Board, Dr. Jerry Rankin. (9 hours, but very interesting!) We also had classes on staying healthy on the mission field, working with churches to keep them informed, and even a visit by Miss Lottie Moon herself!
Map of where our missionaries are going.
Much needed seven minute break!
Since we are in classes from 8 am until 3 pm (with one hour for lunch), we have a 7 minute break in between each class hour. This is a good time for us to stretch our legs, visit with one another, and do something with all that water they want us to drink!
Co-workers in Europe
These are our friends that we sit next to every day for 7 hours of classes! They are either going to central and eastern Europe with us or have been working there but are moving to another region. If you spend as much time together as we do, you grow to love and appreciate each other!
Haircutting class
After buzzing all Glenn's hair off last week, I decided to take one of the extra curricular classes that were offered in hopes of learning a few more tricks of the trade. I asked all the other females that are going to central and eastern Europe to take the class too so that we could cut each other's hair overseas. I keep forgetting that Europe isn't Africa, and that there will be beauty salons in every block, just like there are nail salons in every block here in America!
Small group worship time
The fourteen of us going to central and eastern Europe were divided into two groups of seven, and it is in these small groups that we meet each morning for worship (overseas style!) and discuss/disect/digest "personal growth issues". We've grown to love these folks in our small group and recognize their unique personalities and gifts that they bring. We are looking forward to visiting with them in Europe too!!!!
We've had a blast from the past! Since we arrived, we've run into quite a few folks we've known from our previous overseas experience and it has been so much fun getting caught up on their news. Some are now working for the IMB in Richmond, some have just been reappointed like us, and some are home on stateside assignment (formerly called "furlough").
Kate was one of Kari's roommates in Senegal when they were Journeymen before Kate married Tim and Kari married Jonathan. We first met Kate when we went to visit Kari in Senegal.
Tom and Janet are from our previous home church in Marietta. They have been with the IMB for 25 years!
We knew Eddie and Debbie in France when we were in language school in 1984.
Larry and Trish were also in language school with us in France. They served in Mali.
Jerry and Carol served with us in Ivory Coast. They were the ones that accompanied us to our home up country in Daloa and helped us get acclimated to our new surroundings.
Karen and Al were used by God to confirm our call to the mission field when He was calling us to Ivory Coast in 1984. They were serving in Burkina Faso at the time. We've been spending a lot of time with them here at ILC and are enjoying their friendship tremendously. We've run across one other family we knew in Ivory Coast (Roger and Sarah) but didn't have my camera with me at the time!
Checkin' out the new boots to make sure they're waterproof!
We miss our leaves in Marietta so much that we went and raked someone elses leaves! Friends Karen and Al have a house in the Richmond area that they are trying to sell before they go back overseas. They were having an Open House on Sunday, so on Saturday morning we helped them do some yard work to get ready.
After raking leaves, our group of 14 going to central and eastern Europe assisted a local mission church in going door-to-door to invite families in 2 neighborhoods to attend their church. Either no one is home on Saturdays or they were all watching college football games, because we did not have very many families come to the door! After going door-to-door, our group decided to skip dinner in the cafeteria at ILC and went out for dinner! After dinner, everyone came back to our "quad" for apple pie and ice cream and some good ol' fellowship!
Apple pie and ice cream!
We are now half way through our time here. We have learned so much and can hardly process it all! We ask you to pray that we will use our time wisely and make the most of the remaining weeks that we have. Pray for those of us who have houses to sell, family members who are ill, visas to come soon, and the 1001 things that still need to be done before leaving the U.S.!
1 comment:
I love the picture of you testing out your boots! That's awesome.
Thanks for posting pictures of all the blasts from the past - great to see (and remember) everyone.
Tell Kate and Tim "salaam malecum" from us!
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