Last week I went to the NMSI office and campus in Florida. Twenty interns came as well for pre-field training. They are spending June and July in several different countries around the world. Everyone is going with a team except for me.
When I arrived in the airport Derek and Ashley were there to pick me up. I joined the group of girls going to Cambodia for our first task. We were driven to different parks and asked to complete different tasks. Like communicating with a woman speaking a different language, finding our way to a skate park, speaking at a church, and eating an international meal. Afterward we talked about our experiences and the part that impacted me the most was being asked to speak at the church and having no time to prepare. We were each asked to share our favorite verse and sing some songs. Then the ladies and gentlemen in the audience asked us questions like, "What is that book you are reading out of?" "What is sin?" and "Why are you singing about blood?" It was good practice to be put on the spot to think about how to explain something so common to us but never heard of to them.
After dinner we were shown our rooms and I shared mine with girls from the Kenya team. Every night we had different worship leaders from area churches lead the praise and a staff member give the teaching.
During the week we had sessions over different subjects to prepare us for the field. Different staff members shared about expectations, partnership with the people we are going to serve with, what it looks like to surrender to God and His plans, how dependency should turn into sustainability, how a true follower lifts up their leader, how to deal with conflict within the team and with the locals, what is looks like to make the gospel relatable to the people we are trying to share it with, and writing our purpose statement for why we want to go and what we want to do. Usually after a session we would break off and talk about what we learned. For these times I was with the Myanmar team.
In between sessions we would play games or do team building activities. One day each team sat at their own tables (I was with Cambodia) and was handed an envelope. In each envelope were several shapes that would make a square. We were told we could not talk or gesture. We could only pass our pieces to someone else. The hardest part was not gesturing. Each of us could see what we thought needed to be done next but until the person who the piece was in front of realized how it would work there was nothing we could do. It was a really good exercise, there was one point when I thought I knew what pieces needed to be moved but it ended up different ones needed to be moved. If I was allowed to talk or move the pieces myself the squares would not have been made.
While the teams split up and learned more specifically what they would be doing this summer I met with Jim the Regional Director. He showed me some pictures of the school I will be working at. It is an elementary school. He shared some of his goals for me; that I would build relationships with the people because the Haitian culture is very relational and that I would share at youth group at the church. Seeing pictures and hearing more plans I am so much more excited for all the work God is going to do. Jim would like me to leave the first week of August.
Near the end of the week we learned how to write our purpose statement for this trip. The teams broke up and brainstormed what their purpose statement would be. This time I was by myself thinking about why God wants me in Haiti now. My purpose in going to Haiti is to learn the language and culture. To show love and share what it means to be a follower of Christ. So that the men will love their families, the women will know they are worthy, and the youth will rise up and proclaim the name of Jesus to other Haitians.
I am 18% funded for this trip. I have two months to raise the rest of my support. If you would like to give online you can go to my page on the NMSI website.
If you would like to receive emails or newsletters from me when I am on the field please leave that address in the comment section or email me.
If you would like to talk about my plans or have me come and speak to your church or small group please let me know and I would be happy to.
