The ripping has started. And every time it happens I can hear it audibly like the ripping of plant roots when you transplant them. I was praying that in the last week of training that they would back down a step and yet if feel like they did the exact opposite and stepped up the training to a new intensity. On Monday we went over singleness issues and how singles fit into the work team. A lot of it was good for me and my team because what was talked about where things that just happen because... well... i don't know that's just the way it has always been and so i never thought much of it. But it made us really think of all the expectations and assumptions people have towards singles. ex: they have more time they don't have kids, they can handle more responsibility they only have to worry about themselves. etc...etc... when really they can get overloaded and burdened trying to take on everything they are dealing with and everything people are trying to dump on them because they have all this "extra" time and energy. On Tues. (i think) they put half of us (about 20) into a 5x5x4 box and we went through a simulation that we where missionaries hiding from people who where trying to kill us. So we sat/stood (whatever we could to get as comfortable as possible) for 5...10...min. then we where asked if we would accept strangers into our safe place not knowing who they where or if they worked for the enemy. if we did not accept them in they would be killed and if we did we could end up dead from a leak in the group. would we take them? Then 15...20min a plane was there to take 5 people to safely who would get to go (the mothers of young of course) then 25...30min we could only save 3 people who where we going to tell they had to now stay? (During all this time it was very hot we where in the boiler room so it was very HOT and the air was getting very stuffy) The enemy then found our safe place and where keeping us hostage. Then at about the 1 hour mark we got our final question. the negotiations have fallen through and they are executing 2 people who are we going to choose to execute? at that point we are all so tired and hot and miserable that we are very emotional so with this question my first thought was this is my family I am not going to send them out to be killed. When they came back they ended up grabbing 4 guys instead of 2 to execute and there was real gun shot (sounds) and it was all very emotional. This simulation could be a very real situation for some of those i was training with. And that there was a good possibility that there where missionaries in that position right now and to always remember to pray for them. For the first 2.5 weeks of this training I feel like I have been torn open and all the deep parts of my heart have been probed through making me deal with everything that i was trying to hide or push aside. I was feeling very exposed and vulnerable. Then on the last 2 days I don't know how they did it but they blessed us and prayed over us so many times and in such a way that leaving Friday morning i felt completely whole and refreshed. It was amazing. Thursday we prayed around the world and each family got up and explained where they where going. what they would be doing, and how we could pray for there host country and themselves personally then we got up and prayed over them. Its was an amazing time. Friday morning the ripping started as we had to say goodbye to our MTI family as they left for the airport or started there drive home. As of Sunday night i got my first email from Brent (the first one of us out) who landed inLebanon safely and will start his work there so please pray for him. I hope you all have a most Wonderful week. I love you. Be blessed and be a blessing.
-Erin-
Good Wednesday Afternoon everyone! I pray that God is blessing your day in Amazing ways. I had the opportunity to wake up at 5 this morning to go and climb Mt. Herman to watch the sunrise with some of my new MTI family. God's creation is such an amazing thing. There are no words good enough to describe the beauty out here. From the summit of Mt. Herman you get a great view of pikes peak! Have a great day! be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-
Hello again, two weeks down one more to go! This was a big week. This entire training process has been exhausting mentally and spiritually and sometimes even physically. Thanks be to God for Beautiful CO where you can go out and hike and relax (pictures taken at garden of the gods) This week we focused on Stress how to manage it and who we are under it. And with learning how to deal with stress we learned 3 fundamentals we can always fall back on (as listed above) 1. God is God, 2. God is not safe God is faithful, and 3. God is good. Wednesday night the Plattner's and I booked our one way ticket to Jamaica (leaving at 6a.m. out of O'hare Sat. Oct. 20th) that was HUGE fore me. Its nice to finally have a departure date set, but its also now less then two weeks away and reality hit. I sat at my computer probably a good 15 min. before I was actually able to push the purchase ticket button! Even as I was going through the process of buying my ticket my mind was telling me it will be fine this training keeps you so busy you won't even be able to think about it. And then the next day came with the lesson consisting of silence and solitude! and thats what we worked on most of the day giving me AMPLE time to think that in 2 weeks I'm gone. God is God and He is good and He knew that I needed to stop and process this all and not shove it off to the side. So on my God walk