Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pre-Field Orientation
Hello! Things are getting exciting!
I recently attended Pre-Field Orientation at the AGWM headquarters in Springfield, MO. It was a week long intensive course on everything I need to know as a Missionary Associate. From budgets to health care to culture shock and everything in between. As you can imagine, it was quite a lot of info to take in at once. We were in classes from 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. practically non-stop for a whole week.
However, as overwhelming as it was, it was also one of the best weeks of my life so far! Getting to spend a week with around 40 missionary associates and 25 candidate missionaries who are headed all over the world was such an incredible opportunity. I made so many friends that I hope to keep in touch with for a long time. I could feel the Holy Spirit working in just about everything that was done and said, whether it be laughing at lunch over funny stories with other MA's, or getting on our knees before God during a Missiology and Theology session one afternoon. It was a week I will never forget.
I had the privilege of celebrating my birthday during the week I was there. It was so touching how people I had only known for a few days went out of their way to make me feel special on my b-day! Someone bought my lunch, I recieved a birthday card from the AGWM, they sang "Happy Birthday" to me in class, and a missionary family who will be in Cambodia, the Lovelaces, took me out for dinner and "Andy's" (this amazing frozen custard place that Springfield is famous for.)
It was amazing to me how well I fit in, especially with the group of us going to the Asia Pacific region. I have never felt so comfortable and so close to a group of people so quickly in my entire life. I especially grew close to a young couple who will be going to an area close to me around the same time as me. I really connected with them, and I feel so blessed that God placed us in the same PFO so that we could meet and pray for each other! I hope that we will all be able to meet up again at the regional retreat next year.
I am pumped up and ready to get to Cambodia! I have set a tentative leave date of September 1st, and I know God is going to knock my socks off with making things happen in order for me to leave by then. I need to raise around $2100 in monthly support and a little over $9000 in a cash budget by then. I'm not worried. I know God loves these kinds of situations because He really gets to show off! I already have several churches wanting to support me, and I am setting up speaking opportunities at the churches of friends and family around Georgia. I'm really excited to get started and share about Cambodia, and missionary kids.
This Sunday I will be boldly going where no female missionary has gone before...the men's sunday school class. Haha! My dad is a regular attender and he asked if I could speak in there. It's a great class full of Godly men ready to change the world, so I'm really thankful for the opportunity.
To close this entry, here are some pictures from Springfield:
The Missionary associates from the Asia Pacific region, as well as our Regional Director, Russ Turney.
All of the commissioned Missionary Associates.
Crazy picture! These are the kind of people we are unleashing on the world ;-) Are you scared?
I recently attended Pre-Field Orientation at the AGWM headquarters in Springfield, MO. It was a week long intensive course on everything I need to know as a Missionary Associate. From budgets to health care to culture shock and everything in between. As you can imagine, it was quite a lot of info to take in at once. We were in classes from 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. practically non-stop for a whole week.
However, as overwhelming as it was, it was also one of the best weeks of my life so far! Getting to spend a week with around 40 missionary associates and 25 candidate missionaries who are headed all over the world was such an incredible opportunity. I made so many friends that I hope to keep in touch with for a long time. I could feel the Holy Spirit working in just about everything that was done and said, whether it be laughing at lunch over funny stories with other MA's, or getting on our knees before God during a Missiology and Theology session one afternoon. It was a week I will never forget.
I had the privilege of celebrating my birthday during the week I was there. It was so touching how people I had only known for a few days went out of their way to make me feel special on my b-day! Someone bought my lunch, I recieved a birthday card from the AGWM, they sang "Happy Birthday" to me in class, and a missionary family who will be in Cambodia, the Lovelaces, took me out for dinner and "Andy's" (this amazing frozen custard place that Springfield is famous for.)
It was amazing to me how well I fit in, especially with the group of us going to the Asia Pacific region. I have never felt so comfortable and so close to a group of people so quickly in my entire life. I especially grew close to a young couple who will be going to an area close to me around the same time as me. I really connected with them, and I feel so blessed that God placed us in the same PFO so that we could meet and pray for each other! I hope that we will all be able to meet up again at the regional retreat next year.
I am pumped up and ready to get to Cambodia! I have set a tentative leave date of September 1st, and I know God is going to knock my socks off with making things happen in order for me to leave by then. I need to raise around $2100 in monthly support and a little over $9000 in a cash budget by then. I'm not worried. I know God loves these kinds of situations because He really gets to show off! I already have several churches wanting to support me, and I am setting up speaking opportunities at the churches of friends and family around Georgia. I'm really excited to get started and share about Cambodia, and missionary kids.
This Sunday I will be boldly going where no female missionary has gone before...the men's sunday school class. Haha! My dad is a regular attender and he asked if I could speak in there. It's a great class full of Godly men ready to change the world, so I'm really thankful for the opportunity.
To close this entry, here are some pictures from Springfield:
The Missionary associates from the Asia Pacific region, as well as our Regional Director, Russ Turney.
All of the commissioned Missionary Associates.
Crazy picture! These are the kind of people we are unleashing on the world ;-) Are you scared?
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