As I write this, Lucy (our four-year-old) is sick, so I have some unplanned time to blog as I sit with her, occasionally tuning in to the teaching through a baby monitor Leslie plugged in in the classroom. What are they discussing upstairs? Grief and loss. Both trainers and participants are sharing losses from the deaths of children to the loss of identity to the loss of choices in the grocery store. They debunk the well intentioned but misguided one-liners of Christianity, explore the reality of the pain and its impact, share scriptures that expose the lies and truths encountered in loss, walk together through authentic grieving. I can't see the faces, but I can hear husky voices, broken sentences, sniffles and sighs. The grief isn't just being talked about; it's being experienced and addressed in the moment. And that's just the past 45 minutes.
That's a snapshot of our time here. Not only have we engaged in the expected teachings and discussions of culture shock, cultural sensitivity, and handling transitions, but we've been challenged regularly by authentic, biblical confrontations with conflict management, handling stress, moral purity, building community, lifestyle choices, Sabbath keeping and rest, values awareness.... They began our training by saying, "We're going to skip the ABC's of Mission Training and go straight to the XYZ's -- those issues that will make or break you on the field." And that's where we've gone.
Do you know where tackling the XYZ's takes you? Into the core of your heart, your marriage, your family, and your team. Each one individually, and all of them messily wrapped up together. A foundational understanding here at MTI is that we live and minister out of the core of who we are. If that core is cracked or infected or misshapen, then may our Father first expose those fissures and wounds to his light and presence before we enter the cross-cultural crucible. He is powerfully invested in making us whole -- in molding us into the image of our older brother, Jesus -- and it is crucial that we respond to his calling us out of hiding. Coming into his light -- especially (as is essential) in the presence of others -- is scary, painful, and often only the beginning of a long process. If we remain hidden, however, then we wall ourselves off from the invasive, transforming power of the love of the Triune God and his people.
Our time here at MTI is calling us out of hiding, and God in his grace is enabling us to respond. We are deeply grateful, and we've only begun.
On a lighter note, here are some photos. You'll see in them another side to our time here -- we've had a lot of fun as a family! This has been a great space for our kids. The classes they attend are on a parallel track to our own, and we're learning a common vocabulary to help us in these transitions. (Ask us about "pair of ducks" and "twangs" and "bridges"!) The kids can't wait to "go to school" every day, and even Julia has come to enjoy the nursery. And how wonderful it has been for us to experience all this together!
