"Yes, the nuns made sure of it."
These are the magical people I am working with. And I love them.
So, METE stand for Missionary Equipping and Training Event. There are 9 of us including Rory; all from different parts of the US, all going to different part of the world, all passionate for different areas of ministry. We have one girl who grew up as a mission kid and so she has a real heart for others "MKs" (missionary kids) and will be a dorm mom in Taiwan, a couple who fell in love with Thailand and will be doing "business as ministry" and probably some microfinancing there, another woman who has lived and breathed camp-life for over 10 years and will be taking all her talents to Thailand (though a different area), a young physical therapist who will be making the big move to China to work with Evergreen, and a couple who are fiercely passionate for mission work in general and currently serving in Ecuador (yayyy other Latin American cronies).
These first two days were primarily introductory. A lot of ice breakers and getting to know eachother, the staff within the ECC and Covenant World Mission, and the general overview of everything. There was even Geo-pardy (geography + jeopardy, don't worry, no one else got it either). Honestly? The game part was a little (very) cheesy, but the learning aspect was great. We got to travel around the building to various continents (conference rooms) where staff had set up pictures of the missionaries present in those continents by country and described the cultures and general overview of the work being done in each place. My team started in Asia and I immediately fell in love with the mats and the ridiculous shoe policies and fish farm ministries because our host was so in love with all of it. Then we moved to Africa and I decided immediately that I wanted - nay - needed a piece of fabric to tie Rory to myself and use as a grocery sack and as a dress (also, agriculture and sustainable living within the CAR - my heart is still present there). From there, Europe - which I have already travelled, but we were able to Skype a couple in Belgium and I suddenly was passionate about Antwerp. Seriously, Antwerp. I'm not sure there was ever a place I cared less about, but today? I fell in love, because listening to someone else talk about their call moves me. And it should!
And then, oh and then!, just when I thought perhaps Marko and I had made the wrong choice, I went to Latin America. The amount of info I knew about everything happening within Central and South Americas, the potential, the fact that our picture was among the pictures of missionaries for Mexico - our picture, guys!!! We are faces of CWM and oh my sweet Lord it brought me joy!
This is pretty representative of our night. See my foot? Rory decided around 6am that this is where he needed to sleep. So I have had the great privilege of blogging all morning because I was sitting upright when he placed himself there.
These first two days were primarily introductory. A lot of ice breakers and getting to know eachother, the staff within the ECC and Covenant World Mission, and the general overview of everything. There was even Geo-pardy (geography + jeopardy, don't worry, no one else got it either). Honestly? The game part was a little (very) cheesy, but the learning aspect was great. We got to travel around the building to various continents (conference rooms) where staff had set up pictures of the missionaries present in those continents by country and described the cultures and general overview of the work being done in each place. My team started in Asia and I immediately fell in love with the mats and the ridiculous shoe policies and fish farm ministries because our host was so in love with all of it. Then we moved to Africa and I decided immediately that I wanted - nay - needed a piece of fabric to tie Rory to myself and use as a grocery sack and as a dress (also, agriculture and sustainable living within the CAR - my heart is still present there). From there, Europe - which I have already travelled, but we were able to Skype a couple in Belgium and I suddenly was passionate about Antwerp. Seriously, Antwerp. I'm not sure there was ever a place I cared less about, but today? I fell in love, because listening to someone else talk about their call moves me. And it should!
And then, oh and then!, just when I thought perhaps Marko and I had made the wrong choice, I went to Latin America. The amount of info I knew about everything happening within Central and South Americas, the potential, the fact that our picture was among the pictures of missionaries for Mexico - our picture, guys!!! We are faces of CWM and oh my sweet Lord it brought me joy!
And the blurry pictures of a happy baby abound.
We sat in Latin America and ate mango then sipped matte. Real, delicious, Argentine matte. Needless to say, I emailed my darling Jesús last night and told him I miss him (that would be my roommate from Peru, in case you're curious as to when I had the opportunity to sit down and share tea with our Lord and savior). Oh, Latin America, how in love with you I am! I had almost forgotten.
Everything is being set up so we can fundraise when we return home - so if you'd like to help us flee the country, please let me know - but honestly? The money is just money. What means more is the support and love we are so blessedly receiving all the time from everyone.
It's not hot so much as a sauna. Everything sticks to everything else and I am tired an heavy. I don't think it would be so bad except that Rory is the sweatiest, stickiest, hottest little one I have ever encountered. So he raises the temperature another several degrees. Currently, he is sleep-drunkenly rolling around between Mark and I on the bed, chatting to himself and headbutting us as he tries to sit up and fails. Just when you think you're going to disown your child for waking you at 6am and not being old enough to turn on the coffee, they do something precious like lie on your stomach calling you "mama" over and over again. The cuteness overwhelms.
And then?
Poopy diaper.
Sneaky.
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