Sorry for the hiatus after the hiatus...I'm really trying to get my (blogging) life together here.
Since I my last trip, life has changed a bit. My job promoted me, and I have lots more responsibility added to my plate; a group that I co-lead at church; the worship arts ministry, and my young people at home (yep, I'm a momma!) and therefore, not as much time to blog. So, I guess now, I really need to make my blogs worth something, huh?
Anyway, since I last blogged, I've met most of my team. We got together with all of the rest of the teams that are going on mission this year, and had a brief time of meet and greet. I am excited about my new team, as I have seen many of their faces out and about around church, and our leaders are both folks that I have wanted to hang with for awhile, so this is a great opportunity. One of my friends that I have really been getting close to is also going on this trip, and I feel so blessed that she is able to do it, for a number of reasons, selfish and otherwise.
I've also been called to the carpet by one of the new leaders, as something happened on the Prague trip that needed to be addressed. I'm glad that it was...I certainly don't want to make that same mistake twice! From that, I was able to look at myself, and see what character flaws needed to be addressed...I was also able to apologize to one of the two people that I effected in a choice that I made (I haven't seen the other just yet, but plan to talk when I do see them). Thank God that He is a God of second chances!
So anyway, we are full swing into fund raising, and I don't know how I'm doing just yet, but I know that I have sent out letter, tweeted about it, and (after finishing this blog posting) am about to Facebook message folks about it. So much to do!
The thing I really wanted to blog about though, is one of my teammates. I only met her for the first time at our group meeting, and honestly, didn't get a chance to speak to her one on one. However, her story astonishes me.
She is a mature woman of 80+ years old, and is going on this trip with us. 80+ years! I look forward to her wisdom, and everything that she can offer on this trip. I think most, I look forward to her challenging us as we go about our service. To know that she is able to Go and Do and Be the Hands and Feet of Him...all I know is that there should not be one complaint coming from my mouth! If she can, I know that I am more than able! After all, Isaiah 46 reads "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, and I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you". It seems that my teammate TRULY believe in this, and I look forward to sitting at her feet, and learning from her what all she has to offer.
I hope to not take so long between posts again, to keep you updated on the progress of the teambuilding and fundraising aspects, as well as other things. One of my friends was recently offered a job working with CMFI, or Christian Missionary Fellowship International, and I want you to get to know her and how she got to be an intern, and now a fellow worker in the mission field. Also, I plan to interview teammates of mine, both experienced, and those going on mission for the first time. I'm excited, and hope that you are as well!
Thanks for reading and supporting!
<3,
~yonna
Showing posts with label Leaders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leaders. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Retreat Day!
So, I am supposed to be napping right now, but I am too excited to do so. So I figured I'd go ahead and post this blog while everything is still so fresh in my head.
Today was our MO5 Pre-field retreat, where all 5 of the teams come together to build as teams, learn a few things, and continue preparing for our trips. My team chose to go as a unit to the morning session (we had our choice, morning retreat, or afternoon), which was a great choice for us, since 6 of the 8* were able to make it.
Team Red, L to R: Liz, Jeff, Me(Yonna), Phil, Theresa and Sherril.
We arrived by 8 this morning, and immediately got to work. After a few small housekeeping things, we began the morning with team builders...but since the other teams weren't all in attendance like Team Red was, we ended up counting off, and splitting up that way. We had different tasks/games to complete, and the team with the most points in the end won a prize. One game was a ping pong ball toss, where 2 'blind' people tried to toss the balls into a basket across the room,where 3 'blind' people were holding baskets. No one tossing or catching (was supposed to) talks, but there was one open eyed guide who would tell the tossers how to throw. Our team, the green dots, did REALLY well on that one!
The next game was a scavenger hunt, where all of the team members were arm in arm. That last person in line was 'blind', and was the only person who could grab and hold the items found. Once we got our list, we kind of planned out where we'd be able to find our items, with a 10 minute time limit. Luckily, I had about 5 items right in my purse, to our benefit. Not so much to my benefit, I ended up being the blind person. It was quite interesting, not only being blinded, but completely relying on others (some, strangers!) to guide my way to picking things up, and almost running around the church.
The third game was the alligator pit, where one person was to act as a verbal guide to the rest of the team who had to cross an area littered with clothing without stepping on anything. I was the first person from our team to make it across, and then ended up being the guide after that.
We then debriefed, and talked about how we were able to take risks, and trust one another, something we will most certainly need to do once we get to our mission fields. AAAAnd my team won, so we got a chance to pull from an assortment of travel sized gifts...I chose a sewing kit, since I always seem to be in need of a safety pin!
