A little Spain debriefing

I thought I'd give you all a little taste of exactly what I did in Spain.  Now that I've been home a little while and had time to actually think about the trip, I'm ready to share it with you!

This is "Isaiah" (name changed) - the only one-year-old we had during the pre-Forum over the weekend of Nov. 16-18.  I felt bad for him since he came with a cold that he still hadn't totally shaken by the end of the week. :(  But he was still really well-behaved and a lot of fun to have extra-long.  I'll probably get to see him, his sister (who was with the preschoolers), and his parents when I go to Mali next month - they live the city of Segou, which is about halfway between Bamako (the capital, where our plane lands) and Koutiala (the location of the hospital)!

One of my favorite parts of this whole trip was meeting "Andrew". (I don't have a picture of him yet - I should hopefully be getting one from one of my teammates soon.)  He and his parents only stayed for the pre-Forum orality training (specialized training for Western missionaries to oral-learning cultures).  They aren't deployed yet - they leave next month for 6 months of language training in Paris before starting their first term in Niger.  They live in Holland, so Andrew speaks very little English.  Since we had 4 adults to 11 children during the pre-Forum- a very healthy ratio! - I was able to be Andrew's buddy much of the time.  He's very smart and super-sweet; I only wish I could've understood what he was saying in his extremely articulate Dutch. ;)  I had a lot of fun learning a couple of *very necessary* Dutch words from his parents and am so excited for them as they begin their overseas ministry.

Meet "Jack", who joined us during the week of the regular Forum!  He loooooves people and wants to be held as much as possible.  If you can't hold him he uses you as a jungle gym!  He's almost ready to start walking and laughs a lot. :)

This handsome redhead is "Pierre".  He's not quite walking yet either, but he's still very busy!  He's pretty squirmy, and when he can't walk while holding your hands he scoots around in this adorable one-legged crawl.  Too sweet!

Hello, "Caleb"!  Caleb was fairly quiet and self-entertained.  When not playing with a book or studying a toy he was very happy watching the antics of the other children.  For the most part he was quite easy to care for.

And this is "Joseph" (also seen in the background of Caleb's picture above).  Here he's sitting in Nicole's lap (Nicole joined Gloria and me in the baby room once the Forum officially began on Monday evening, Nov. 18.).  We jokingly nicknamed him Nicole's "jealous boyfriend".  He loved her to death, and if she started playing with one of the other children, he was right there wanting to know what she was doing!  He cracked us up with his drooly smile and deep belly laugh. :)

I don't yet have pictures of our other two babies, "Natasha" (our only girl!) and "Adam", but I'll be sure to share once I get them. :)

So, besides taking care of kids, what else did I do?  Being sick unfortunately put a damper on some of my ability to do extra activities. However, I was able to go to the beach a couple of times (as you can see on my post "From Spain").  We also did some shopping, where we saw street scenes like this one:

Annie and I were also able to go out for lunch one day.  This is our delicious Spanish pizza, which we ate at a little restaurant on the beach!

Other than that, all my time was spent with this guy:

Yes, this is the latte machine.  Enough said. :D

If you're interested in seeing more Spain pictures, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/monica.wacker.1/media_set?set=a.690095524343013.1073741828.100000277140840&type=3.  I posted an entire album to my Facebook profile, but you don't need a Facebook account to see these pics.

Now for Mali matters:  I got my last shot on Friday.  Woot!  "Uncle" Erv, "Aunt" Barb, and I will probably buy plane tickets this week - we'll tentatively leave January 12 and get home either February 28 or March 6.  Things are coming together really well - thankfully Aunt Barb got me going on my visa and other preparations early so all I really have to focus on now is shopping for the last few things I need.   I'm definitely praising the Lord for being able to enjoy a relaxing few weeks at home, tying up a few loose ends and enjoying the Christmas season with my family.  I hope you can do the same!  Much love to you all! :) 

It's good to be home.

Ahh . . . my own bed, my own bedroom, my own house :)  I didn't really realize just how much I missed them until I came home!  Yet it feels as though I'm just setting down my bags (again), since I'm only here a month and a half before I leave (again!).

I came back to the States last Sunday, Nov. 24, and spent the last week with my family in a rented house in Myrtle Beach.  On vacation we did precisely nothing, which felt soooo good.  We got home at 12:30 yesterday morning and have very eagerly resumed our respective routines.

When I last posted, I asked you to pray for the health of our team.  Each of the fifteen of us ended up experiencing sickness in some form or another by the time we left for home.  I spent all day Friday (Nov. 22) in bed (save the 2 hours I tried to work in the morning, after which my teammates very graciously allowed me to return to bed, as well as the couple more hours I spent Skyping my family and packing up for the return trip the next day).  Needless to say, I did not end up being able to use the long afternoon off to go on any excursions outside Torremolinos as I had originally planned.  But I was very glad I took the time to rest (a major thing for me to admit - I hate sleeping!! ;) ).  I don't think I could have made it through our *very* full day of travel on Saturday without it! 

Our trip from Malaga to Paris, beginning at 7 a.m., was uneventful.  We boarded an enormous double-decker plane in Paris and waited to take off for JFK in New York. 

And waited.

And waited.

