Five days at headquarters

Driving through Iowa is more fun than most people realize. There's a great deal of sky that you don't see when you live in a river valley, and if you drive over half the state in one day, you get to see the sky a variety of colors. I passed an Amish event (the farmyard looked like a sale lot for carriages), I got stuck behind the slowest Missouri driver I've ever seen, and I saw a set of crosses with an empty, open tomb below; a statue of Jesus standing in front of it with his hands raised to heaven. This was in southern Iowa, arguably the top of the Bible belt.

I feel blessed to drive through Iowa on my way to and from Missouri this week, and not just for the beautiful sunlight and scenery. I got to visit my grandmother on the way down, and she seems to be doing well, despite the health difficulties and chemotherapy treatments. My grandfather I didn't get to see. He's back in the hospital and I don't know if he'll be out for Thanksgiving. It's starting to hit home for me that their days on earth are not long, and what they have left is going to be difficult for them and all the family around them. I cried much of the way to headquarters after that visit, which means that (yay for pale skin!) my eyelids are STILL puffy and darkly circular three days later.

Admittedly, it wasn't the best way to start my week at missionary candidate school, but the first official day was still excellent. I met a couple of my fellow candidates at breakfast, and we got to chat during prayer card photos. I've seen our former state director at meals (she now works at headquarters), and a couple of friends who are working here now have stopped to talk with me in the halls.

My new catchprase?

Next month I'm heading down to CEF headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri, to start some support-raising training!

But before I can do that, I need a new catchphrase uh, vision statement, in 20 words or less.

Building Our Lives on Jesus: The Western Wisconsin blog

Here's the link to the Western Wisconsin team blog... we're starting it up again this year.

Building Our Lives on Jesus: The Western Wisconsin team: 2013: This year, eleven teens from our area will attend training camp in June and teach 5-day clubs throughout the summer! ...

Orientation 2!!

As you can possibly see from the pictures...

O2 was fun. :)

That's my arm in the picture below, holding up "Adelia" the puppet. Adelia was mostly a model puppet... but she and "Hank" needed some help from wise Mrs. Weibel to become truly excellent puppets.

This second orientation was held at the camp where training will be this June, and was the first chance some teens had to see the place they'll be training at for two weeks! It was also the first change for many to learn the games they'll be teaching kids over the summer. Some of the games involved parachutes (see above and below) while others were variations of Ships Across the Ocean and Crows and Cranes.

It's a good thing these teenagers have good attitudes - and wanted to be there. In my experience, teens get bored much quicker than children!

It's harder to keep their attention. :)

It's cool to think that God will use these young adults
to bring others to Himself. If He wanted to, He could use someone else,
but He chose people like us. People who make mistakes
and don't always obey Him, but people He loves and
always forgives. Thank you, God!! Thank you for calling these teens!!

A Reminder ;)

"Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power"

- Oswald Chambers.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:19

Orientation 1

It was a loong ride there and back... but worth it to see everyone!

Today was Orientation 1, when the summer missionaries get their support letters ready to send, and everyone receives their orientation manual.

That is, they get homework. :)

For the 5 day clubs this summer we have 5 missionary stories and 5 Bible lessons we'll have to learn at camp. But before we go, we're prepared; by reading the Bible passages and the story from India!

I can't wait for this summer; it's always exciting to see what God does through the missionaries. But this year I'm in a more "observing" position; I'm coordinating clubs, locations and times, and not doing as much actual teaching.

(But whenever a missionary can't teach or needs a partner, I'll be around.)

Please pray for the teens as they study for the summer! The work has only begun!