Exiting My World. Entering Yours.

First, I want to introduce you a little to my current world. I am at the end of my first week of three at Missions Training International in a very nice hotel/lodge-like place in Colorado. There are 39 people in the program, and this group seems particularly young with many in their twenties, some married with children, some just married, and quite a few singles. It has been a good group thus far and I feel very blessed to be here. We spend our days with classes from 8:00-4:00 with breaks and meals in between and left to spend our evenings as we wish, often with games and good conversation. I'm enjoying the beauty of Colorado. Just today I hiked up Mount Herman nearby. It was so beautiful.

(view outside my window! There's a train,though not very visible here in the picture)

(at the top of Mt. Herman)

(view of Pike's Peak from Mt. Herman)

One of the main things that we are discussing and learning here at Missions Training International in Colorado is about exiting your own world to enter the world of others. This is a fact of missionaries, but one of the most striking things about what we've discussed is that this concept of learning to exit your own frame of reference and entering into another's is that we do not have to wait for "missionary training" or for actually going onto the field to practice and learn this. It is an everyday part of our lives. Our training field is here and now, most importantly with the family and friends we come in contact with every day.

I want to and attempt to go "cross-cultural" and understand another world, and God may very well be laughing from up above (with grace) saying to me, "Karen, you want to leave your world and enter into this new world in Mexico? You can't even do it with the people that are around you now! Start there first!" You see, how many times have I expected others to see and do things my way, to enter into my world? When was the last time I initiated entering into someone else's world? And especially with my family? I can't say I've done a very good job. I've been missing out on my missions training all these years!

But today is a new day, with many opportunities to practice this yet. And only by God's grace, will I be able to do this. It is only by crying out "God, help!" that I can truly even attempt to "cross cultures." So I challenge you to think through this: how much do you really seek to exit your own world and enter into someone else's? Cry out to God today that He would enable you to do this as He did this for us, leaving His heavenly world to enter into ours. Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ did this for us!

In Training

Yesterday I flew into Colorado Springs to start my three weeks with Missions Training International. The travel day is becoming more and more familiar. Everything went well. Actually, my last flight was delayed because power went out in Colorado Springs airport so we were unable to take off for it, but it turned out for the better because then I got to get something to eat.
I am excited for this program. I was looking forward to it before arrival, although I didn't know what to expect. Now that I've gotten to see a little bit of what this will be like, I think it'll be really good. I do think it'll be a lot of stretching and growing and "peeling back the layers" which is not very comfortable, but good and essential. There are 39 people total in this program and the place is really nice, especially the view.
Hopefully I will update more on how things are going as I get further into it.

Encouraged

Being a new missionary working on raising support is a rollercoaster. Some days I'm so excited as I look forward and other days I get discouraged because I am not there yet. God is teaching me patience and how to wait on Him, trusting Him. I won't say that it's easy, but God is keeping me strong in faith, praise the Lord! And overall, I am still encouraged and excited for what God has in store for me.

I recently went to Dallas for a TIME Ministries board meeting, with a lot of discussion (which wore me out). I was encouraged to hear from the others that I am doing well with raising my support. Sometimes it's hard to see that. I can't say I've done it before or really have any idea of what to expect, so it was very encouraging to hear from others who are more familiar with the process that I am doing well. And it lifts my spirits to hear this when I know that the economy is not good and there are many changes going on. If I can see God continuing to provide for my support during these times, then I know that God is leading me still to go to Monterrey. It's good. I needed that encouragement and it keeps me going, continuing to wait on God, one step at a time.