Let's talk about living life in a blur. Because that's most often how I live mine.
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| Noah and I at the Cabin |
Wedding in California, weekend leadership retreat, Slovakia presentations, Brenda visiting, Talissa and Kristen helping me pack, Cabin coffeehouse with Noah, Ricky coming, church at NCF and hugs on hugs on hugs. And sick on top of it all. You know at the peak of a deep breath when your chest is full and up in your ears? That was my weekend. It's only four weeks I'll be gone, but the goodbyes I said felt real. If I could have hugged them all into my suitcase I would have. Amber, Chloe, Kenzie, Heather, Taylor, Zoe, Mikayla, Mitch, Tyler, Riley, Isaiah, Michalah, Krissy, Brendy, Talissa, Jim-shea, Mit, mom and dad if you guys are reading this know that I miss you! And if I left you out it's because my brain is toast from phonetic drills this week.
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| Cabin Leadership Retreat |
These first two weeks at MTI are focused on language learning while the second two emphasize cutlure. We've been learning fantastic techniques that will help us learn our target language once we get where we're going. They're based around the way a baby learns to speak its first language. Babies cannot read, cannot write, cannot speak, but they can listen. And they can babble. We're allowed to babble here at MTI. Yesterday we were able to break up into smaller groups to practice these techniques with a specific language. I was in the Russian group. We spent three hours learning Russian commands like "put the pen on the book" or "drive the car to church" or "pick up the red pen and put it in the black book". We never saw them written, we only listened and acted. It was incredible what got stuffed into our brains. Even though we may not have caught every word in the sentence, by the end of the three hours we could hear complicated commands and understand them. In Russian! It was by far my favorite part of the week.
Closely tied for favorite was our s'more circle last night. There is about anyone you can imagine out here from singles, to marrieds, to families with kids, all of us going places like South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam, Slovenia, Kenya, Mexico, and Slovakia. Connecting with these people has been both inspiring and encouraging. They are people on the same path as me. We talk about what our families think about us, how support raising is going, the cultural challenges we're about to face, what we're excited about, what we're nervous about, why we care so much. Last night we all sat around the fire pit talking and laughing. Some serious conversation, but a lot of laughter - the perfect way to unwind from a strenuous learning week.
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| S'more night |
It's the beginning of the end for me. The first of the final steps before I move all of myself to Levice. Being here at MTI has made everything so real. I'll come back mid-October and leave a month later. There is a new sense of urgency in my heart. And a slow, boiling excitement. If you haven't already partnered with me, I urge you to do so. I am close to 50% supported, and the day I hit 100% I can buy my ticket!
Thank you to those already walking with me. You have kept me going and cared for my sometimes weary soul. Nothing about this process has been easy, but so much of it has been good. You are all part of that good. I am consistently overwhelmed by the power of Christ in his church. Thank you for your generosity, love, and support. I could not run this race without you.
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| Some wonderful friends having a bake sale for me while I'm gone. |
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