I am red-faced with shame as I begin this posting thinking about my pledge to “do daily blog updates” while on this trip. So far it has been a whirlwind and there hasn’t been a lot of time. That would be a great excuse except that I completely forgot!
That said, I owe a huge debt to those of you who have been praying. This trip has really been wonderful. While I have worked like a slave (our first working day was 15 hours) it has been really positive time. I came hoping to forge a relationship with my future supervisor, and I have really seen that taking shape, both in our professional interactions and in our personal interactions as well. While we are very different, we have a lot of similarities, especially in the developmental building blocks of who we are. That’s an exciting revelation.
We’ve finished principle photography on a training video for GEM’s TEFL program. When I wasn’t nose down in the camera, it was fascinating to learn about how teaching English is such a powerful mechanism to open doors for sharing the Gospel, but also how often poor English instruction, coupled with clumsy evangelism drive people away. As I look toward our language acquisition training in June, I heard a lot of tips in how language should be taught that I think will be beneficial to my own learning.
More than anything, day after day, I experience the urgent need to get here permanently. I feel God’s welcoming hand to this place, see his preparation for our family to live here, settle in and be a meaningful part of the community. The new media organization that is taking shape here is the kind of place where I can belong. God is truly good. He has done so much to pave the way for us, and I know that He will get us here at the perfect time. But I can’t help but feel a desperate longing for this place, and the life that awaits us here.
Thank you so much for your prayers. They are deeply appreciated. May God bless you richly!