Today marks the 7th day of in-person training with my sending org! And holy smokes it has been a lot of information. See the picture of my scribbled notes from the past week--trying to capture each of the many nuggets of wisdom, encouragements, lessons, and prayers that have spoken to my heart in this last week. We’ve covered topics like what it means to be a follower of Jesus versus a follower of religious tradition and habits, studied the key importance of prayer in ministry, discussed security practices for workers in certain areas of the world, learned about ancient spiritual formation disciplines… just to give you a glimpse of the breadth of this training. I’ve really appreciated the challenges that have come in this week, and am so grateful for the ways it is preparing me for my new context!
But gosh, what a blessing it has been to be staying with five other young women who are also being sent into the world. Being able to share in the moments of overwhelm, concerns about language learning, grieving our approaching goodbyes, celebrating the places and the people we’re being sent to... these moments deeply encourage my heart!
One of the takeaways from my first week is this:
Much of our prayer this week has been over Matthew 9:38 “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” This is what Jesus tells his disciples as He sends them out. I leave in 17 days. And I have a lot of things still on my to-do list, and a lot of emotions that go with that list. But if you’re reading this as a potential “Goer,” know that I am praying for you. If you’re reading this as someone with a 9-5 job, know that I am praying for you. If you’re reading this as a parent (who might now find themselves a part-time homeschool teacher), or if you are in another stage of life, know that I am praying for you. That you might share the joy found in Jesus with the world around you, wherever that might be. You are sent.