during the after noon session We had a nice long chat about Trust and how He knows I'm scared and that thats ok. He has been there and will continue to be with me every step of the way. Praise God for His greatness. By the time Friday comes along we are all just worn out so its more of a fun day and we play games teaching us about transitions and trying to adapt into other cultures. As our homework for the weekend we where encouraged to find a church that would stretch us and get us out of our comfort zones since many of use would be joining other churches in our host cultures. The Plattner's and I attended a deaf church at it was a true blessing. The lesson was on strong faith and was just what I needed to hear and learn about today. Only 4.5 more days and training will be done. Time is flying as our hearts are being prepared. I wish for you all a most Amazing week in the Lord and encourage you all to find Joy in the small things. keep looking up and smiling HUGE because GOD is always in complete control and i love you. be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-
One week down two more to go. I am very thankful for weekends to just slow down and process. The week as a whole was AMAZING. We learned so much about how to deal with our emotions now, and the different emotions we will be encountering, we learned about expectations, ours, our support groups, family, friends, host cultures...etc. then with all those expectations in mind we where told to take off our name cards and in big letters next to our names we where to write AS-IS because we are coming into this human. We are not perfect, mistakes will be made, but we just have to do the best we can and keep going. Like at the store where you go down the isle of the 1/2 off products because they come AS-IS you know they are not perfect, and once you take it you can't return it. So I am going down to try and bring glory and honor to God and hopefully they won't try to return me! Conflict is another big one that we have been working on to see if we are sharks (its got to be my way) Teddy bears (you can have your way) turtles (i'll just run away from it all) or owls (maybe we can both win) My group found out we are runners, compromisers, and harmonizers, we don't really like conflict. We are also all in growth groups (aka small bible study groups) that meet to just focus on God and share during the week. Wednesdays are personal visits (kind of like therapy) to talk with a missionary one on one to ask whatever questions we may have or just to vent our hearts. It was a great way to decompress with everything coming in so fast. This weekend was beautiful and I got in lot of great hiking thanks to the Plattners carting me around with them. We tried to get into the red rock amphitheater to hike this afternoon after church but we could only hike around it because of the smashing pumpkins concert in the amphitheater, so as we hiked around we had some music to hike to! I hope you all have a most Wonderful week. i love you and miss you. be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-
Hi Everyone, I just finished my first day of training and thought i would update you. I think the only way to describe it is INTENSE. They go deep and stay deep ripping you out of your comfort zone and opening your heart to give you the best possible training for the mission field. All our instructors are missionaries (as they put it )who have been bruised and beaten and are now here to share there experiences with us to help us learn. I am in the SPLICE program and that stands for
Spiritual Resources (bible studies, spiritual vitality, Sabbath/rest/soul care)
Personal Growth (Values, stress, grief/loss)
Lifestyle Adaption (MK realities, singleness issues, transition, lifestyle choices)
Interpersonal Skills (conflict, your true colors under stress, moral purity, hellos and goodbyes)
Cultural Adjustments (Crossing cultures, language)
Endurance/Enjoyment (expectations, paradox, praying around the world)
In this program there are 38 adults, 21 Children, 17 organizations represented and 19 different mission fields. GOD IS SO GOOD! Its great to come to a place where you all have the same calling, are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and can understand where they are coming from and they understand where you are at and what they are going through. ok I have homework to do so i wish you all a most WONDERFUL night. I love you.
be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-
Today I spent a big part of my day watching (while trying to stay out of the way) as they loaded the sea container (and my life here in central IL) up and sent it on its way. Reality really started to sink in as I watched my life all wrapped up on two wooden pallets get loaded up, the doors closed, and the next time I see it will be in Jamaica next month. As of 7 a.m. tomorrow morning the Hubers and myself will be driving out to Palmer Lake, CO to M.T.I. (Missionary Training Institute) for 3 weeks. I have no idea what to expect but i am excited and ready to learn as much as possible before going down. I learned today that depending on how we feel after training we can go down when we are ready. So instead of being moved down the 1st of Nov. it looks like we can get down there as early as Oct 20th. If you would Please pray as the Hubers, Plattners and I all head out to training for open minds and hearts, and that we would know if we are supposed to leave for Jamaica right after training or wait till Nov 1st. Thanks have a great weekend I love you all! Be blessed and be a blessing - Erin-
