At Training

Wow, I've only been here at training for a few days but it feels like it's been at least a week! And it has been unusually hot here-- who ordered up the heat wave in San Francisco?? 

So Saturday, Eric and I drove up to SF :) and then I stayed with some friends (thank you Emily and Kathleen!) until Tuesday when training started. 

How I'm doing (since starting training)

The thing I can best compare to my first day here was the first day at college. It's that awkward everyone's moving in and is being friendly but no one really knows each other feeling :P But thankfully, that feeling has worn off. I got to meet the two other women on my team, and I'm really looking forward to being together as a team. I've also met the people who are on the teams going to other places-- South Africa, San Francisco, Denver, and New Orleans. It's been cool meeting all of these people, but a little overwhelming too-- to just be thrown in with a bunch of new people. I was missing everyone back at home very much Tuesday and Wednesday, and really just wanted to go home, but today has been better. I feel like I've gotten to connect more with my teammates, and what was really helpful is that last night one of the women here prayed for me and listened to me as I shared about why I'm sad to be leaving for so long. So now I feel much more able to engage with people here. Glad about that since I have another 7 or so weeks till I'll be back in LA!

What I've been doing/learning

---So we've spent the majority of our meeting times so far learning about InnerChange. We learned its history as an organization, what teams there are, the vision and commitments of InnerChange. While this may seem tedious or unnecessary to some, I actually understand why they do this-- because even though we aren't on staff with InnerChange, we really do represent them wherever we go, so we need to understand who we are representing. There are some teams that are going to places where InnerChange doesn't have a ministry yet so it's especially important for them to be good representatives of the organization.

---A highlight for me-- Yesterday we studied Exodus 2-3ish-- about Moses. It was a new way of looking at the story for me, really focusing on Moses' two attempts to help the Hebrews. Moses first attempts to help them in his own way by killing an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. But that doesn't really work out for him-- he ends up not being respected by the Hebrews and then having to flee from Pharaoh. So then he spends 40 years in Midian and, only after some convincing by God, comes back to help/lead his people under God's direction. It really hit me how he came back to Pharaoh under God's direction, not his own. It resonated with me as I think about Los Angeles. In some ways, I feel like I had my first try at urban ministry and have been outside of it, somewhere else, for the past year. But I know that God is preparing to bring me back to it under His wisdom and power and in His time, not my own. Also, the first time Moses was just acting on his own, but the second time he had support, was connected to the community he was representing. The first time, he was just reacting to the issue/injustice he saw, but the second time he was sent under God's direction. I know that the only way I'll be able to do urban ministry is if I'm a part of a community and am acting in obedience to God. Otherwise, I will burn out! So I'm praying for patience and discernment to know when and how God will lead me back to it. (We were studying the story because it highlights some values of InnerChange-- value for community and wisdom in ministry-- knowing structures and issues from different perspectives, really learning before acting-- not just coming in with a plan, but listening to what the community needs/wants and what the community's strengths/structures are.) Then we prayer walked around the neighborhood to practice going into our communities with open eyes and hearts to what God is doing, rather than just going in with our own expectations and plans.

---Then last night, we learned and prayed about the 6 commitments of InnerChange, which are humility, simplicity, purity, service, community, and prayer. I really appreciate that they have a value for creating a sustainable lifestyle of service-- one in which missionaries are supported and have adequate rest so they won't burn out after a year. We'll get to experience that this summer-- they aren't going to work us ragged but purposely put in times of reflection and rest so that we can see what a sustainable lifestyle of service could be like.

To Come 

---Tomorrow we'll meet with our individual teams more to do some team-specific things-- getting to know each other a little, figuring out how we'll work together as a team.

---Then we head to the airport tomorrow night. Our flight leaves from SFO at 12:30am Friday night/Saturday morning. We'll have a short layover in Houston and then get to Guatemala City around 9am I think (it's 2 hours ahead there so that would be 7am in CA). Then we'll drive over to Xela and meet our other leaders-- the missionaries who are there full time-- and then meet our host family. 

---The first week we're there will be an orientation to Guatemalan culture, the city of Xela, and to the ministry we'll be doing there.

Please pray for safety in travel and for cohesiveness in our team. Yes, we are going to Xela to minister to street children, but we need to remember that how we treat each other is just as important as how we treat the kids. "They will know we are Christians by our love." We will show that we are Christ's followers by the love we show to the kids and by the love we show to each other.

If you're looking for some summer reading, I can recommend three books for you:

1. Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen (spelling?)-- I read that book in college and it impacted my view of God and being His follower incredibly. I'd recommend it to everyone.

2. New Friars-- A book we had to read for this internship-- about the movement that includes organizations like InnerChange and Servant Partners

3. Nothing But a Thief by Danielle Speakman-- about her experience in Lima, Peru working with street kids.

I'd love to hear responses to my posts or about the books if you get to read or have read any of them.

I do miss you all back at home. I'd love to hear from you. I'll probably be able to check my email again soon after I get to Guatemala. Blessings!