Created for a Mission

I’ve wanted to send a post since I first arrived but I have been trying to figure out how to describe the experience here.  We have one week left of SPLICE at Mission Training International in Palmer, Colorado. Our experience is somewhat like sweet and sour chicken… it’s sweet making new friends…it’s sweet just being around folks that have given up everything to follow the call of God to go overseas…it’s sweet waking up to the sun rising on snow covered mountains casting them in an explosion of golden brilliance!!! But its difficult (sour) having to do sooo much soul searching and becoming transparent about my personal fears and unhealthy ways I handle stress and conflict.  There is no rationalizing or glossing over ones approach to difficulties allowed here like we so often do at home, at work or in church. There is no place to hide here. Soul care and facing blunt reality without dressing it up to be more palatable for ourselves and others is difficult (sour) but there is no other way to grow up in Christ.  It has been a transforming experience thus far and I’m sure that there is much more to go.  We have had the weekends off.  Here are a couple of pictures from last weekend at the Garden at the Gods and this weekend in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

That’s a great question! Maybe you can gander a guess. This morning as we boarded the plane bound for Denver, CO we were on time for departure. I was sitting next to a lady who was telling me of some bizarre experience she had with airlines that delayed her taking off on time. We talked during the taxi out to the runway. In the midst of our taxi our pilot came on the intercom to let us know that he was notified that we did not have any water on board the airplane. We literally pulled off on the runway in a maintenance area to wait for the water to be loaded. After sitting there for a few minutes, we began moving again. The pilot announced that we were parked in a US Airways area and couldn’t stay there to wait for the water but had to go back to the gate. Once we arrived at the gate, the pilot then announced that we had a mechanical problem that they were going to have to fix before takeoff and that plus the serving to load the water would only take a few minutes. How many of you know what that means? Eventually, we pushed back from the gate a second time and began to taxi. After a few minutes of taxing, the pilot announced that we were waiting for go ahead to takeoff because apparently every time you leave the gate you have to get your weight and balance checked. It doesn’t matter if nothing has changed. Thank God, this didn’t take long and we were some airborne. Well these are the kinds of adventures you get when you fly the friendly skies! Thank God for a safe flight!

I arrived in Colorado Springs (CS) on a good day. There was an unexpected snow storm yesterday that dumped 12 inches of snow on CS. It is absolutely beautiful here. The training center is facing the Rocky Mountains. Here’s a picture of Denver from the airplane. I couldn’t get one on the approach to CS. The second picture is from the window in my room.

Better pictures to come.

As I exited the New Jersey Turnpike and paid the toll, I was met with a sea of cars and brake lights.  Here are some pictures.  My first thought was that maybe they were giving away free cheese in Staten Island and everyone heard about it.  Bad traffic is very typical for New York City especially this time of year.  It turned out to be something more serious.  There was an accident that blocked both lanes leading to the Goethals Bridge.  I pray that the people involved in the accident are not hurt. 

After about 30 minutes of sitting still, the lanes were reopened and we were on our way.  Then it was on to watching the “Hurry-up-to-Wait” dance that drivers in New York engage in.  Here’s how the dance works.  A car will drive past you at 90 miles per hour on a very congested highway just to slam on their brakes 2 seconds later.  They do this the entire way.  Most of these drivers actually think they are getting to their destinations faster.  I know this dance to be ineffective because I usually past them at some time on the road while driving like a normal person.

I arrived safely to my Dad’s house.  .  I am so thankful to God for my family and for the opportunity to spend time with them before I go.  I leave for Colorado on December 1^st .  I’ll be there for three weeks to complete my SPLICE Training. 

Here are some pictures of my first snow of the winter season.  I’m sure there is much more to come.

Here’s the street where Tim and Amy live.

This is my car covered with snow.  It’s a good thing the rental car company in Chicago gave me a scrapper.

I head back to Chicago tomorrow.  Hopefully I won’t encounter anymore snow.

All the romanticized ideas that I developed about Minnesota from being here this summer have now dissolved.  Actually, they froze.  It amazing the difference between knowing something and experiencing it.  I knew that I got cold in Minnesota because people told me, and I can look it up on the weather channel.  It’s not until you walk outside and feel the cold can you truly appreciate it.  I have been here since Sunday night and it has been about 29-35 degrees as a high.  The warmth and comfort of summer are long gone.  The wild thing is that it gets as cold as 30 degrees below zero.  I can’t fathom the reality of that.  My hats off to all the Minnesotans who love this weather!   I just looked out the window and there are flurries of snow falling, hooray!  I will be here through Friday.  I have appointments with three more churches in and around St. Paul.  I praise God for His goodness and His faithfulness! 

