Since three pm on the 24th of May, our team of three have been getting to know each other and spending a lot of time together, since that's what you do here.
First off, AIM's HQ is not at all what I expected, but it is really really nice. Its very similar to the house that my family used to stay at that was just outside of Wisconsin Dells. There's a train track that is close, so I get to hear the whistle every now and then, and there are lots of evergreens and plants surrounding the HQ building. Its really a nice place, sort of like a hotel, but more home like than any hotel that I have ever ventured into.
I finally got to meet Rae on the first day that we arrived and it was great. I am rooming with Kristina and Rob is all the way down the hall from us in the upper level of HQ, where there are twelve housing rooms to accommodate the missionaries that are passing to and fro. As a team, God is pouring out blessings which are above my wildest dreams to imagine or comprehend.
We have only been together for about twenty-four hours and we are already a close-knit unit that only God could have made us into for this trip of His to Kenya and Minah. The first night that we had together we spent about two hours talking about the initiation information that comes along with meeting new people. Stuff like families, quirks, interests and Rob's southern accent. Then we had supper with Rae. Finally, we finished off the evening by playing an assigned team building game, cleverly titled, "Getting to know me." I admit an initial hesitance, even when we were first talking, to be open, emotional (at a normal person rate, not a drama queen, but normalish). The assigned game was simple, there was a deck of cards (not playing cards though) and we spread them out on the table and took turns choosing cards and answering the questions that were on them. God, being sovereign over a little thing like the game we were playing, had me choosing really deep, emotionally involving, character revealing, challenging cards and answering questions that I simply could conceal myself through. For example: "What are your spiritual strengths and weaknesses?" Rob and Kristina, on the other hand, got questions like, "What is your favourite type of music?" (Kristina's). Or, "What is your favourite month?" (Rob's). God moved so that the stubborn and disobedient Chelsy would have to lie or be vulnerable, and the truth side of me would have none of the faking it stuff, so on the first night I got very real with people that are not strangers to me anymore. Praise God that He has looked at all the details and is powerful to compensate for my introverted tendency. Praise Him.
So, the 25th, today, was full of instruction from different staffers. We had a culture + worldviews "lecture" this morning, and then we had lunch. We were supposed to meet with Rae after that, but she was detained for the day with business for another trip. So instead she gave us these books and told us to go through the spiritual warfare chapter together. In the first hour and a half we made it through a page an a half. There were many side tangents that we were kind of "reliving life" together through, because before yesterday, we were unable to actually live life together. We talked about deep things; things that I haven't gone so deep with some of the gals in my Bible study. We talked about spiritual giftedness, for some reason Kristina was really interested in what gifts I had and especially what the gift of discernment looks like in my life when it is fleshed out. We talked about weaknesses and strengths, we took a long hard look into our individual weaknesses actually. We looked at them again later on in the night through the context of the armour of God, and what we find that we are good at putting on and keeping on, and which pieces that we struggle to carry with us. Its crazy, no group of people that I have ever heard of have had their hearts mesh so fluidly, and it is only because of the grace of God and the Spirits interweaving and interlocking of our heart that this bonding has happened. We have discovered that where one of us is weak, another seems to be very strong, and when this compensation and complimentation doesn't happen, I have reminded myself that we still have a team leader to meet tomorrow, and God will make up all shortcomings that we have to bring a child of His into the Kingdom.
I do not know who will understand this when it is read, but I will say it anyway, and this is my warning. When I was at Village Creek Bible Camp, a dear friend that I made over the years working there was Andy Wolfe (Hi, Andy). He could tell me what I was thinking most of the time. Verbal communication was not amazingly necessary when we were in the same room, especially on my part, because Andy could just respond to my thought, which was really scary the first time I realized that he was able to do it. In the same token Grant Baker (Hi, Grant) is readable to me. It drives him absolutely crazy sometimes because thought life is supposedly private, but for him, not so much. I say this because I can read Kristina and Rob in very similar ways. So much so that I felt comfortable to lovingly and gently challenge Rob today. God has showed me some of their gifts that they aren't really fully aware of. God has been opening my eyes and having me see them as He sees them. Its amazing. Through the Spirit telling me and shedding light on Kristina's life, a was able to tell her what the spiritual gifts were that she already knew that she had. It was crazy sitting there thinking to myself, "She's got evangelism and hospitality, yeah hospitality hard core." Then when she said them, I was blown away by realizing what the Spirit had just done. Also, at supper tonight, Kristina and I had our first nonverbal communicae, Rob, I feel, is soon to follow. It is God's plan, and that is the best way that I can come up with to explain it.
I do not know how to tell you about the relationship bonds that God has made between us in the short time that we have been in New York better than what I have said so far, so I digress, hoping that what I have tried to say will be proven as God works in us in Africa.
I am well, we leave HQ tomorrow at 2pm to catch a 6pm flight to London. I am excited.
Finally, we need prayer warriors who are willing to take up the cause of Christ by praying for our team and the plans that God has for us in Kenya and Minah. Please, take it to the prayer closet. We are meeting with God in a similar closet, and will be there, even if we are miles away.
Love, cj
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