Well, it’s about time I gave you an update.
It’s been a flurry of e-mails and phone calls with both World Venture and Flying Mission.
Last week, I asked how I could prepare for my conference call with Bryan and Yvonne of FM. One of the things they wanted to know was whether I would be coming as an individual member or on loan from another organization. The act of being on loan is called seconding in missionary circles. It was something I really hadn’t given much thought prior to that e-mail.
Last Friday I spoke again with Larry from World Venture. I’m still quite interested in becoming a member of their organization. They would be able to provide a lot of the support structure that a group as small as FM is logistically unable to provide. (I won’t bore you with details, but it has to do with finances, taxes, home furloghs, etc.) When I asked him about seconding, he told me that they have a number of people who do that within their organization. He encouraged me to continue the application.
Archive for March, 2006
Updates All Around
One of those days
Ever have one of those days?
Yesterday I was a bit pushed for time and grabbed a sweater out of the dryer on my way out the door. As I walked into my chiropractor’s office, I realized that I had a spot on the front of my sweater.
Oh dear.
So as I was chit chatting with his assistant, Deb, I crossed my arms to try to cover the spot. Deb kept looking at me funny. Finally, she leaned in real close and whispered, “Do you know that you are wearing your shirt inside out?”
Oh dear.
Conference Calls Update
I found out today that my conference call with Flying Mission will be at 8:00 AM on Tuesday morning. Yippee!!
Please pray with me as I continue to seek God’s will and direction in this decision. I have felt much peace about going with FM since October, 2004. But as will typically happen, I’ve started to feel some doubts now that I’ve been provisionally accepted. So I just want to be sure that I am going with the group God has intended for me.
I’m sure after the call is over, I will have much more to tell you. And I’m sure I’ll have a lot to do in preparing to leave.
Name them One by One
Since Wednesday (when I found out I’d been provisionally accepted by FM), I have been feeling under attack by Satan. I’ve been feeling anxious and depressed, and even having self doubts and doubts about missions.
This morning God reminded me of yet another song (musical tourette’s wins again!). Count Your Blessings. You know the old hymn: Count your blessings, name them one by one…
So that’s what I’ve decided to do today, in no particular order:
Conference Calls
I got some great news today! I’ve been provisionally accepted by Flying Mission!!!
So in about two weeks, I’ll have a conference call with some of the folks from FM. They’ll be in Botswana and I’ll be here. I don’t even know what the time difference is.
Oh, what an exciting day!
Ain’t technology grand?
I bid on eBay for the first time yesterday. And tonight – I won!
This is quite exciting. I just saved myself about $150 on a new PDA. This may be the new way for me to find things. Yay!
Of course, I’m also realizing that continued use of websites to sovle all my needs may lead to never actually seeing or speaking with another human being again. You can do banking on line, shopping, dating, getting a college education, virtually everything.
In some instances, no human contact could be a wonderful thing.
For example, not having to stand in line at Wal-Mart. Specifically, in the return line. Around Christmas, when it it moving like molasses in January. And the lady behind you continually (and loudly) sighs and talks about how slow the line is moving! You know the one. She’s tapping her high-heeled foot (stomping might be more accurate), popping and snapping her gum and berating the people at the counter – who may, or may not, be doing their best.
On the other hand, it could also be a sad thing: the lady at the grocery store checkout who has a kind word and a cheerful smile for you, or the waiter that flirts with you at Uno’s, or the mailman who’s got a quick little joke for you. You’ll just never get that kind of real human contact on the internet.
Knowing You
Every now and again the words of a song touch me so deeply they cause me to view an aspect of our Christian walk in a new light. Sometimes, the words are just a great reminder.
This song has been bouncing around in my head since rehearsing it on Wednesday night. We sang it this morning in church.
Knowing You
All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own,
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.
