During this season of preparation, our schedule looks different than what it will when I am on the field in Papua New Guinea. Below is just a quick look into what a typical training day looks like, with some differences depending on the week/day!
Mornings often begin early as our weekdays on base start at 6:15/7am, depending on the day. It is one of my favorite times of the day as I can spend time with the Lord, have some quietness before the busyness of the day begins, and enjoy watching the sky during sunrise when I am out on deck in time! After breakfast, we spend a few minutes caring for our kuleana (the Hawaiian word for responsibility), an area of the base we are responsible for.
At 8am, we typically start our day in worship, intercession/prayer, or studying scripture. Afterward, we have a guest speaker for the remainder of the morning. Topics can include anything from missions, the history of our organization, in-depth study of scripture, discipleship/evangelism, the character of God, and beyond. We also take a break in the middle of the morning when both staff and trainees gather to spend a few minutes in fellowship and have a snack!
After lunch, I am typically more focused on specific ministry preparation. While it looks a bit different each day, it can include culture lessons, language lessons, outreach preparation, reviewing policies and medical standards of care, ministry homework, or our specific tracks (some options available to trainees are the Bible, navigation, health and fitness, and storytelling tracks). We also spend a couple of hours in our practical ministry, which includes training for my staff role and recruitment of medical volunteers!
Evenings also look different each day. A couple of evenings during the week, we have corporate gatherings that consist of a mixture of worship, prayer, and/or a message. Other nights can consist of free time, family nights on base, games, serving the community, or mini adventures!
While preparation looks different based on the organization, it is such a beautiful time of growth!