Then the captain came over the PA and asked all the passengers to please have their passports and boarding passes out so the flight crew could check them.  When the stewardess came to me, I asked if everything was okay.  She said *insert heavy French accent*, "No it is not!  Someone checked baggage onto the plane but he's not here.  We have to check everyone to see who he is." 

By this time we had been on the plane about 45 minutes.  We were scheduled to be in New York 2 hours before leaving for Columbus, during which time we would have to clear customs, recheck our bags, and get through security before boarding our next plane.  We were getting pretty nervous and started praying that the airport wouldn't be too busy so that we could breeze through the red tape in time.

Then the flight crew came through the cabins again and counted us - all 516 of us.

Then they counted again.

And they counted again.

The captain came over the system: "Would Monsieur [So-and-So] please make himself known to the flight crew?"

About 15 minutes later the captain announced that we were finally on our way to New York.  Our entire 2-hour layover was nearly gone - we would land with minutes to spare.  We resigned ourselves to the fact that we were going to miss our flight home.

As we stood in line at customs in New York we heard that this man had nearly boarded the plane, decided he just couldn't take the 8-hour flight, and left without telling anyone.  Whether this is the truth, someone's guess, or just hearsay I'm not sure.  But that's the closest we've come to knowing why exactly we were still waiting to get through immigration when our 6:15 p.m. Columbus-bound plane took off without us.

Our next stop was the airline desk to find a new flight to get us home.  The trouble was, the next plane to Columbus didn't leave until 3:50 p.m. the next day.  But my family was at a hotel in Columbus waiting to pick me up at 8:30 that evening so that we could leave for Myrtle Beach, SC, the following day.  They couldn't just wait that long!  So after some back-and-forth with the man at the desk I arranged to leave on a flight bound for Charlotte, NC (on the way to Myrtle Beach), at 6:15 the next morning.  Until then the airline put us up at a hotel nearby, which we reached by a shuttle that ran regularly between the airport and the hotel.

I was somewhat frustrated by all this, as I'm sure you can imagine.  We had flown all the way to Spain and most of the way home without any mishaps.  Why on Earth should we start having problems now?!  Yet I was thankful all this was happening after I'd had some flight experience under my belt; otherwise I would NOT have felt as comfortable making the last leg of the trip on my own.  And we were also grateful to deal with this on American soil, where we could deal with things much more easily, with people who spoke English, whom we could understand without any translation (hallelujah!). 

I took the shuttle to the hotel with the rest of the team.  There I pretended to sleep for a few hours (I was somewhat nervous, as you can no doubt conceive) before getting up at 3:30 a.m. to catch the 4:00 shuttle to the airport.  I rechecked my bags and cleared security all by myself (woot!), making it safely to Charlotte and my family by 8:15 Sunday morning.

All in all, it's been a crazy-wonderful 2 1/2 weeks.  I'd do it all again in a heartbeat - I seriously want to find some reason to go back to Spain sometime!  Now we're putting Mali plans into motion . . . it won't be long now before I pack my suitcase again!

But for now, it sure is good to be home. :)

From Spain!

Greetings from the beautiful Mediterranean!  Spain is absolutely lovely, and I'm loving watching God work in this country, at the All-Africa Forum, and in the hearts of the children of the people He has called into His service. 

The first 8 members of our team arrived at our hotel, the Hotel Gran Cervantes, at about 2:30 last Friday after 11 long but uneventful hours of flying.  We were scheduled to do childcare from 6-7:30 that evening but ended up having the rest of the time to ourselves as one of the missionaries' flight from Casablanca was delayed 11 hours.  We were pretty grateful for the chance to rest as none of us slept very much on any of the planes. So we had a nice relaxing evening - unpacking, exploring Torremolinos, and eating dinner.

Saturday and Sunday flew by as we cared for the first 10 preschoolers.  On Monday the rest of the team joined us, and I began my official duties watching the one-year-olds.  There are 7 of them altogether, and Nicole, Gloria, and I have had a great time playing with them and getting to know them and their families.

Believe it or not, it's almost time for me to come home again!  My time here has absolutely flown by, and we leave Saturday morning to return to the States.  Please keep these things in your prayers over the next couple of days:

-Please pray that sickness will not be an issue for the remainder of the trip.  Many of the children came with colds, and most of the team members have caught (or brought!) sore throats, headaches, runny noses, and coughs.  We were all pretty run down today, but we still need lots more energy in order to finish up our tasks this evening and tomorrow morning.  Thank you for finishing this race with us!

-Please also pray for a safe day of flying on Saturday.  We were blessed with smooth travels on the way and we hope to leave in the same way!  We leave at 9 Saturday morning (that's 3 am Ohio time) and come into Columbus at 8:30 in the evening.

Again, thank you for your prayers.  See you all soon!

I love you, tomorrow!

Odd as it is to say, tomorrow is, in fact, the day I leave for Spain. 

Not that I'm not ready - I definitely am!

It's just so surreal to say, "Oh, you know, I'm leaving tomorrow . . . " when so much of my energy for the past several months has been focused on preparation for this trip.

It's pretty incredible, to say the least. :)

As I tidy up my bedroom (finally!), finish my errands, and put my life in order, I'd like to share with you the things I'm praying for this trip.  If you would, please pray with me:

-that we'd get through security efficiently and that our flights would be safe (and on time!).

