Fun Facts for Friends

I've been thinking about you guys and here are some things I think some of you would care about:

On the flight from Germany to this city, we had fika! It consisted of coffee and a wonderful German chocolate bar.

The country director is australian. The interns have a list of words that they need translating for...I want to see that list :-)

Futbol stuff is everywhere and I SO can't wait for the Euro Cup. It's going to be awesome here.

Church was international and very very charismatic (but not usually this charismatic I hear).

Whenever I try to think of the language in my mind, I usually first think of the French that I know.

Introduction to a New Place

I have been here since Wednesday evening! We arrived in the country on time as planned and went to a hotel for a few days. Each day so far has been briefing about what we'll be doing and cultural norms. So our normal routine will start Monday. Today we moved into the apartments (it is beautiful and spacious) and I am with the two year-long interns with another girl from my team. One of the interns will be discipling me this summer and I'm really excited about it. I was hoping she would be the one mentoring me because she and I talked a lot Thursday night going from dinner to ice cream and from ice cream to walking along the seaside. Oh and the sea is beautiful! Thursday we crossed it by ferry during our "scavenger hunt" of the city. Don't worry, they didn't let us out on our own without knowing the language for 6 hours, but they didn't give us a lot of help on the hunt either. That forced us to ask people if they knew English and then ask to find things such as the "bull statue." It was lots of fun and the people here are extremely friendly. Many times people would walk across the city with us to show us where the bookstore was or where the buses were.

Yesterday we were learning the language trying to get just a few phrases down pat and then go out and use them. It was hard enough trying to get the sounds right, but I also have a cold right now (I can't say I'm sick because "sick" is a bad word in their language! So I have to be very careful =) ). My cold isn't bad, but my throat is sore causing pain when I talk. It's probably due to jet lag, being in a city, and general adjustment to a new culture which has been draining to us all.

Our group has 4 women and 3 guys for students, two staff women, one male director and 5 interns. I've enjoyed getting to know each one of them and I have already learned a lot from conversations.

Well, we're off to dinner soon. The interns have something "special" for us tonight. They told us to bring cameras and jackets (meaning it's going to be awesome and by the sea).

If you want my address, send me an e-mail and I can find out what it is.

Briefing

My team is pretty cool, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them so far. One is a Texan, one is a Messianic Jew, some are from Northern Illinois and the rest of us are from Michigan. And while it was a small team to start, it’s actually smaller than that now. The two directors and their children are going to be moving this summer because the father is taking a job as the Cru National Director. This is a cool opportunity for them and so they’ve decided not to go, even as hard as that is for them since they love this country. However, around mid-trip, we will be receiving a group of about 10 (1 men’s small group and one women’s small group) from Texas who will be joining us. One of the directors (the father) and his oldest daughter will be coming with them and so we will get to see them a little. I was really looking forward to getting to know their family better and so I will just have to wait.

Yesterday we learned quite a bit from various people. There are two elderly couples that I’ve learned from who have either been there or to a similar culture. I love talking to those who can say, “I’ve done this for 24 years and this for 20 years…” They have so much life experience and both couples were great to listen to. Their stories are so rich and so full of God! I think I could listen to them all day long.

Today we do some more briefing and getting to know each other. Then we fly out around 4pm. I’ve started to realize what flying 8.5 hours is like. I’ve done it before and it is just boring. I can't watch movies, read or play games and I can’t sleep that long. I like to do laps around the plane, but that’s the greatest excitement I get unless people are awake to talk to. So, in those times of extreme boredom, pray that I will focus on God, pray and have positive thoughts. Thanks!

What's This?

Tonight I surprised myself. When talking to my mom and dad about leaving I got choked up for a second in both convos. Something hit me while talking to them. I'm leaving. For 7 weeks. Yes, I've known this, but the reality of it hit me. I've been away from each of them for longer than 7 weeks before and I've gone without seeing friends for longer than that too (sometimes nearly the whole gap in between Christmas and Easter!). But I have always managed quite well in these gaps. I guess I noticed two things that really hit me.

The first is that this trip is prep for long-term missions. The abstract idea of being a missionary is fine, but the realization of what it really feels like to leave home is far different. I know it's wearing on the emotions when departing for both missionary and those behind. I've just never experienced it before and I'm not experiencing it to the full extent right now, but the milder form of it did just hit.

The other part is that I'm going somewhere completely new. This is fine and dandy for 2 weeks, but 7 weeks is different. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than it is, but maybe it's best to be prepare for the worst. I thought back to when I moved away to college and the foreignness of this small town 45 minutes away weighed 10 times heavier than I imagined. I didn't know where the Meijer was, where to send mail or how to get to the dining hall to eat. I had no friends near me and I felt lonely. Now I'm going to a country where I don't speak the language, I'm not used to the food, there's no Meijer and I don't have a cell phone. Wow, I sound like I'm complaining, but I'm really not. I don't think I'll mind this new lifestyle for 7 weeks, but tonight it was shocked my mind to think about it becoming a reality in just a few short days. Better a shock now than once I arrive, right?

