on meeting with people and forgetting my camera

This past weekend was the MTW Global Missions Conference here in Chattanooga.  About 2,000 people gathered from all across the world to worship God together, hear how he is building his kingdom worldwide, and connect with other missionaries, friends, and supporters.  My grandmother came down from Delaware, friends came from New Jersey and St. Louis, my sister from Berlin to represent the MTW Berlin team, and I forgot my camera.

So I’m glad that at least somebody had a camera there.

praying with James and Debbie

After the close of the conference, while I was praying with James and Debbie, I heard a camera shutter: Bobbi Jo Brooks was at work.  James and Debbie are raising support as I am, but will be serving in south Asia.  Like me, James and Debbie have been working other jobs while raising support, and James was about to begin reduced hours at his counseling job, so that he will have more time for working to develop a team of partners to pray for and support them when they go to south Asia.  Debbie served in Ukraine and was very helpful as I worked through the application process with MTW and found my calling to serve in Kiev.

Larissa at the Berlin table

My sister Larissa had a quick trip from Berlin, Germany, to Chattanooga to represent the Berlin team at the conference.  Providentially, I was at work observing a test until 11:00pm Wednesday night, and when I got off she was at the airport, five minutes from my office.  So I met my parents and Larissa at the airport and got to say hi just a few minutes after she arrived. It was a whirlwind weekend, and Larissa flew back to Berlin 6:00pm Sunday evening.

(I’ve not reduced my engineering hours yet. Please pray that my project work-load allows me to cut back my engineering hours within the next week or so. I need time to follow up with a number of individuals and churches about Ukraine.)

I hosted my team leader overnight at my apartment Saturday evening, and we had a good conversation over breakfast Sunday. All around, the weekend was great, despite my lack of photos.

Thanks for praying!

I got a name tag

Mission to the World (MTW) just approved me as a missionary to Kiev, Ukraine!  I spent this past week at MTW with nine other missionary candidates for Interview and Orientation (I&O), the final step in the application processes.

I&O was a very full, busy week, and I felt very cared for by MTW.  When I met with the candidate committee to find out if I was approved or not, the first thing they did was hand me a magnetic name tag and welcome me to MTW.

Here’s my I&O group at the end of the week, excited to be new missionaries, to be done with the week, and to see how the Lord will work in our lives over the coming years as we raise support and then head to all corners of the globe.

invitation to Kiev

The Mission to the World (MTW) Kiev team has invited me to join them in Ukraine! I’m currently filling out some supplementary forms due back to MTW before Oct. 26th, which are required prior to my attending their Interview and Orientation (I&O) in Atlanta, 16 – 20 November. If I’m approved at I&O, I’ll then be officially approved as an MTW missionary, raising support for 2 to 3 years of service in Kiev.

Please pray for three things:
(1.) that my employer will grant me time off for the MTW I&O in November;
(2.) that I finish and return all the paperwork to MTW no later than October 26th; and
(3.) that God would use my present excitement at the prospect of serving in Kiev to deepen my hunger for him in his Word and my longing to see Jesus treasured everywhere, including here in Chattanooga where I’m called to serve for the near future.