This past month I've been doing new things and expanding my skills as the Global Missions General Manager. Jan 31st was the application deadline for our mission trips. Processing applications was something that I always thought daunting. How can you tell from a piece of paper if someone would do well on a mission trip? This year I processed almost 50% of the applications and realized that it comes with both blessings and challenges. It is a blessing to read about how a student is growing in their relationship with God, and how they feel called to go on a mission trip. It is also a challenge to read about their weaknesses and struggles and to discern if they will succeed on a mission trip.
76 students got accepted to one of our 5 trips and both staff and students are busy preparing as the trips start in 6 weeks.
Another new thing I'm learning is how to do interviews with the individuals who apply to be international interns for a year. This week I was part of the interviewing team for a young man who wants to intern on our 2019-2020 team in North Africa. This young man has a great heart for God and for journeying with others who don't know Jesus. However, there are concerns about team dynamics and if he's the right fit for the team. These are the tensions we wrestle with regularly as we send students to the world.
Thank you so much for standing with me in this ministry. Your prayers and financial support make all of this possible. What a blessing you are to me.
On a personal note:
It's been an intense past five weeks for my family. After an extended season of high stress, my brother Trevor (pictured below) had a mental breakdown. He was hospitalized for 3.5 weeks to get some mental health help, was unsuccessfully discharged and is currently back in the hospital. We were told at the beginning that this journey would be a marathon and not a sprint. We were also told that there would be ups and downs, but I don't think anything could have prepared us for what we've experienced. Please join us in praying,
that Trevor would sleep. He's had multiple stretches of days where he only sleeps a few hours a night.
that Trevor would learn coping strategies to reduce his anxiety and racing thoughts.
for Trevor's wife, Hannah, as she cares for Trevor, their young daughter, Amelia, and herself.
the medical staff to know how best to care for him.