Jehovah Jireh - Gotta Love Him

I'd like to report on my project support that's come in. In a period of 8 days I went from 20% supported to 78%! How amazing is that?! On May 3 alone, I went from 20% to 40%. God sure is faithful and He wanted me to know that. I had initially entrusted all of my funds to Him and prayed over letters as I sent them. For a while, nothing came in. Once it did, it was slow moving...1% here, 2% there. I was getting a little worried and in response to my anxiety I would commit it to prayer. People would ask how I'm doing with support and I'd tell them I'm at 10% or 16%. Then they'd ask when I'm leaving and their responses tended to increase my anxiety.

I know that if God has called me somewhere, He will provide what I need. And I was trusting that He was calling me because I had been surrounding the application process in prayer and asking for others to pray for me as well. I trusted that I was moving where He wanted me to, but it was hard to actually believe that within 3 weeks I could go from 20% to 100%. Now it is clear that it can actually happen! 58% in about a week ain't bad. So obviously I still need about 22%...well...a little less because I received some cash in the mail from an anonymous supporter last night (with some encouraging words and Scripture too!). Praise God with me!

Prayer Request:
Yesterday I heard word that 2 of my teammates are considering not going because they don't have 50% yet. Pray for them to trust God and that God will provide.

Semi-Cold Feet

I don't know how to put it, really, but I'm hesitating to go this summer. It's natural for the reality of a cross-cultural trip to hit you like that, right? I've been in the rush of the last month of school going here, doing this, finishing projects, working, hanging out, stressed and loving the experience at the same time. And then I stop for a sec and think, "I'm not cut out for this. How can one month make me feel off track?" And yet it has. Then I begin to think that it's not that God hasn't called me to go, and it's quite probable I should go, but boy how quickly my mind is distracted. Spiritual warfare is great, and it's good to realize that now as opposed to later. It's not that I should refrain from going, but I should immediately begin to have the mindset of God - a passion for what He's doing in this world.

That's where I am now. I'm pausing long enough to open my eyes, wake up and see what God's doing. And not only see it, but listening for His voice so that I can take part in it in the way He wants me to. I would appreciate your prayers.

Culture

Wow, there's been so much I've been learning about missions and culture, but I haven't had two free seconds to sit down and formulate my thoughts. Right now I really don't have time, but I'm tired of real work, so I'm going to write my thoughts on culture.

Yesterday I had a really awesome conversation with a friend of a friend. She happened to be in the UCup when we were chatting (the friend and I) and sat down. Somehow the topic of missions came up. I started advertising Perspectives, told what it was all about and encouraged both women to take it whether they're in Colorado, North Carolina or wherever they end up. Then, the friend of the friend asked me about what I defined as "missions" so I told her about Perspectives' stance on the terms "Evangelism," "Regular Missions," and "Frontier Missions." [I can tell you too, just ask]. Then the friend of the friend told about how she's not really into missions lately and how she see it as culture ruining. After explaining herself, I explained what I learned from Perspectives. I told her that certainly some missionaries do westernize cultures, but the best form of missions actually enhances the culture by bringing about social action, freeing them from their sins, and allowing them to worship the one true God within their normal cultural practices (given that they're, of course, not sinful practices). It was fun to get her perspective because she's from the church and struggling with the idea of missions. She didn't know that many are being trained in culture-enhancing rather than culture-destroying strategies. She pointed to a few big culture-destroying missions movements from history and it helped me to realize that it may still be quite a problem and that it definitely has been in the past.

With that said, I've been reflecting a lot on how the gospel can naturally spread within a culture that's foreign to me and how I might be able to facilitate that now and in the long run. What does the church look like if it doesn't have a Sunday morning service with a band up front and youth group Sunday night? What if they have Friday services? What if they sit on the ground? What if I don't understand how they worship? What if I don't enjoy the way they sing to the Lord? And those are only the surface-level questions. Here's a deeper one: What if they interpret the Bible differently? What if they have different moral standards than I do (more or less strict - either way)? And at the heart of everything: What if I don't know or am unprepared to know enough about the culture to be able to truly minister to them in the way that they need? I really wish I could articulate myself better...there's so much more than even this, but I just can't formulate it into words. The chapters in Perspectives does much better :-) .

In one book I'm reading it points out how the Eastern worldview can actually help us understand the Bible because the Bible is an Eastern text. For example, Moses (see Deut 3:23-26) shifts the blame from himself to the Israelites. We take this blame shifting as lying, but the Eastern mindset doesn't see it as lying. He just wasn't "accepting public blame," so this book says. The author often asks those in the East to help him understand his Bible - and they do! This intrigues me because it causes me to realize that I look at Scripture with a biased, individualistic American mindset. If I am in a different culture, I need to be aware of their worldviews and strip myself of my cultural biases while I'm there. But this is very difficult and much research on the culture is needed to be able to do this adequately.