-that those of us going early to the Forum would have plenty of energy.  The first couple of days will be long - and, taking jet lag and everything into account, we're going to need some extra Help!

-that my mouth would finish healing properly and not develop any complications.

Again, please don't text or call me after 6 pm tomorrow - but feel free to email or Facebook me!  I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement.  God has spoken to me through many of you, and I am so humbled by His (your) care. 

I'll talk to you in Spain!

Less than one week to departure!!

In six days I'll be boarding the big metal bird, bound for Malaga, Spain.  Yes, that's right - six days!!  My bedroom is a disaster area while I decide what to take with me. :3  I also met with my preschool team leader yesterday.  She's planned all the lessons for the trip and has to take all of the supplies we'll need over the course of the week.  I offered to take some of the supplies in my suitcase, so we met yesterday to swap those and touch base on some of the plans for Forum.  Please pray that the whole team will remain energetic and positive, sensitive to each others' needs and to the needs of the children.

I also had my wisdom teeth removed this morning.  Surgery went pretty well...the surgeon said the teeth were a little more difficult to remove than he expected but I'm not bleeding very much at all.  I'm taking the painkillers and antibiotics - I didn't want to but I want to do everything I can to make sure I won't have any complications in Spain.  Please pray that everything heals quickly and properly so that I can finish preparing for the trip in a timely manner and not have to deal with any problems while I'm out of the country.  

I would also ask that no one texts or calls me after 4:00 next Thursday.  I won't be using my phone in Spain, and I don't want to run the risk of racking up any innecessary charges.  However, I will have periodic access to the Internet for anyone who wants to email, Facebook, or Skype. :)

T-minus one month!

Yes, you read that correctly...I will be leaving for Torremolinos exactly one month from today!  Time has flown so quickly, and there is still so much to be done.  But the same God Who provided that first $36.29 will not leave me now - the adventure is only just beginning. :)

Spain orientation was on September 8.  Twelve of the 14 members of our team made it to the Central District office to get to know each other, learn the expectations for the trip, and receive assignments from the age group team leaders.  I'm helping with the preschoolers (2-5 year-olds) as one of a team of 6.  The other 5 ladies are wonderful - I'm so thrilled to be working with them.  I also met my roommate Annie.  She's a sweetheart, and I think we'll have a lot of fun together. :)  About half of us will be traveling to Spain early to help out with the pre-Forum activities.  Then we'll work 5 days (Sunday evening through Friday morning) at the Forum and leave Saturday morning.  We have a long afternoon off on Friday, during which we can opt to join one of several different groups being organized to visit some tourist destinations in and around Torremolinos and Malaga.  Still can't decide exactly where I want to go...decisions, decisions. ;)

I've spent quite a bit of time in Shelby over the past few weeks.  Two weeks ago the church held their missions conference.  One of their speakers, Brian Lindsey, is among the missionaries attending the Forum in Spain, so I get to see him again (and take care of his kids!) next month.  The other speaker was Ed Bonvillain, one of the doctors at the Koutiala hospital.  It was incredible to hear him talk about the work God is doing at the hospital and in the lives of the people of Mali.  Between hearing from him and talking with [Aunt] Barb, I can't wait to see it for myself. :)  This is gonna be good!!

While I was in Shelby during missions conference week, Aunt Barb lent me her Bambara phrasebook to practice with until we leave.  It's written for missionaries to go along with (surprise, surprise!) the Indiana University Bambara course.  In case y'all didn't know this, God is good and loves to satisfy the desires of His children's hearts. :)  He is doing everything necessary to make sure I'm prepared for this trip - right down to catering to my learning style.

This past Friday I was in Shelby to help pack the 22nd shipping container bound for Mali.  It was an absolutely amazing experience.  We packed that thing tighter than anything I've ever seen before, and still there were some boxes left over.  Handling the boxes, sorting them by priority, deciding what goes to whom - it was touching God's provision itself, holding His love for His children and for the people of Mali in my hands.  I wanted to hold each package, to give each one my blessing, to imagine just how it was going to change the life of someone across the world.  And soon I will join those boxes!  Soon I'll see with my own eyes just how my God works all the way in Africa.  I'll see how He used the equipment I sorted and packed, labeled and shipped.  I will discover the everyday lives of His workers - the trials and victories, tests and emergencies, pain and joy that define their tasks.

And who knows?  Maybe one day I'll go back again.  And again.  And again.

And who knows?  Maybe one day I'll stay.  And stay.  And stay.

Who knows?

I have a date ;)

I was able to go to Shelby for another workday last week and found out that our official departure date for Mali is January 18.  My next major step will be to work on obtaining a visa as soon as I get home from Spain, as it will take about a month to process.

Also, our tickets have been purchased for the Spain trip.  Mrs. Harner was able to get them for a really great price out of Columbus.  We'll go from there to Detroit, then to Paris and on to Malaga, Spain.  Coming home is the same, except that we'll trade Detroit for NYC. :)  I'm so excited to be able to work with the preschool group in Torremolinos . . . I can't wait for orientation in just another couple of weeks!

Your prayers mean so much to me . . . I'm so grateful for your support!

Look at all this!

I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last posted - but I've got quite a bit of news!

