Huge Milestones! Strong Cornerstone!

It's so great to be back into the swing of classes here at the missionary training center! I'm beginning my second semester, which will be heavily focused on linguistic training. I'll be studying the different vocal sounds that make up speech, analyzing how these sounds are put together into different spoken languages, and learning how to develop a usable alphabet for languages that are currently unwritten.

This part of the training will be hugely important when I someday move into an unreached people group and have to decipher and learn their language without any study helps, then develop a usable written alphabet to go along with the spoken language. It's an essential part of the process to bring the Word of God to them in their own language!

But WOW is it ever a huge task!! The longer I'm here in the training, the more I'm reminded that there is no way this entire 15+ year process can happen apart from God's power and direction!

I've found that one of the most exciting things is to see other families and other teams who have been trusting God in this process longer than I have, and who are reaching some incredible milestones because of His faithfulness!

I want to share a few of the milestones that I'm specifically rejoicing over this week!

Most of you who have read my past blogs have heard about the two families who, Lord willing, will be my future teammates in Papua New Guinea! The Swensons and the Noyes families have completed the same training I'm currently taking, seen God raise up financial ministry partners, and now -- drumroll, please -- they are heading to PNG this week! In fact as you read this, one of the families is likely in the air and the other is following in a couple days!

They'll spend the next 4-6 months learning the national language and culture! Then, our team will be ready to start selecting the people group with whom we will serve! (I can't wait to be able to join them in PNG!)

Speaking of selecting a people group, today (Monday) there is another team in PNG, who are moving into the tribal village with the people who has asked them to come and teach them "God's talk."

These families have been a blessing to me as I've followed their progress, rejoiced at the doors God has opened, and looked forward to celebrating these same milestones one day!

In every part of this process - training, support raising, moving into the new country, moving into the tribe, presenting the gospel for the first time, translating the Bible, and ultimately, seeing a church planted - God is the only one can make it happen!

Ephesians 2:19-22 reminds us:

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

I'm certainly not smart enough, brave enough, clever enough, talented enough, wise enough, or confident enough to do this; But I'm so thankful that I have a solid Cornerstone. MY GOD IS ABLE!!

Click HERE to see a summary of who I am and what I'm doing.

Click HERE to find out more about financial partnership.

Click HERE to download a pdf bulletin insert of this update.

Finished! My First Semester in Review

Happy New Year!

What an incredible year 2016 was for me, full of transitions, challenges, and innumerable blessings from God!

LOOKING BACK

After spending the spring and summer traveling and presenting the work God has called me to do, in August, I moved to Durham, Ontario, Canada to begin training at the NTM missionary training center. On December 16th, I completed my first semester. It was definitely a time of personal and spiritual growth.

I've taken classes on:

• Bible teaching 
• Cross-cultural communication
• Cross-cultural learning & teaching styles 
• Family life on the mission field
• Relationships
• Teamwork
• Singles in ministry
• Bible translation
• Time and Money Management
• and of course the infamous medical training week when I got to practice my shot-giving and suturing skills (No classmates were harmed in this class. I can't say the same for the chicken). 

I grew in my understanding of my identity in Christ, learning to recognize and surrender the parts of my identity and personality that could be a hindrance when I begin to live, work, and serve in a new culture.

I spent plenty of time outdoors, hiking in the summer,

raking in the fall,

and shoveling in the winter.

Most importantly though, I've become more convinced than ever that I'm exactly where God has called me to be, and my passion for taking the gospel to people who have never heard it before has only grown!

SO, WHAT'S NEXT?

On January 9th, I'll begin my second semester of training, diving into the linguistic studies that I will one day need in order to learn an unwritten language and develop a usable alphabet for it. Check out this picture which demonstrates the complexity and challenges that these languages can present.

Please pray that I will retain this essential information from my linguistic studies that will be so critical to the work that I will be doing in the future!

Praises from 2016:

• I've had a successful first semester at Missionary Training Center.
• I've found an amazing and encouraging new church family in Canada.
• In one year, God has provided 43% of the support that I need to serve with a church-planting team in Papua New Guinea.

Click HERE to see a summary of who I am and what I'm doing.

Click HERE to find out more about financial partnership.

Click HERE to download a pdf bulletin insert of this update.