the gift of gab

Well, it got crazy busy and I was depending on a computer in the common area. So I couldn’t spend as much time as I wanted updating the blog. However, I promise, I will get you updated on all the wonderful events and details of training before the end of the weekend!

Whew! We’ve done a lot in the last two days. We’ve been busy from 8:00 to 5:00 each day and will be again tomorrow.
Yesterday we heard from a number of department heads. They shared with us their personal histories with World Venture as well as their current roles. Lots of organizational structure information and so forth – you know, all the stuff you have to learn when you first get to any new organization.
Today we started in on our personal introductions. We’ll use them many, many times as we start talking in churches, women’s groups, Sunday schools, and many other places.

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So yesterday I had my debriefing with the psychologist. She went over the results of the tests I had taken about 2 months ago (personality bubble test and cross cultural adaptation test). We talked about strategies for coping with living in another culture and what I can do to prepare.
Overall, the tests tell me that I’m average. Who knew Not so crazy afterall.
By the end of the day, all of the candidates had completed their psych debriefing and interviews with the committee. Everyone made it through! Yay for God!! Very exciting!
I had lunch with the Internation Ministries Director of Africa, Glenn Kendall, and his wife Kathy. It was very nice and gave me some time to ask questions specific to my ministry in Zambia and South Africa. While I was at their house, the person I will be responsible to in South Africa called. Mark S. and his wife Kathy were also able to provide me with some more specific information and I was able to ask more directed questions.
Last night, a number of us all made stir fry together. One of the women is Japanese and brought her rice cookers with her. So we had a scrumptious meal!
I was so exhausted by the end of the two days of interviews and activity that I was falling asleep by 8:00 PM last night.
Today we start with orientation and classes. 8:00 – 5:00 for three days. More later!

Well, I survived the interview and I’m in!!!!
I’ve officially been accepted into World Venture. The interview went quite well, though I was very emotional throughout. The board members were all very nice and obviously want us all to succeed and send us out into the mission field.
At the end of the interview, they kicked me out for a few minutes to “discuss amongst themselves.” When they brought me back in, they gave me an actual hard, magnetic name tag!! So I’m official now!
Woo hoo!!!

On the way down to the hotel lobby, a young couple got on the elevator with me and saw my folder. They asked if I was with World Venture. It was the other candidate couple. So once again – instant friends!
We all headed to a Covenant church just a few blocks away from the office. They were very excited to see us and asked one of the guys to talk about what the group was doing. Matt did a very nice job.
We all had lunch together and then began playing ice breaker games. The first one was “I Never.” The one where one person stands in the middle of the circle and tells something they have never done. If you have done it, you have to get up and change seats. The person in the middle tries to get one of those empty seats. It was pretty entertaining and we did learn some interesting things about each other.

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Well, I’m going to attempt to blog every day because there is so much happening. We have one computer available to us in the guest lounge.
I arrived in Denver on Saturday afternoon on a very bumpy flight. I really tried my best. But after finally making it into the DIA terminel, I sacrified my lunch to the porcelain gods. Eventually, I found the right luggage carousel, and thankfully both of my bags were on it. Then I found the bus I was to take to Littleton.
While standing at the bus stop, I noticed a girl who looked like she might be headed to World Venture also. I check the schedule that had been sent to me to see if I could figure out who she was. While I was looking, she got on another bus – so obviously not her.

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So I’m getting ready to go to Colorado on Saturday for the World Venture interviews, commissioning, and trainging. I’m excited. But also stressed.
I’m trying to get as caught up at work as I possibly can (I’m perpetually 2-4 weeks behind) and work on all of the assignments I need to have completed for WV before I leave.
And, oh yeah, my brother Michael and his girlfriend Stacia will be here on Thursday and Friday nights. Whew!! Thanks goodness I like them both a lot! For the confused, Carsten and Michael are the same guy. Read more here on the name change. They’ll be driving me to the airport in Phoenix on Saturday – nice kids that they are
My official interview is on Monday from 2:00 – 3:30. Please pray that God’s will shines through for us all to clearly see in this matter.
I’ll update again as soon as I can.