We then did a few more exercises, figuring out our personality types, which my team will discuss further in detail later.
Then it came time for lunch...the World Meal, as it was being called. Our host walked around the room, and everyone chose a slip of paper from a basket with the name of a country on it. There was a beautifully set table for 2 set in the middle of the room, and we made a circle around the team. Then, the people who pulled USA and the UK were invited to have their meal at the table. The table was set with wine glasses, china and silverware. They were offered sparkling water, sweet tea, an amazing salad, an entree of chicken, rice, rolls, butter, and fruit, as well as a pastry dessert. Next called was Czech Republic, who were offered chairs (no table), glasses of tea, chicken, rice, a banana and 2 slices of bread on fancy paper plates. Mexico was offered a linen table cloth on the floor, hard plastic cups of tea, chicken, rice, banana and a slice of bread, with a plastic knife and fork. The rest of the groups were served as follows:
Brazil: vinyl tablecloth on the floor, hard plastic cups of water, plastic fork, rice, banana and a slice of bread.
Thailand: thin plastic tablecloth on the floor, red plastic cup of water, rice, half a banana and a slice of bread.
India: a square of napkin to sit on, small cup of water, a slice of bread.
I was in this final group, which was Kenya. We were told to sit right on the cold floor. We were given a small cup of dirty water, and a half slice of bread.
So many things ran through our minds. I actually thought that we'd end up getting the scraps from the table, especially since they didn't finish all of their food, and had it packaged to go...but no such luck. I guess that really IS they way of the world. How sad...the rest of the world watches as we in the USA eat when we're not hungry, waste food, 'save it for later', feed it to our pets...instead of sharing it. I thought about it...even when we give for food drives, we usually give whatever we have that we aren't eating,or what we have had the longest - we reach into the very back of the cupboard, and dust off a couple of cans to give. We aren't giving our best to help our neighbor...and in doing this, are we also revealing our hearts for God? Hmmm...
Just a little something to think about...
Next time: Team Red's Skype chat with the Mudrik family!
*We are now down to 8 members. Due to familial situations, 2 of our members made the decision to withdraw from our trip, one of them being my beloved partner, Becci. I know that for her, it was not an easy decision, but after much discussion and prayer, she decided that this was the best thing to do for her family. While I am sad to see her go, I am happy that she is at peace with her decision. I will miss her while I am gone, but look forward to our growing friendship.
Today was our MO5 Pre-field retreat, where all 5 of the teams come together to build as teams, learn a few things, and continue preparing for our trips. My team chose to go as a unit to the morning session (we had our choice, morning retreat, or afternoon), which was a great choice for us, since 6 of the 8* were able to make it.
We arrived by 8 this morning, and immediately got to work. After a few small housekeeping things, we began the morning with team builders...but since the other teams weren't all in attendance like Team Red was, we ended up counting off, and splitting up that way. We had different tasks/games to complete, and the team with the most points in the end won a prize. One game was a ping pong ball toss, where 2 'blind' people tried to toss the balls into a basket across the room,where 3 'blind' people were holding baskets. No one tossing or catching (was supposed to) talks, but there was one open eyed guide who would tell the tossers how to throw. Our team, the green dots, did REALLY well on that one!
The next game was a scavenger hunt, where all of the team members were arm in arm. That last person in line was 'blind', and was the only person who could grab and hold the items found. Once we got our list, we kind of planned out where we'd be able to find our items, with a 10 minute time limit. Luckily, I had about 5 items right in my purse, to our benefit. Not so much to my benefit, I ended up being the blind person. It was quite interesting, not only being blinded, but completely relying on others (some, strangers!) to guide my way to picking things up, and almost running around the church.
The third game was the alligator pit, where one person was to act as a verbal guide to the rest of the team who had to cross an area littered with clothing without stepping on anything. I was the first person from our team to make it across, and then ended up being the guide after that.
We then debriefed, and talked about how we were able to take risks, and trust one another, something we will most certainly need to do once we get to our mission fields. AAAAnd my team won, so we got a chance to pull from an assortment of travel sized gifts...I chose a sewing kit, since I always seem to be in need of a safety pin!
We then did a few more exercises, figuring out our personality types, which my team will discuss further in detail later.