I arrived in Chicago and was pleasantly surprised to have great, warm weather on Wednesday and Thursday.  I have been here for the past two days for our Missionary Appointee Training.  As always it is great to see my fellow appointees with whom I have a bond based on a common passion and shared experiences.  We are learning a lot of practical things about functioning in ministry, especially once we get to the field.  We have been adequately challenged and informed.  We one more day of formal training remaining, and then on Sunday we will divide and conquer.  Each appointee family unit has an appointment at a church hear in the Chicago area where we will be given an opportunity to share the vision God has given each of us for ministry in our given field.   Please pray for all the appointees, especially those who will be sharing for the first time.  Now even though it has gotten cold outside the appointees will remain warm because of the camaraderie that we have developed with one another.  Also, some of us realize that this maybe the last time we see each in other in person for the rest of our missionary careers.  It truly is a special time!

I’ve had to really think about the answer to this question every day I woke up.  Well, now I am in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  I will be headed for Middleton in a few minutes.  This is the final day of my first road trip.  Over the past two weeks I crisscrossed Pennsylvania, drove in and out of New York a few times, and circled half of Ohio.  It has been a great time!  It’s funny, I woke up in the middle of the night one night and I couldn’t remember where I was sleeping.  I had to look around for a few minutes to figure out where I was.  I’ve stayed with young families, empty nesters, a widow and in hotels.  Through it all, God has been with me.  He has allowed me to see new and wonderful things, build new relationships and strengthen old ones.  I was able to visit ten churches on this trip, praise God.  I am grateful.  I head back to Maryland today so that I can process all that has happened and then vote.  Thank you for your prayers throughout this trip.  Your prayers made it a big success.

On most days I would just assume to drive by every scenic outlook there is on the road with my final destination in mind.  Today was different.  I decided to stop and venture off for a few moments.  In the process God taught me some lessons today.  As a pulled up to the outlook there was a small open field that looked out over a mountain that had a valley cut through the center of it.  The view was breath taking as the leaves are changing in the northeast to the beautiful autumn colors.  I walked up to the end of the field and l took in the view for a few moments.  As I got back on the highway, I realized that the mountain I just saw on the outlook was directly in front of me.  As I drove a little ways, I began to approach the mountain.  The road I was on went right through the valley I saw from far away on that outlook.  As I drove in between the mountain, I began to look back in my rearview mirror to see if I could discern where I was standing on that scenic outlook.  I could not tell where I had been standing.  I could only see what was around me and what was before me.  Once I pass the mountain the road curved and I could no longer see anything that I could see previously in my rearview mirror.  Within minutes I crossed over out of New Jersey and into Pennsylvania, the state of my destination.  Now I still have a long way to go, but I am in the state of my destination.  After this encounter and realization that it is important to sometimes stop along the way and look around because you might glimpse of where God is taking you, I decided to reduce my speed and enjoy the journey to my destination.  The journey is turning out to be just as fulfilling as reaching my destination.

A little further on my journey, I was traveling with a group of cars for many miles.  It seemed we were all heading in the same direction.  Then we came to a cross road and my directions told me to turn left.  One by one all the other cars went straight.  It felt wired to me and a looked at the cars and thought for a moment, maybe my directions were incorrect but then, I turned left because I knew that just because everyone isn’t going the same way you are going does not mean your directions are wrong.

God is so awesome and He is able to use everything for His God.  I am so thankful for the love of God in my life.  I arrived in Warren, PA today safely and with many life lessons.  Thanks for praying for me.

For me, this was a week of preparation.  Preparation to once again pack the majority of my earthly belongings and move to a new and temporary place.  Tomorrow I will head north to New York to hang out with my folks for a couple of days.  New York is where I’ll be staying for the most part in between my appointments and my trainings.  I will be back in Maryland to vote and then one last time the week before Thanksgiving.  I am beginning to feel the pressure because I know my time here in the states is short.  Thank you all for your support, encouragement and most importantly your prayers.  I will keep you updated once I hit the road to Pennsylvania on Saturday.  Please pray for safe traveling mercies this week.

I just want you to know that this is a test.  I hope it works so that I can make more of these video and post them for you.  If this works correctly you will be able to see more details able our time in Ukraine this past summer.

My 2008 Ukraine Journey