First off, I found out a couple of weeks ago that I can go to Spain two days early to help with setup and suchlike.  So I'll leave November 14 and get back on the 24th - I'll be gone 11 days instead of 9.  I'll get to meet the rest of the team at orientation at our district office on September 8.  That's when we'll get our assignments and plan out the work.  Also: I officially have all my funds raised for this trip.  Hallelujah!  Thank you all for your generosity and prayers!

This weekend I was able to attend the annual CD 100 retreat at Beulah Beach.  The CD 100, if you remember, is the group I joined a couple of months ago when I first learned about the Spain trip.  It's a group of people (not just teens and collegians, as I previously supposed) who are interested in missions and are looking for guidance and support as they seek to follow the call.  I had the privilege of leading worship for this group of 10 students over the weekend - thanks also to everyone who prayed for me during that time. :)  The whole weekend was a huge blessing.  The biggest benefit for me was hearing the operation of the Christian and Missionary Alliance; it was helpful for me to hear about the different paths available for prospective missionaries.  Since our family hasn't been with the Alliance very long, I was glad to get the lowdown on how all this works.  I was also surprised to connect with some CD 100 members who live quite close to me.  Our district covers half of Ohio and all of West Virginia, so I was pleased to learn that several of the attendees live within an hour of my house.  It's nice to have close connections. :)  And I finally met Bob and Dian Harner, the Central District's Missions Mobilizers and the directors of the CD 100, in person!  They're very knowledgeable, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better.  All in all, it was a great experience; I'm excited to get more involved with this group and keep in touch with the other members.

One last thing: I've begun the process of studying Bambara, Mali's spoken language, online through Indiana University.  Barb's promised to help me learn some basic greetings and blessings before we leave, but I'm to get this much of a start.  I've only been able to do a couple of lessons so far - they're prerecorded and set to follow a textbook written by (I think) a couple of IU's professors.  Because of the way I learn and the way the lessons are set up, it would be helpful for me to have this - or any - Bambara textbook.  However, this textbook (apparently the only one of its kind) is long out of print, and I can't seem to find it anywhere.  Would you pray with me that if God wants me to have this textbook He'd dig it up and show me where to get it?  Please also pray that He gives me the aptitude for and commitment to learning both Bambara and French.  And if anyone has any ideas on how/where to get really obscure books, I would be ever so grateful!

Thank you all so much!

Clarifying

After I published my last post, I talked to some people and realized that I wasn't very clear on the status of my Spain trip.  Let me explain!!  When I go to Spain, I'm going as a worker.  All the spots for missionaries attending the forum are filled, which is why Barb (who would go as a missionary) can't go - and we can't leave from Spain and go straight to Mali.  But I'm definitely still going!!  I'll just come home after 9 days and leave again in January (this time for Mali).  Hope that helps - sorry about the confusion!

Garage Sale and Shelby

The grand total from the garage sale this weekend is.....drumroll please.....$744.07!  Wow!!  Thank you all so much for your help - this far exceeded my expectations.  We made $100 before the sale even started, then made $345 on Thursday alone!  People were beyond generous in their donations, and I was able to share my story with lots of our customers.  Thank you all so much for helping me to accomplish God's will for my life.

We went back to Shelby on Monday to finish packing up from the last workday.  I spoke with Barb, who said that all the spots in Spain are filled.  So January it is!  I was also able to meet Rosanna Hess.  She and Barb will be doing medical research on the January trip, but she'll only stay in Mali for a couple weeks.  Discussing details with Barb is getting me more and more excited (if possible ;) ).  I just can't wait to get there!!

As always, thank you all for your prayers.  Much love!

Interview

On Monday evening I was able to have my CD 100 interview with Dian Harner via Skype.  I'm finally an official member! :)  We had a great conversation - I can't wait to meet her in person.  She gave me more details on the this year's CD 100 retreat, which will be held at Beulah Beach August 2-4.  The director of ENVision, Dan Scarrow, will be speaking.  ENVision is a new approach to missions - the aspect that excites me the most is the relaxed attitude to college.  I'm looking forward to hearing more about it.  The CMA candidate development directors will be speaking as well, covering the traditional methods of entering the missions field.
Mrs. Harner also told me that she's going to get the Spain team members together toward the fall so we can get to know each other and discuss our duties before we go.  I can't wait to meet them!
At one point she asked me what my next step was regarding long-term missions.  I told her that it was to get back.  That's how I see the Mali trip - an exploratory trip (of sorts) that will hopefully lead me to some kind of direction.  Maybe, while I'm there, I'll see a need in the hospital for a nurse.  So maybe I'll come back, become a nurse, and move back to Mali.  Or maybe this will lead to another short trip somewhere else.  Or maybe something entirely different will happen.  I don't know yet, but I'm praying now for a clear sign (and a clear heart) when I get home.  This is my biggest prayer request right now - that, when God's time is right, I would get a sign and have the courage and faith to follow it.
The garage sale is all set up for this weekend.  I'm overwhelmed already by the support you all have given me, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store.  Thanks to you all, and I hope to see you in Lodi!  Happy Independence Day!