Then it came time for lunch...the World Meal, as it was being called. Our host walked around the room, and everyone chose a slip of paper from a basket with the name of a country on it. There was a beautifully set table for 2 set in the middle of the room, and we made a circle around the team. Then, the people who pulled USA and the UK were invited to have their meal at the table. The table was set with wine glasses, china and silverware. They were offered sparkling water, sweet tea, an amazing salad, an entree of chicken, rice, rolls, butter, and fruit, as well as a pastry dessert. Next called was Czech Republic, who were offered chairs (no table), glasses of tea, chicken, rice, a banana and 2 slices of bread on fancy paper plates. Mexico was offered a linen table cloth on the floor, hard plastic cups of tea, chicken, rice, banana and a slice of bread, with a plastic knife and fork. The rest of the groups were served as follows:
Brazil: vinyl tablecloth on the floor, hard plastic cups of water, plastic fork, rice, banana and a slice of bread.
Thailand: thin plastic tablecloth on the floor, red plastic cup of water, rice, half a banana and a slice of bread.
India: a square of napkin to sit on, small cup of water, a slice of bread.
I was in this final group, which was Kenya. We were told to sit right on the cold floor. We were given a small cup of dirty water, and a half slice of bread.
So many things ran through our minds. I actually thought that we'd end up getting the scraps from the table, especially since they didn't finish all of their food, and had it packaged to go...but no such luck. I guess that really IS they way of the world. How sad...the rest of the world watches as we in the USA eat when we're not hungry, waste food, 'save it for later', feed it to our pets...instead of sharing it. I thought about it...even when we give for food drives, we usually give whatever we have that we aren't eating,or what we have had the longest - we reach into the very back of the cupboard, and dust off a couple of cans to give. We aren't giving our best to help our neighbor...and in doing this, are we also revealing our hearts for God? Hmmm...
Just a little something to think about...
Next time: Team Red's Skype chat with the Mudrik family!
*We are now down to 8 members. Due to familial situations, 2 of our members made the decision to withdraw from our trip, one of them being my beloved partner, Becci. I know that for her, it was not an easy decision, but after much discussion and prayer, she decided that this was the best thing to do for her family. While I am sad to see her go, I am happy that she is at peace with her decision. I will miss her while I am gone, but look forward to our growing friendship.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Let's get to work!
Last night, we had our first Team Red meeting. A couple of folks were missing, but it was a great time anyway, especially since it was Pi Day (3/14, get it? I thought it was funny), and Sherrill brought in an AMAZING Caramel Apple pie in to share. Now, you may not know this, but anything Caramel, and Apple has got my vote...so I made sure to express my fondness of that amazing masterpiece to Sherrill!
*Sidenote: Because I was in a hurry to get out of the meeting last night, I forgot to ask our new members for permission to use their names in this blog. Forgive me, please. I will try to do so at our next meeting.
Anyway, we did a couple of things last night, all of them exciting in some way or another:
~We found out who our Prayer/Travel partners would be, mine being Becci! I know that I was fired up about this, since she and I have been chatting back and forth, giving advice and tips, and building a friendship. I look forward to sharing some of her insight, since she has LOTS more travel experience that I do (she's backpacked Europe already...how cool!)...not to mention, some of the other Team Red members already know what the 'trouble' will be, lol! (It's all in good fun though!)
~We then made a prayer bead reminder, so that when we see each bead, it represents a team member, and we can remember to pray for that person specifically.
~We wrote down our biggest worry/fears for the trip, shared it with our partner, and prayed for them. Mine was not being able to keep in contact with my kiddios, and not sleeping well. God seems to know exactly what he's doing, because Becci has a phone that can be used worldwide, and is equipped with Skype as well, so I will be able to keep up with the kids while I'm gone. As for the sleeplessness, once again, it seems I have the perfect partner, because she said she'd be willing to walk the fields in the middle of the night with me, if needbe! (BTW: Becci's was pretty funny, she said I'd laugh at hers, which I did...but it is something that I know we can handle!)
~We then had a brief devotional as to why we were called to be missionaries. Basically, it all stems from the Abrahamic Covenant, found in Genesis 12:1-3. We are blessed, to be a blessing; we are to go to countries around the world and bless those who are in the dark in His name.... There are SO MANY things I want to say about this right now, but can't...but not to worry, I am sure that will be another blog for another day!
~Next up was a update from the Mudrik family (EXCITING!). Our trip leaders, Liz and Sherrill had a Skype session with Marek and Elaine, and got to find out some great information. My mind was put a bit more at ease in finding out that we would not be camping out under the stars, but rather in a hostel. I am no stranger to hostels, and look forward to hanging out in the one that will be chosen for us. They Mudrik's are still building on the retreat center, and will need lots of help with that, which we will be doing...but also, we will be engaging with local college-aged people who are interested in speaking English...so basically, we will get to talk to them (ABOUT ANYTHING!) all day while doing our work. YAY! Also, we will be worshiping, singing, praying and whatever else they want us to do while there.
