certain suit. We got used to the game by playing it for a few minutes, and then our instructions were taken away and we were told that we could not verbally communicate with each other. That’s when things started to get entertaining. After playing in silence for five minutes, we were instructed to determine who won, and to move to another table based on if we won or lost. We were still supposed to be silent. At the next table, my partner and I began playing with another team. To our frustration, the other team began cheating and stealing our tricks! They kept making motions at us and indicating that we were playing wrong. It was all quite fun, and we were laughing the whole time. It was hilarious, and I would have loved to have it on video. In a moment of humility, I ceded the game. The next round, with a new team was much better. I finally came to the realization that everyone had slightly different versions of the rules, so we quickly, though silently, agreed on a new set of rules and played.

All of this fun and games was an illustration of what culture shock is like. Basically, when we go into a new culture, we are not only handicapped by a lack of knowledge about the language, but a difference in the way the game is played. The big difference between the game and culture is that culture goes so much deeper, down to the very worldview of individuals.

Comforter

No, I'm not talking about the downy bed covering, though I am currently wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket.
I wrote a reflection paper today on the Holy Spirit. I realized that I had plenty of head knowledge about the Great Comforter, but I lack in intimacy with Him. You see, He is the one who gives us power, convicts us of sin, prompts us to action, guides, comforts, and so much more. He is relational, intimate, personal. Though we need to know about Him, He is not just theology to be studied. He is God, just as much as the Father and the Son. I realized today that He is what I have been longing for.
Counselor, Friend, Comforter, please forgive me for neglecting intimacy with You. Draw me ever closer.

Sabbath

After the last two posts of monsters and mayonnaise, I feel obligated to tell you that I have been working hard here at CIT. I am in class each day from 8am to 3pm, with a generous lunch break. We've been learning about everything from learning styles and personalities to contextualization and spiritual warfare. Each of us are doing a research paper on our target country/people group. We have also read a couple of books on cultural differences. And I suspect that this week will be a heavier week as far a class work. It has been intense, but certainly enjoyable and worthwhile. Please pray for me and for everyone here, that we would learn lots, be drawn nearer to Christ, and that we would remain healthy.
I have, however taken a Sabbath's day rest today. It was quite nice!

Bring out the Best

Dad, this is for you.
Yes, I am East of the Rocky's
Love ya

Kudzu Monster

Yes, it really is a monster. While on the cross-country trip, I saw this green monster several times. I thought this vine was interesting, even beautiful, and much different than the greenery that I am used to. The way it grows on trees, bushes, even telephone poles, it looks like a monster lumbering toward an unsuspecting victim.But after talking to people from this area, I realized that it really is a monster, a menace really. Kudzu was supposedly introduced in the US as a way to control soil erosion, but it has done so much more. It is nearly impossible to control, and it kills the native foliage by suffocating it. It even pulls trees and telephone lines down by its sheer mass. And, if you watch carefully, you can almost see it growing!
More info on kudzu:
Wikipedia
Yahoolavista
Kud-Zoo

Worldveiw

OK, so I was challenged by a fellow CIT student this afternoon to post something, so here goes…

Wow, we have been learning so much here, it is hard to sum it all up. As I think about the awesome and necessary preparation that we are receiving here, I wonder how past missionaries managed to survive without places like CIT. Today we focused mostly on worldview and ethnocentrism. I remember a few years ago thinking how much easier it would be to just evangelize a people group in English, or through a translator. My views have changed drastically since then.
An article that I read this morning dealt with the idea of contextualization. In essence, contextualization is the packaging of the truths of the Gospel in a way that it remains true to itself so that the target culture can both understand and accept it. This can be done only after one spends significant time learning the language and culture of the target group and forms genuine relationships with individuals. We all take our own culture into our ministries, but we’ve been challenged to separate our culture from the Gospel, so that those who hear may worship God in a way that is meaningful and correct in the context of their own culture. This is a big idea, and it is hard for me to even begin to write about it here, but I hope you get an idea of some of the things that we are working through here.
On a lighter note, I went for a walk with a new friend. I had driven by a small lake the other day, and wanted to get down there to explore it a little, so we headed down. I’ll definitely be back, and you may see more pictures of this little spot.

