It's been over two months since I last posted an update?! Really?! Then I guess it's about time that I let the masses know what is going on in the mission planning process.
I'll start with apologies:
1. for any mistakes or weird formatting - I'm writing this update from my phone while on a bus on my way to a Hillsong United concert (woohoo) in Indianapolis with a group from church (and to steal a phrase from my dear Karen, I love my church!)
2. for my absence, though I realize it has more potential to do my ability to keep people interested than anything
The truth of the matter is that I had no real updates to give for a while. When I left you last, I was in the process of trying to find a sending organization that was willing to work with me and First Christian on this project. I had already been in conversation with Team Expansion, and I believe I had already begun the application process to go to Ecuador with them as what they term a Discovery project. Several weeks after submitting my application, I hadn't heard anything and began to worry slightly, so I contacted them to find out what the status was. Come to find out that they were waiting on one of my reference letters that had not been submitted (*sigh* good bosses are a great thing, but sometimes they're too busy for their own good). After lighting a fire under his rear and pestering him constantly until he submitted it (I can be quite pesky if you give me a reason to be, so watch it!), the application committee reviewed my application and gave the green light for me to move forward! Praise God for His mercies!
The next step then was to set up a meeting with Doug Lucas, the president of Team Expansion, and Tom Chamberlain, their coordinator of Latin American missions, and my church's mission team to discuss the details of my expected role, the church's involvement, Team Expansion's role, the training process, timeline, etc. That meeting took place this past Saturday. To summarize things that I found out:
1. There is some amount of confusion as to whether I should be considered short term or full-time. We finally decided on full-time :)
2. They think I might be crazy and so I need a psychological evaluation. I kid, I kid. I do have to take the MMPI-2, but they require it of everyone.
3. I will need to complete a 2-week training course called Launch at Team Expansion's Emerald Hills facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
4. I need to go through Kairos training, a program developed in the Philipines aimed at training churches for cross-cultural missions work in order to reach unreached and least reached people groups. There are currently still approximately 6900 unreached people groups in the world comprised of about 2 billion individuals. These people would literally be clueless if you asked them what they know about Jesus. They have never heard his name. This is astounding. Upon completion of Kairos training and Kairos facilitator training, I'll be able to come back and lead a Kairos course at church. How cool is that? Very cool! I find it exciting. I love teaching :)
5. After completion of the training, a committee will review my entire package and decide whether to promote my status to missionary recruit or to require further improvements from me before agreeing that I am ready to begin preparing to mobilize.
6. I will need to choose a forwarding agent to handle all of my finances while I'm gone. A forwarding agent would be defined as someone who loves me (not a family member), who won't embezzle money from me, who is a glutton for punishment as they'll be required to keep up with everything and provide frequent (monthly) reports to Team Expansion all out of love for me and for God and for missions and without being paid. I'll go ahead and apologize in advance to the person who accepts this mission...
And I'm not finished, but my battery is dying, so I'll have to get back to you later. This time, I promise it won't be months!
