Trials and Blessings

"Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospes in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret - it only causes harm.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
Through he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,
For the Lord upholds him with His hand."

Psalm 37 : 5, 7-8, 23-24

This past weekend we found out that we did not have all the paperwork in that we needed for our work visas, so after discussions with the organizers of PFO and our NICS home office placement coordinator.. and lots of prayer... we decided to leave PFO on Sunday morning to be in Virginia first thing on Monday morning to get our paperwork together. This was no small task. We had to get a rental car in Memphis.... make our way across Tennessee and up Virginia for a total of 12 hours driving straight through. We made to my parents house to make sandwiches for the following day and sleep for the night - and 7 hours later, we were up and headed to the County sherriffs office to get our background checks and fingerprints taken and noterized. It took 20 minutes and we were on the road again to our capital. In Richmond, we went to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office to get an apostille for all of our paperwork. Again, we were in and out of the office in 15 mintues and back on the road towards Memphis and PFO. We drove a total of 26 hours (~ 1800 miles) in two days, and PRAISE the LORD for His watchcare over us in this quick trip. When we set out on this trip, we were unsure of how it would go and how long everything would take.... but it couldn't have been a smoother experience. Jarrod and I were able to discuss so much of what we had been learning and share with each other as we drove to make the trip seem to pass by quickly.


I am so thankful we were able to return to PFO as it has been some of the most valuable preparation I have ever received. It is life training for a specific purpose: to travel and live abroad in foreign cultures and interact with a specific people group, third culture kids (TCKs). I had never heard of TCKs prior to PFO, and during the presentation that introduced us to TCKs, I continually elbowed my husband and said, “see, this is why I am like this!” While I would not classify myself as a TCK, I realize that I was raised similarly as a child of the military, having moved all around the USA and attended different schools every year from 4^th grade-10^th grade, and thus am able to understand myself a little better. :)

We have also spent a lot of time discussing the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tests - which both Jarrod and I were skeptical of. The tests were often referred to in our sessions which was unexpected and enlightening. At first, I thought it was a little silly to hold on and refer to these labels, until I started to see it as well. One of the more meaningful experiences was a simulation of a war experience where we needed to be in a "safe house" or risk being "killed" by rebels. It was really a lesson on coping skills in stressful situations - and we were placed in groups of 15-20 people and taken to a dark bathroom to sit for hours... with minimal contact and updates of what was going on outside, needing to make decisions on how we were to organize our group and interact with other group that was hiding out. During this simulation I found myself connecting and applying principles from the MBTT. I did not know anyone in my group, and I found myself quietly observing the dynamics of this knew group I was relying upon for safety in an uncertain situation. As we sat in the dark, I was overwhelmed by the sound of people talking, loudly. I heard comments like “we have to talk to keep our spirits up” and watched as some of the group members spoke to each with a volume that communicated they were going to do what they wanted to regardless of the fake “threat” or how many times they were “shhhh”ed. Whenever someone would enter the dark room – before he could speak – our group would begin to bombard the person with questions, demanding information, as if it was our right to know what is going on. I thought of one of our speaker’s statement that “Americans enter a foreign culture with their mouths first, TCKs enter with their eyes first”. Oh, that our group would wait, observe, and then judge what our actions should be in response to our environment. I found it very difficult to be a part of this group that behaved so differently than I would conduct myself. As I felt this rub against my own nature, I also realized that I am in no way better than those in my group just because I deal with the situation differently. I am not an extrovert and was fine to sit quietly in the dark, but that is my personality shaped from my own past experiences. I was able to step back and become more tolerant of those who were different from me. This experience helped me to realize how important it is to understand those I work together with, to know that our differences does not mean someone is doing things the wrong way, but that we deal with different situations in different manners based upon personality differences and past experiences. I hope and pray that I will be able to apply these lessons in my life and work together with all parts of the body of Christ for our common Purpose.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good...
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body...
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"...
But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." ~1 Corinthians 12