Orientation Extravaganza!!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, but through it all, God is good! From June 16-21 I was privileged to spend time in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with the new candidates (now missionaries) of Janz Team Ministries. I built some solid relationships with those incredible people, but it was hard to leave them because while I will be heading to Vienna Christian School, many of them will be working at Black Forest Academy in Kandern, Germany. There were many information-packed sessions that were the equvalent of drinking from a firehose, and we spent our evenings playing cards, ultimate frisbee, and just enjoying the sweet fellowship of one another. Here is the 2008 Janz Team!

On June 21 I went jet-setting across the US, boarding three planes in six hours, eventually arriving in Buffalo, NY. From there I took an hour and a half bus ride to Houghton, where I will be until July 4. Here I finally got to meet the new staff members of Vienna Christian School, as well as new staff from several other MK schools around the globe. We're here for Third Culture Kid Pre-Field Orientation with ACSI, the Association of Christian Schools International. I'll write more about TCK's later, but for now all you need to know is that a TCK is an individual who has been raised in a culture different from his parents' culture, but who identifies with both cultures and many times does not know which is his true "home." It's a very common occurance in the missionary and international business community, and learning how to teach and relate to this group of individuals has been challenging. I'm so excited to put what I've learned here into practice at VCS. Here are the fabulous new staffers of Vienna Christian School!

Despite the excitement of these past few weeks, I'm struggling with support raising. Currently I'm up to 9%, which means I still need to raise over $2,000 in monthly support and about $5,500 in one-time funds. I have a little less than month in which to raise the remaining funds and I know nothing short of a miracle will bring it in. I'm praying for God to reveal Himself in such an incredible way that I can't do anything but give HIM the glory. If you haven't committed to giving yet, PLEASE pray about how God would use you in the ministry of Vienna Christian School.

a child-like faith

Today I went to a birthday party and spent some time with my extended family. A conversation with my ten-year-old cousin Camilah went something like this...

Cami: When are you going to Australia?
Me: You mean Austria?
Cami: Yeah!
Me: August first.
Cami: Oh. I was talking to Grandma about giving you money and I asked her what would happen if I gave you one dollar a month.
Me: Well, it would certainly add up. How many months are in a year?
Cami: Twelve.
Me: So if you gave one dollar for each month in the year, how many dollars would that be?
Cami: Twelve dollars.
Me: Well, twelve dollars is a lot of money for you to give up, but I would definitely appreciate if you wanted to share like that.

After that, she begged her mom to let her go to the car and get her money. She returned, beaming, and handed me a wad of dollar bills. "Here's five dollars," she said. "I'll give you the other seven before you leave." I thanked her, hugged her, and gave her her very own prayer card. Her reply: "I'll have to do a lot of yard work before you leave! Those weeds at Grandma's house are all the way down in the foundation of the house!!"

Her innocence and desire to give so sacrificially reminded me how much we lose faith as we grow older. As I've shared with some of my fellow future VCS teachers, it's hard to be so confident and say that I know without a doubt that God will provide for all my needs in the next six weeks. My brain tells me one thing, while my heart tells me another. Why shouldn't the God in whom I've place my trust, the God who created the universe in six days, be able to provide $2500 in six weeks? If I am in the will of God (and I believe that I am), there is no reason why not.

Lord, renew in me a child-like faith.

One month

It's been about a month since I began actively raising support for Austria. Things are coming along, but not nearly as quickly as I'd hoped. In less than two months, I must have all of my support raised; if I don't, then I can't go to Austria. To date, I've received $100 in monthly pledges (4% of my goal) and about $800 in set-up costs. It looks bleak right now, but I'm confident that God will provide!!

This weekend I plan to finish packing up the boxes that I'll send on the shipping container to Austria. I've been doing some research, finding estimates for how much it will cost to send my boxes to New Jersey, where the shipping container is located. Hopefully I'll be able to send my things off in the next week. Also, this week my prayer cards arrived. If you've received one of my letters already, you'll get a card in the mail. If you're not on my mailing list...get on it! :)

June is shaping up to be a very busy month for me. On the day after Father's Day, I'll catch a 7:30 AM flight to Winnipeg, MB, Canada for a one week orientation with Janz Team. I'm excited to meet all the staff with whom I've been in contact these past few months. Then on June 21 I'll catch another 7:30 flight from Winnipeg to Buffalo, NY. The Association of Christian Schools International is holding a two-week Pre-Field Orientation (PFO) at Houghton College. I'll meet tons of new teachers preparing to serve all over the world (including those headed to VCS with me) and learn about Third Culture Kids. When that's all over, my parents will drive up to Houghton, NY to bring me home on teh 4th of July. It will be a long, busy, and tiring three weeks full of valuable information and I'm sure some great memories with new friends. Pray for me during these next few weeks as I begin training and start to build new relationships.