Cultural Training Weeks 2-3

Wow!!! We have been learning so much! It has been such a good experience though! I wish that I could go into detail of all the things that we have been learning and discussing, but for now, that needs to be saved for personal conversations. Needless to say, we are being prepared for the calling God has on our lives. Whether it be class time, homework, or our cultural experiences outside of class, our eyes or being opened a little bit more. It is an exciting time!

I know that I keep mentioning homework!...But, we have had our share of work to do! Most nights we have several articles to read, then every few days have papers to write. Tonight for instance, we had four articles to read, read 1 Peter, and write a paper! This past weekend we had 6 articles to read and three papers to write! Thankfully though, we are getting it all done!! :)

As, I mentioned last time, we are enjoying being surrounded by people that our in the same circumstances as us. Even though aspects of our stories might be different, we all have many similarities. There is a comfort in relating to people that are going through the same thoughts, feelings, fears, and emotions. It has been such a joy to get to know everyone!!

We are so grateful that there are several other kids here too. The boys have made friends and are staying busy! They might miss the Xbox and Wii, but as a mother, I do not!! Actually though, they don't really talk about it anymore!! They are enjoying riding their bikes, going to the student center and commons area, and swimming. It has been a great time for them to just be outside and hang out with other kids. Not to mention, that these kids too, are in the same boat as them. They are leaving friends, schools, and possessions behind as well. It has made them realize that their feelings are normal and alright to have.

Ellie has jumped right into the class with us! She has shared her opinions and has worked hard. She has, of course, made some young friends!! There is a 2 year old little girl, actually our neighbor, who just loves her! Ellie quite enjoys her too! But, she has also not hesitated in making friends with all of the adults as well. She, too, has seen the benefit of being here!

One thing is for sure, we miss home. As much as we may miss our physical house, that is just an object. We miss the people that make it "home". It is hard for me to imagine what the next months will be like. I know that God will give us grace to go through them and when we are home sick. We will learn to rest in Him. More and more, I see how our lives, each event, has been preparation for this call. I know He will comfort us in our times of weakness. The purpose of going is eternal, which far supersedes being home sick. Even though, that is a true reality, God created us with emotions and it hurts to be away from everyone we love.

Cultural Training~Week One

We have successfully made it through the first week of cultural training!! To be honest this week has flown by! We have settled into our dorm style apartment and are making it home. We are here with 16 other families/singles. There are only two countries that are represented here that is duplicated in persons going. Everyone else is going someplace different. Which is really cool to see all of the different cultures represented.

This week we have had our lunches and dinners provided for us. This has allowed time and opportunity for us to get to know each other and build community. There is something to be said about being surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you. All of us are raising support. All of us have gotten rid of almost all of our belongings. All of us have the good byes lying ahead. All of us have jobs, family, or other circumstances that have been part of the story of bringing us to this point. It has been refreshing and such encouragement to be here.

Billy, Ellie, and I are in the same class, which is the adult class. This week we have focused on who we are. One day we went over DISC. It shows us what type personality we are. The three of us are each different, although Billy and I are more similar. One day we went over mind styles, the way we think and process information. Again, we are all three different, but Billy and I more similar. Poor Ellie is about as opposite in both as she can be!! Then, we have started a life mapping process. This will take us through life events that have molded us into who we are. These events include the good, the bad, and the ugly! It will be interesting to see the testimony that comes from each of our lives. Also, we have been put into small groups to meet once a week to have devotions and pray for each other. (Ellie is not part of this though. Due to her age she will do something different.)

Tucker and Major are apart of the kids department. They are some of the older kids, and considered youth. They have really enjoyed their time here. They will go over some of the same things we will go over to help prepare them for this journey too. It has been so good for them to be around kids that have same excitement as them, as well as the same fears and concerns. It has helped them see that this is all normal and part of the process. Actually, they have already gotten close to some of the other boys here, and they expressed that they don't want to have to say good-bye to them. 

Today, we ventured into "town" and went to Walmart! This was our first outing of the week! It is funny how excited you can become over going to Walmart! We have come to the conclusion that part of the isolation here is actually part of the cultural training in and of itself! Needless to say, we are looking forward to week two!!