Math and Missions - You Knew This Was Coming

In math class today we discussed facilitating the room when students are exploring an idea in groups. My prof talked about how it was most strategic for the teacher to help just the one student so that he could, in turn, teach the whole group he was with. It was less strategic for her to stay at that one group the whole time. If she can help one student at each group, then the whole class is helped because at least one person in each group is an expert who can help the other students understand the concepts at hand.

So, how does this relate to missions? Well, if every believer evangelizes every one of their friends and family who in turn evangelizes their friends and family, etc, etc then the whole world will not be evangelized. Why? Because there are cultural bridges to be crossed that won't happen unless we bridge the gap to cultures that do not yet have Christ. It's really hard for the gospel to "jump" into other cultures until they see that it is relevant to them (which is a difficult process). See once a "vibrant, indigenous church" is planted in a people group then those believers can reach the people within their own culture much better than you or I. But the church must be started before that can happen. So, it is strategic for missions to go where no one knows of Christ so that a church can be built and then they can reach their own people. See, it's just like a classroom.

So, I guess that's not math, but it is education. I think they relate quite well and my learning has deepened.

On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

I realized last fall why I like Andrew Peterson's music - imagery. You see, there are loads and loads of songs that are good and Christ-centered, but many seem to just say what they mean outright. AP has a tendency to write songs as a story is written. He doesn't just say what he means, but he shows it and so there's this depth that other songwriters simply don't show. So with that said, that is also why AP's book On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is so enjoyable to read. He's a natural storyteller. The book is written with beautiful descriptions that carry me off into another world. I feel as though I'm immersed in Aerwiar and all I want throughout the day is to go back into that world and live, see, and feel the adventures of the Igiby children.

Before I get you too convinced about the wonderfulness of this book, I want to note one terrible point about it. Among the many footnotes (which I absolutely love) is one heart-wrenching footnote. This is what it reads:
♫

"For as long as they could remember, Nia had taught the children what she called T.H.A.G.S. 1

1. Three Honored and Great Subjects: Word, Form, and Song. Some silly people believe that there's a fourth Honored and Great Subject, but those mathematicians are woefully mistaken."

What?! Am I a "silly person" who's "woefully mistaken"? I feel cut to the heart at this comment. I sure hope Nia's beliefs aren't a reflection of Andrew's personal beliefs because I literally gasped upon reading it. Three times. In fact, I was so troubled that I didn't know if I could go on reading. But then I realized that Andrew Peterson may never have known the art of mathematics growing up. I feel sorry for him if that is the case and especially sorry for the poor Igiby children who never get even a chance to know the art of mathematics. I digress to say that too many teachers take the beauty and intricacy of mathematics and chop them up and widdle them down until math is just a set of formulas and directions to be followed where not an ounce of joy can be found in it. Even Einstein himself has said,

"It is almost a miracle that modern teaching methods have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for what this delicate little plant needs more than anything, besides stimulation, is freedom."

After contemplating these things, I continued on with my heart broken.

If you can get past that one issue, you will find a wonderful story about three Igiby children, their mother, their one-legged grandfather, Peet the Sock Man, the terrible Fangs, toothy cows and many other people and creatures. It's an exciting book that caused me to refrain from my work or homework and there are lots of little mysteries throughout the book that keep you wondering alongside Janner (the eldest boy).

Actually, I feel that I can't go on writing more since I'm not so great with words (I am a mathematician with apparently no honorable abilities) and I encourage you to read my friend Shannon's post(more blog post here). She says everything I want to with better words (and footnotes!!!). Oh, and if you comment on this post and on hers then you are put in a drawing for winning our giveaway books.

I read her post yesterday and finished the book late last night. And even so as I turned to the last page I found tears in my eyes quite unexpectedly. A wonderful story.

Accepted!

I have been accepted for two things and I'm really excited about both!

The first one is not related to the theme of this blog, but it is due to this blog. Really soon, I hope, I will receive two copies of Andrew Peterson's new book called On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. However, with this opportunity, I will have to actually read the book before March 17 so as to participate in the Blog Tour. I'm really excited about it, but I'll have to crunch in the time because I'm a slow reader. Who cares about time, though, right?! I know I'm going to love the book and it should be a good quick read. Look for an off-theme post between March 17-21 to see what this book is all about.

The second is related to this blog. I'm accepted to the Acts 29 Project! I'm excited about going and will leave in May and get back in July. Keep me in your prayers as I prepare to go to this secular, Muslim country. More to come on that later. Plus, I will blog on my experiences here while I'm gone.