Shelby workday

Last Monday (6/17), I went to Shelby to help sort medical equipment to be sent to Mali.  While there I was able to have some really great discussions with Barb Powell and Jean Viers, the ladies who go to Mali periodically to help out at the hospital.  Barb said she is most definitely going in January 2014 and will stay for 2 1/2-3 months.  However, as I talked with her and told her about the Spain trip, it came out that, through her missions work, she could apparently have the option to go the Forum in November.  She suggested that we just go straight from Spain to Mali, which would cost only about $800 (as opposed to about $2,000 - my fare if I were to fly from the States).  She's going to talk to Dian Harner and get the scoop - I hope to hear from her soon!  At any rate, we're going back to Shelby on July 8 to finish up the sorting and packing, so I'm sure I'll have more news by then.

One more exciting bit of info: Ms. Faith (a wonderful, missions-minded lady from my church who will hopefully be going to Mali with me) and I were picking Jean's brain on Monday as to what exactly we would be doing in Koutiala.  Jean said that we'll mostly be working in the warehouse, sorting and storing medical equipment.  She also assured us that everyone gets a chance to help out in labor and delivery at the hospital - holding mamas' hands and dressing newborns.  I can't wait!!

Thanks to all of you who have offered to donate items to and help out at the garage sale so far.  This is looking to be a pretty major ordeal - keep up the good work!  Blessings to you all.

Garage Sale Fundraiser - part 1

I'm so honored to announce that my church family will be hosting a fundraiser garage sale to contribute toward my Spain and Mali travel expenses.  The sale will be Thurs., Fri., and Sat., July 4, 5, and 6, at 331 Elyria St, Lodi, Oh.  If you (or anyone you know) has any items to donate, please let me know!  I'd be happy to pick them up or arrange a drop-off anytime between now and July 4th weekend.  The only stipulation is that, if you have large items of furniture to sell, you have to drop them off yourself at the sale location on Tues. or Weds., July 2 or 3.  If they don't sell, you are responsible for picking them up after the sale.  Everything else that doesn't sell will be donated to Goodwill, unless you specify otherwise.  Even if you don't have anything to sell, please come see us during the sale. :)  Stay tuned for more updates, and spread the word!  Thank you all so much for your support!

Thanks!

Just wanted to thank all those who came out for the evangelism workshop on Friday.  We had a great group, and I think everyone had a good time.  We all - Rachel and myself included! - learned a lot.  Thank you for your prayers and support! :)

shots....

Today I started my shots for the Mali trip - Hepatitis A, dTAP (tetanus), and meningitis.  I have to go back in December for my second Hep A, a yellow fever shot, and a prescription for typhoid fever pills. 
So far, so good!  They warn you about nausea, fever, aching, irritability, and all that.  I've been a little achy, but mostly just loopy!  I don't remember that being a side effect when I last got my shots when I was little....mostly cause shots were so traumatic back then. :3  This was much easier! ;)
Thanks to all for your prayers!

Correction and Invite

A couple of things real quick:

1. Found out that I have to correct my earlier post - Zanesville is in eastern Ohio, not southern.  Either way, it's far away!  (Still haven't had the interview . . . )

2. As some of you know, Rachel and I attended Worldview Academy in Grove City, PA, last summer.  While we were there we took some courses on evangelism and were able to do some street evangelizing in Pittsburgh as part of the Academy.  Since then we've had a couple of other opportunities to do more evangelism.  Our pastor has asked us to teach a class based on the things we learned at Worldview, so we are!   This Friday, May 10, at 7pm, we'll be teaching the workshop at Lodi Community Church.  If you or someone you know is interested in evangelism, we'd love to have you.  And if you would be interested in taking the class but can't make it this Friday, let me know.  We'd be more than willing to teach it again if we have enough interest.

News!

Hello to all!

I know it's been awhile since my last post . . . things have been pretty slow around here in the missionary department.  But they're picking up again, and I have some news!

First off, I'm scheduled for a travel consult and my first round of shots at the health department next Wednesday (5/8).  Prayers for that would be very much appreciated!

Also, in order to officially join the CD 100, I have to have an interview with Mrs. Harner.  She first mentioned this to me in an email the beginning of last month.  She said we'd probably have to do it over Skype, since she lives 'way down in southern Ohio.  I said that was fine - she's a busy person, so I told her to let me know when she had some free time so we could get it done.

I didn't hear anything from her after that.  I was beginning to get frustrated.  I wanted to take the time during the interview to ask her what I needed to be doing to get ready for Spain, but I couldn't have an interview if she didn't respond!  On Sunday I was venting this to a lady from church (one of those whom I asked to pray for me as a part of the CD 100 process) and she was able to sympathize with me.  She told me to drop Mrs. Harner a reminder email to see if I could get things moving again.

The next night (this past Monday - before I wrote Mrs. H.) I was checking email and found, lo and behold, an email from Mrs. Harner telling me we could Skype this week or early next!  Also attached was the form I need to fill out in order to go on the Spain trip. ;) 

If there's nothing else I've learned so far, it's that God is absolutely, totally good to His children - giving them everything they need, even if they never think to ask Him for them. :)

So I have the form all filled out.  I have a video from the CMA website to watch, then I can email the form back to her and I should be set from there.  We might have the interview Friday evening, but it will most likely be Sunday or Monday. 

Like I said, prayers for the shots will be much appreciated.  Also, please pray that Mrs. Harner and I will be able to coordinate our schedules and get the interview done.  And pray for her safety!!  A big reason she couldn't get back to me for so long is that she's going to Guinea next month and has been using her time to prep for that. 

