Missionary Training for all of us

Missionary Training International in Palmer Lake, Colorado

Our first three weeks of classes felt like spiritual open heart surgery.  It was necessary, though, and bonded us with our friends as we walked through the valley of the shadow of death and then recovered together in green pastures. Our teachers forced us to count the cost by naming our losses, and not just recent ones.  “List every loss you’ve ever had.”  “Loss,” a word for the people and places we were about to leave behind, and a word for all the people and treasured things we’ve ever had to say goodbye to. 

“Paradox” was another word we were given to describe the dual feelings of grieving what's left behind and anticipating future opportunities.  It’s possible to feel both at the same time, and I felt relieved to know I wasn't the only one going through those tumultuous emotions. 

A session on Sabbath rest was one of my favorites.  I was reminded that it’s actually healthy and spiritually refreshing to invest time and energy in non-productive play.  Another green pasture was our worship time in the morning.  Thanks to all of you on the worship team!  After hours of prayer and meditation on God’s Word, we all felt spiritually armed to face the upcoming challenges of cross cultural living.

We spent another two weeks loosening up our tongues and warming up our brains to learn a second language.   We especially looked forward to times when our instructors shared personal stories of life on the field.

In reflection on our time at MTI, I was most amazed by the talented people we met.  They came from many different backgrounds - engineering, marine biology, music ministry, business, pediatrics, the army, education - and they were all ready to use their gifts on the mission field.  I was honored to be among them and inspired by their dedication and love.