~We also worked on scheduling our meetings, setting up a Skype session for the whole team and the Mudrik family, learning the language, and fundraising....
...which leads me to fundraising here. Dear reader, I humbly ask that if you are at all moved to support our team efforts to spread the light of Jesus in the Czech Republic, I invite you to click the link at the top left of the page, and give as you may. At this point, every person on our team is behind in fundraising, but not due to a lack of effort. We are all very prayerful that we will reach our goal amounts, but as of yet, we do not even have enough to begin reserving plane tickets. Any amount will do, no matter how small, and we are grateful for every cent. If you are unable to give financially, then please support us in prayer. I thank you in advance.
So now that we know what some of the plans are, everyone is eager and ready to get to work! I am in the process of planning interviews with my teammates, and will be posting them here. If you are interested in asking any questions about the teammates, please leave them in the comment boxes below, and I will be sure to ask.
In the meantime, keep praying, and stay excited!
*Sidenote: Because I was in a hurry to get out of the meeting last night, I forgot to ask our new members for permission to use their names in this blog. Forgive me, please. I will try to do so at our next meeting.
Anyway, we did a couple of things last night, all of them exciting in some way or another:
~We found out who our Prayer/Travel partners would be, mine being Becci! I know that I was fired up about this, since she and I have been chatting back and forth, giving advice and tips, and building a friendship. I look forward to sharing some of her insight, since she has LOTS more travel experience that I do (she's backpacked Europe already...how cool!)...not to mention, some of the other Team Red members already know what the 'trouble' will be, lol! (It's all in good fun though!)
~We then made a prayer bead reminder, so that when we see each bead, it represents a team member, and we can remember to pray for that person specifically.
~We wrote down our biggest worry/fears for the trip, shared it with our partner, and prayed for them. Mine was not being able to keep in contact with my kiddios, and not sleeping well. God seems to know exactly what he's doing, because Becci has a phone that can be used worldwide, and is equipped with Skype as well, so I will be able to keep up with the kids while I'm gone. As for the sleeplessness, once again, it seems I have the perfect partner, because she said she'd be willing to walk the fields in the middle of the night with me, if needbe! (BTW: Becci's was pretty funny, she said I'd laugh at hers, which I did...but it is something that I know we can handle!)
~We then had a brief devotional as to why we were called to be missionaries. Basically, it all stems from the Abrahamic Covenant, found in Genesis 12:1-3. We are blessed, to be a blessing; we are to go to countries around the world and bless those who are in the dark in His name.... There are SO MANY things I want to say about this right now, but can't...but not to worry, I am sure that will be another blog for another day!
~Next up was a update from the Mudrik family (EXCITING!). Our trip leaders, Liz and Sherrill had a Skype session with Marek and Elaine, and got to find out some great information. My mind was put a bit more at ease in finding out that we would not be camping out under the stars, but rather in a hostel. I am no stranger to hostels, and look forward to hanging out in the one that will be chosen for us. They Mudrik's are still building on the retreat center, and will need lots of help with that, which we will be doing...but also, we will be engaging with local college-aged people who are interested in speaking English...so basically, we will get to talk to them (ABOUT ANYTHING!) all day while doing our work. YAY! Also, we will be worshiping, singing, praying and whatever else they want us to do while there.
~We also worked on scheduling our meetings, setting up a Skype session for the whole team and the Mudrik family, learning the language, and fundraising....
...which leads me to fundraising here. Dear reader, I humbly ask that if you are at all moved to support our team efforts to spread the light of Jesus in the Czech Republic, I invite you to click the link at the top left of the page, and give as you may. At this point, every person on our team is behind in fundraising, but not due to a lack of effort. We are all very prayerful that we will reach our goal amounts, but as of yet, we do not even have enough to begin reserving plane tickets. Any amount will do, no matter how small, and we are grateful for every cent. If you are unable to give financially, then please support us in prayer. I thank you in advance.
So now that we know what some of the plans are, everyone is eager and ready to get to work! I am in the process of planning interviews with my teammates, and will be posting them here. If you are interested in asking any questions about the teammates, please leave them in the comment boxes below, and I will be sure to ask.
In the meantime, keep praying, and stay excited!
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