Thanks and blessings to you all. :)

Missionary Training School - The Official Story

First off, commenting is now enabled for everyone, including those who don't have any of those crazy accounts listed.  Just write your comment and post it under the "anonymous" profile.  It should work. :)
And now for MTS. :)  What an incredible week!  We loved having Laura Keslar from Acme, PA (about 3 hours from here), here to stay with us during the School.  She and another girl who attended the School, Rachel Hughes, are preparing to be full-time missionaries to the Ukraine.  It was so exciting to hear their stories and their plans for the work in Ukraine.  Laura became very dear to our family, and we look forward to seeing her again as she will probably be doing a lot of her deputation (more about that in a bit) in this area.
By the time MTS ended, we logged about 29 1/2 hours of lecture time.  We were the most green group they had ever had - everyone was either in the very early stages of deputation or had not yet even begun.  Deputation is the process most missionaries have to use in order to get churches to pledge to support them for a certain amount every month that they're on the mission field.  They set up meetings with the churches (Sunday morning services, Sun. evening services, midweek services, missions conferences, etc.) during which they present their ministries and plans to the congregations.  If the churches feel drawn to their ministry, they promise to donate a certain portion of their collective tithes and offerings to the missionaries' monthly income.  When I first heard about this on Monday, I was really confused.  I had never heard of deputation before, and I was pretty sure I had never heard any CMA missionaries talk about it.  As I found out from Mommy, a tithe of each individual CMA church's weekly collection goes to a central Great Commission Fund.  Our missionaries' salaries are then paid out of that Fund - they don't have to raise any money on their own.  As it turns out, the CMA and Southern Baptists are the only denominations that run their missionary support system this way.  So if the Lord tells me to enter career missions, I'll be supported that way.  It was still beneficial to learn about the deputation process, however, since I do have to raise my own funds for short-term trips.
My favorite part of the week was getting to know the other students and the instructors.  The class consisted of 13 students: 4 married couples (one of whose 18 y/o daughter took the classes with them) and 4 single ladies.  Two of the couples used to be Amish - I really appreciated being able to talk to them and get a better understanding of how our Amish friends think.  One of the instructors is a missionary to French-speaking countries (France and the former French colonies in western Africa - Mali included!), as is his daughter, another one of the students.  I was able to talk to them both and learn some really useful information about Mali and how to prepare for the trip.  Yet another of the instructors was my aunt and uncle's pastor.  He's been to India and Mexico, two third-world countries much like Mali.  He warned me to research Mali culture heavily before I leave - he didn't before he went to India, and he really regretted it! ;)
All week we received teaching on the Holy Spirit, prayer, and leadership, as well as more concrete topics like relationships, writing prayer letters, and finances.  Some of the material was over my head, beyond my current situation, or irrelevant to someone who wasn't Independent Baptist.  But the vast majority of it was significant and practical.  We covered things every missionary, no matter their denomination, should know: how to relate to coworkers, how to keep a family united on the mission field, how to manage time, how to set and use goals in ministry, how to present your ministry in 3 minutes (that one we learned by experience.... yikes! :3 ).
All in all, it was a very challenging and very rewarding week.  I am so thankful to Good Shepherd Baptist Missions for letting this little CMA girl come to the school, to the instructors for making their wisdom accessible for this week, to the other students for all the great conversation, and to the Lord for putting all this together.

MTS Monday

I don't have a lot of time right now, but I wanted to give you all an update on MTS.  Laura came in safe and sound on Saturday night.  She went to Spencer First Baptist on Sunday morning and we attended MTS orientation together that night.  She's an absolute sweetheart - we could not have asked for a better houseguest!  She's preparing to leave for the Ukraine, and I love hearing more and more of her story and seeing how God has rewarded her obedience to Him.
The first full day of MTS was yesterday.  I won't give you the full rundown, but I'll just point out a couple of things.  Our class is small: 4 married couples and 5 single ladies (one girl comes to class with her parents, so it turns out I'm next-to-youngest in our class by a month ;) ).  The teaching is very practical - advanced [for me], but relevant and pertinent.  These guys know their stuff!  My favorite sessions so far have been one D. Easter (the founder) gave on our dependence on the Holy Spirit and how we go absolutely nowhere without His power (good reminder) and one by Mr. Mullendore (director of a missions board out of Tennessee).  He talked about the difference between a burden and a calling and what that means to ministry. 
All in all, yesterday was intense.  But I'm looking forward to the rest of the week and can't wait to see what else God has for me to learn.  Thank you all for your prayers!

Video Testimony

I was asked to give my missions testimony (this far) at church on March 10.  Here's the link if anyone's interested in watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EUo3Z9FBlc

MTS 3

Firstly, I wanted to clarify that there are 4 single ladies going to Missionary Training School this year.  Somehow I was misinformed. :3
Secondly, I picked up an air mattress from my cousin today.  Thanks for the offers!
Also, I talked to Laura today!  She's from Pennsylvania and she'll be staying with us next week.  I can't wait to meet her!!  Please pray for her safety as she drives out here, and that we will both be blessed and learn lots next week. 
I read this verse this morning and had a wonderful time of remembering the Lord's goodness to me and worshiping Him because of it.  I hope it blesses you as it did me. (I'm including it in both NIV and KJV 'cause I love them both. :) )

Psalm 13:6
"I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me."
"I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."