CIT

Well, I’ve finally arrived in Union Mills, North Carolina. It is so good to be here with other people that are also preparing for missions. Our first event was dinner this evening. Even though many of us didn’t know each other before we gathered in the cafeteria, I still felt like I was instant friends with many of them. I am in dorm-style housing with 3 other women. We all got together tonight to compare notes on our experiences so far. Everyone agreed that it is so encouraging to be able to talk to people who understand what we are going through. We are all in the midst of raising support and transitioning from full-time work to overseas missions. In short, the majority of us are unemployed and homeless (in a good way, of course). Well, I better get to bed. I’ve got class in the morning.

Smokey Mountains

Knoxville

We got to stay two nights with Don and Cher. It was such a blessing to be spend some time getting to know them a little better. They treated us like royalty, and we got to go to the Lost Sea. Oh, and it was good to be in a home, rather than in a hotel room.

Boomsday

Every Labor Day weekend, the residents of Knoxville, TN celebrate with a spectacular fireworks celebration. They call it Boomsday. It is choreographed with music and broadcasted on television. Though we were in Knoxville, we decided to watch the celebration on TV and avoid the crowd. What we didn't know is that Boomsday would come to us.
Only moments after I got to sleep, I was violently awakened by a crashing and rumbling. A few moments later, Lindsey was knocking at my door, wondering what had happened. We were both a bit shook up, but managed to find the cause of the explosive noise. We found a tree leaning precariously against the roof of the house and the balcony outside the room that I was staying in. There appeared to be only minor structural damage to the house, and no-one was harmed, but Boomsday has taken on a different meaning.

Southern Hospitality

We crossed 3 state borders today, and were pleasantly surprised at the "southern hospitality" that we received even at the rest stops. We started off by entering Louisiana, and we were amazed at the amenities of the rest stop/welcome center. We were greeted by friendly and helpful people and given free maps and guidebooks. This scene was repeated in Mississippi and Alabama, where we finally stopped for the night.We discovered a sleepy little Louisiana town near the boarder of Mississippi, and ventured out to where some horses were grazing.


And I got to see the Mississippi river for the very first time.

Western States

After leaving the Grand Canyon, we traveled on through Arizona, New Mexico, and into Texas.One of the many beautiful geological formations that we got to drive by.
The Texas sky before weather.
The beginning of the effects of a low pressure system. We found ourselves in some weather that outperforms any California rainstorm.
We also discovered just how big Texas is...
At the other end, we met up with Nathaniel, the oldest of the "kids" that I taught in Cameroon. He's now a Junior at Le Tourneau University. It was such a treat to share dinner with him and hear about all of his adventures at school.

On the Road

Well, Lindsey and I left today (technically it was yesterday, as I am typing in the wee hours of the morning now), and we took a little detour this afternoon.
Can you guess where we went? Extra points go to the people who correctly respond in the comments section.

SoCal

I got to spend a couple of days in SoCal with some friends. It was so good to see all of them, and I feel so refreshed after our fellowship. Thanks God, for good friends.

Spent

Please pray. I know it may sound petty and unimportant, with all of the tragedies that are happening in our world, but I could use a bit of prayer.
I’ve been in the throes of packing for the last several days. If it were just a matter of moving from one place to another, it would be much easier. However, I am packing to move temporarily to pre-field training, then to language training in Quebec, and then on to live in Cameroon. As a result, I have to sell, give away, and throw away many of my belongings. The constant chore of deciding what to do with each item is exhausting. It is quite taxing emotionally, mentally, and physically to go through this process of transition. I'm spent. Please pray.
I'm leaving tomorrow morning (hopefully) to spend a few days in SoCal before heading to North Carolina. Check back in for travel updates.

Resigned

From Webster:
resign (ri-'zIn) verb
1 : to give up one's office or position
2 : to accept something as inevitable

Well, I've done both. In the words of some friends who are also preparing for the mission field and of Cortez, I have "burned the ships."
Today was my last day as a PHN with San Joaquin County. As I packed up the last of my belongings and said goodbye to some dear friends, I felt a sense of deep peace and satisfaction. It's not that I didn't like my job. Quite the contrary. I loved doing home visits. But, God is directing me to Cameroon, and I am resigned to do exactly that. Oh, what joy comes from being right in the middle of God's will.
Tomorrow is the garage sale that will further seal the deal.

