So it begins....

We arrived on Monday. It seems so long ago, but we are only beginning. The thirteen of us sat at the tables in anxious anticipation of what was to come. Some of us had clear signs that we were supposed to be sitting here, in this moment, preparing to dive into an adventure of unknowns. For others, the decision was grueling, unsure, and complicated. Regardless of our circumstances and the individual paths that have connected our journey's, we have been united for a time such as this!

Over the past couple days difficult questions were asked and we wrestled with answers. We saw pictures and heard stories that made our hearts beat and our stomachs churn. We shopped and cooked and dined together. We played card games too numerous to count and laughed until we cried. And we heard each others stories, looked each other in the eye, and realized that none of us are here by accident. This journey that we are just beginning started long before any of us even knew what was happening. And for that, I am thankful. I am thankful that each person on my team is here now. I am thankful that the God I serve meets them right where they are at, and knows where they are going. I am thankful that he not only has planned for their futures, but also serves as a rear guard. And every day I wake up in awe and anticipation of what HE will do next in my life and theirs.

The training is over, and now the serving truly begins. How will we allow what is in our heads, to trickle to our hearts? How will we choose to live our everyday life as a mission? How will we react when we are confronted with brokenness and poverty? How will God till the garden of our hearts?

We have the next 6 months to begin to figure it out....




Team building on the last day of training