MTS 2

We found out over the weekend that we are going to be hosting another of the Missionary Training School students next week.  We don't know much about her, other than that she's a 24-year-old single lady, and that there is one other single-lady student besides the two of us.  Like I said earlier, the School is intended for missionary families, so the three of us are setting a record this year! :)  I'm so looking forward to meeting both of them and getting to hear their stories.
That being said, does anyone have (or know anyone who has) a single/twin air mattress I could borrow for that week?

Sites

Forgot that I wanted to share a couple of links with you all:

First, you can check out MTS here: http://gsbmministries.org/about/missionary-training-school/  There's a sample brochure, plus a schedule of the classes I'll be taking.

Also, I was thinking about the Spain trip this morning and wanted to share with you all a map of the country: https://www.google.com/search?q=torremolinos+spain+map&hl=en&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS464US464&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zdxFUe7SPJTF4APvjYCoDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=641#imgrc=iISEfi8kxWjntM%3A%3BL02tAVIeMaDg8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.world-guides.com%252Fimages%252Fspain%252Fspain_map.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.seville.world-guides.com%252Fmap.html%3B450%3B340  I'll be staying in Torremolinos, which is in the south near where Spain touches Morocco.  And here's a link to the hotel where the All-Africa Field Forum will be held: http://www.hotels.com/ho126982/gran-hotel-cervantes-torremolinos-spain/
It's gonna be a rough trip...... ;)

MTS

March 25-29 I'll be at Missionary Training School, a production of Good Shepherd Baptist Missions out of Alabama.  Every year the GSBM team comes up to Spencer to teach the School, hosted by Spencer First Baptist Church.  My mama's dear friend thought of me as she was preparing to volunteer at the School this year - so thankful for the Holy Spirit as He prompted her heart to get me into classes this year.  I sent in my application this week and am so looking forward to learning about the nuts-and-bolts of missions work.  It's geared toward career missionaries and their families, so it's a little more serious than what I'm doing right now.  However, I know I'll appreciate the exposure.  And you never know when the info could come in handy! :)  So classes will be 7:30-5:30 every day, and I think they're held at the old Homerville school (if I'm not mistaken). 
I'd appreciate your prayers as I get ready to learn and meet missionaries from all walks of life.  Definitely looking forward to it!!

The Story - part 2

That Thursday (Valentine's Day!), after I had the audacity to offer this dare to the Lord of heaven and Earth, I went about my day.  After work I went to church for worship team practice and youth group.  As I was setting up my guitar for practice, I noticed an envelope with my name on it taped to the pulpit.  I stuck it in my folder, figuring it was information on Mali Ms. Faith had left there for me.
I opened the envelope after I got home that night.  Inside was an application for a US passport and a check for $100 - my next step!  I was flabbergasted.  God had taken me up on my dare.
God had spoken to me. 
Like in a for-real, tangible, I'm-actually-holding-His-directions-in-my-hand way.
I cried myself to sleep that night, I was so full of joy at the goodness of my Lord.  I fully believe He would have given me that next step at that time regardless of anything I would have said or done.  But He allowed me to test Him to prove how faithful He is, how He listens to me, how much He loves me.
(The passport I needed in order to get to Mali cost $135.  He had so graciously provided the first $100 - all I needed was $35 more.  When I was first told I was going to Mali I had mentally dedicated some money I was saving for something else to the trip.  I pulled the jar down that Thurs. night, even though I knew I didn't need to count it.  Including the money I had added to it from getting paid that day before I went to church, the jar contained $36.29.  Is God not good or what?!)
So.  At that point I knew I was leaving the country.  That was what the Lord told me.  I filled out the form and sent it off on Feb. 21.  I just got my passport yesterday - less than 2 weeks!
But while my birth certificate was being processed in D.C., I put my feelers out again.  I called Jean Viers again until I talked to her.  If Mali settles down, the Shelby church will be going in January or February of next year.  Whenever they go, I'll be with them. :)  She gave me plenty of good information - the go-ahead for shots, cost, prayers, etc. 
Next January/February is a long time away.  Mama suggested that I look into a shorter, smaller missions trip in the meantime.  At the direction of the savvy Amy Myers I emailed Dian Harner.
Bob and Dian Harner are the Missions Mobilizers of our district of the C&MA.  I just wrote them asking to be informed whenever they had any trips in the works, in case it worked out that I could go.  Mrs. Harner wrote me back with several wonderful ideas.  She suggested I join the CD 100, a group of young people from the Central District who are serious about missions as a career or feel the call and need help channelling their passion.  I'm in the process of filling out the application right now and will hopefully be sending that off within the next week.
She also told me about a trip to Spain during the All-Africa Field Forum.  From what I can gather, the CMA missionaries from Africa will come up to Spain for this conference.  They wanted kids from the CD 100 to come do childcare during for this week in November.  However, since it's in Nov., most of the CD 100 members are not able to go due to being in school.  Would I be interested, even thought I'm not yet a member? (um, yeah!  I'm graduating!  I have all the time in the world!  My life is wide open!  This is Godsend #1 in this trip.)  This trip will be a great opportunity, says Mrs. Harner, to rub shoulders with the missionaries stationed in Africa - to learn about what they do and to possibly go back with them. (Are you even remotely kidding me?!  That's where I want to end up anyway!  Godsend #2, folks!)
Needless to say, God told me to go to Spain Nov. 16-23.  As of now I'm filling out profiles, recruiting pray-ers, and writing out testimonies. 
Now for those of you who read missionary biographies, this may sound like everything else you've ever read.  (Our God, thankfully, is really in the business of doing this sort of thing.)  But I never, ever, EVER expected I'd be able to tell this story about myself.  I feel like I'm living someone else's life - like my life totally began again when He first called me to this journey!  It still hasn't quite sunk in - that I'm really going to do this.  And yet it's the most real thing that's ever happened.  Nothing has ever been so definite.  His voice is so clear.  I feel like a little kid!  I wake up every day excited to see what He's going to say next.
The next several months will be chaotic and joyful and miraculous and challenging.  Thanks for reading the back story . . . I'm so grateful to be making this journey with each of you. 