Burn the Ships
Steven Curtis Chapman

In the spring of 1519 a Spanish fleet set sail
Cortez told his sailors this mission must not fail
On the eastern shore of Mexico they landed with great dreams
But the hardships of the new world make them restless and weak
Quietly they whispered, "Let's sail back to the life we knew"
But the one who led them there was saying

Burn the ships, we're here to stay
There's no way we could go back
Now that we've come this far by faith
Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return
Our life is here
So let the ships burn

In the spring of new beginnings a searching heart set sail
Looking for a new life and a love that would not fail
On the shores of grace and mercy we landed with great joy
But an enemy was waiting to steal, kill, and destroy
Quietly he whispers, "Go back to the life you know"
But the one who led us here is saying

Burn the ships, we're here to stay
There's no way we could go back
Now that we've come this far by faith
Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return
Our life is here
So let the ships burn

Nobody said it would be easy
But the one who brought us here
Is never gonna leave us alone

Burn the ships, we're here to stay
There's no way we could go back
Now that we've come this far by faith
Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return
Our life is here
So let the ships burn

By the Grace of God

During a daily Bible study today in Genesis 47:7-10, I was challenged to think of how I would describe my years and who I wish I measured up to. By God’s great grace, I was unable to think of any truthful, long-reaching, negative aspects of the life God gave me. Neither was I able to think of anyone who’s shoes I wish I was in. I certainly see many character flaws in my own life. Likewise, I have seen many attributes of others that I wish to emulate, but that was not the purpose of this exercise. Through this exercise, God showed me how His own hand has been working divinely through every moment of this life, directing me to the things that He has for me to do for His own glory. Sure, there have been moments, even years, in my life that were less than ideal, difficult times that were certainly unwelcome, but God has redeemed each one to His own glory. He’s used them to form me and to bring me even closer to Himself. Praise God for His infinite wisdom and His sovereignty over every moment and every circumstance.

*grace - favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes of God.

*sovereignty of God - a theological term that refers to the unlimited power of God, who has sovereign control over the affairs of nature and history (Is. 45:9–19; Rom. 8:18–39).

*Redeem - to free or deliver, usually by paying a price.

Unexpected Blessings

I've just found out that a former roommate and friend, who I thought would certainly be out of country, is currently living in North Carolina, only 3 1/2 hours from where I will be next month! Wow! That brings the friend tally up to 6 while I am at pre-field training. A few weeks ago, I could have truthfully said that I didn't know anyone in North Carolina. Now I will be in class with two couples that I met last year, and I will have two friends from school to visit. Add that to a visit with my sister in Maryland, a visit to the World Team home office, and a visit with good friends in Pennsylvania, and I have got a full itinerary!!
Thank you Lord for providing so many opportunities to see how well you take care of me.

9,628 feet above sea level

Ok, 9,628 feet elevation may not be very impressive to some of you, but it sure was a treat for me today. I drove up to Sonora to see my grandparents, and we found an excuse to go up to the top of Sonora pass. The view was absolutely stunning. It's too bad that all I had was my camera phone, but even these low quality photos capture some of the beauty.

Ablaze!

We had some unusual weather today. It was quite warm and much more humid than normal in our semi-arid environment, which created the perfect conditions for an explosion of pre-dusk color. Well, it was God that created those conditions, and He did a superb job. Spectacular sunsets are not uncommon here, but they are usually produced by pollution and dust. Today's sure made up for the uncomfortable warmth a couple hours earlier.

Quick Answer

Guess what? I just got my official go-ahead! I'll register for CIT now, in faith that the remaining funds will come in. I am so excited! Thanks for your prayers. Keep praying.

Next Step?

I received an email today regarding Center for Intercultural Training (CIT) in September. I have the opportunity to register now, but I don't yet have enough monthly pledges to get an official go-ahead from World Team. If I do not register now, I will have to wait until they offer the course again in January. Pray that I would act wisely and seek God's guidance about taking this next step.