The Story - part 1

Most of you probably don't know the story that has brought me to this point - the point, that is, at which missions is enough of a possibility for me that I'm writing about it on the internet. :3  And I guess it would kind of be a good thing to know if I'm going to tell you all about my adventures.  So here's the scoop!
From the time I was 14 I knew I wasn't going to go to college.  Mama suggested the idea of missions as an alternative.  At that point I thought it was a neat idea, but I had no clue how to get started.
Fast-forward to the second half of my senior year.  I had more of an idea of what I would do with my life after graduation but was open to opportunities.  I still toyed around with the idea of missions work.  It seemed more feasible now - we're members of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, and missions is what we do best!  But I had no idea where I would go or what I would do.
Our church has assisted others in the Alliance (especially the church in Shelby, Ohio) to build a women and children's hospital in Mali, Africa.  A couple of ladies from that church have gone there several times to work on/at the hospital and minister to the people.  A girl our pastor's wife taught in Sunday school is the director of the nursing program there.  The father-in-law of our youth group leader did the electrical work in the hospital when it was built 8 years ago.  And the Care and Concern ladies from our church roll bandages and collect hats, booties, blankets, and onesies for the babies born there - I've sent some that I've knitted.  Last spring we helped to pack a shipping container full of baby goodies and medical supplies to send.  So there are connections all over the place.
Well, one day (Jan. 24, 2013, to be exact), we were praying in church for the Mali hospital.  Ms. Faith Garrett related a phone conversation she had had with one of the Shelby ladies(Jean Viers) about how chaotic the country was what with all the uprisings lately.  We were praying specifically for Jessica Schaeffer, the nursing director.  All the missionaries, including Jessica, had been forced to evacuate the hospital to Burkina Faso for their own safety.  It's pretty scary, and we were all concerned since we have helped with this hospital and know the people involved.
As we were praying, my mouth dropped open.  Mali.  It hit me like a thunderclap - that was where I was supposed to go.  Why hadn't I thought of it before?
Of course, it seems ridiculous.  The country was in the middle of a revolution - and still is.  The career missionaries weren't even allowed to be there.  But I was supposed to go.  I just knew it.
That was the first time God spoke to me.  I didn't realize that aha! moment as His voice at first.  But the weeks that followed showed me that that's exactly what that moment was.
The next Monday I called Jean Viers and left her a message asking her to call me back.  I also emailed Jessica to see exactly what was going on and what I would need to do in order to get a trip.  (Providentially, she was our missionary of the month - we were supposed to pray for her as a church through all of January, so her email address was in the bulletin for weeks!)  In another couple of days she wrote back.  She and a small portion of the staff were back in Mali, but only medical personnel were being permitted over the borders.  There was no telling when things would settle down - I should pursue other options.
I knew I was supposed to go to Mali.  But how was I going to get in?  This seemed like an awfully strange time for God to tell me to go there.  By Thursday I still hadn't heard from Jean, and the news from Jessica was pretty disheartening.  During my devotions on Thursday morning I told God all about it.  I wasn't feeling desperate.  I had done what He had told me to do, and I was at a dead-end.  I had simply run out of steps.
I "happened" to read Proverbs 16:3, which says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."  I've read that verse approximately 7 bazillion times.  But I had never taken it so seriously.
I did something I'd never done before.  I recommitted to the Lord the plans He had given me, then I challenged Him.
I dared God.
I told him I had done what He'd told me to do.  But it seemed impossible for these plans to work.  If He wanted me to go to Mali, He'd have to do the next thing.  He'd have to work a miracle to get me there.   Go ahead, Lord.  Show me what You can do. 
Ladies and gentlemen, we serve a faithful God Who delights in doing good to His children.  I would have never, ever in a million years guessed what He would do next.

Well, I've finally started blogging . . .

. . . and I actually have something to blog about!  I'm graduating high school this year.  Since I'm not going to college I've been investigating long short-term missions trips.  This blog will be dedicated to my adventures - but, firstly, to the amazing circumstances that brought me this far.  God has been talking to me in an incredibly clear fashion in the past couple of months, and I'd love for you all to share in these experiences.  So buckle up, because I'm going to tell some stories I thought I'd never be telling about myself!