“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Josh. 3:5

Welcome to the world, Grayson Lee!

My dear cousin Emilie gave birth to a healthy baby boy, their first baby, Monday night. I’m in love with him already.

Life here at FPO goes by pretty quickly. It’s crazy to think that I’m already in week 3. Days are long; we’re in classes during the week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., if not later. We’re learning about everything on the planet that’s related to ministry or could prepare us for life overseas. Each week has a theme. The first week was more of an intro to life here and what we’ll be doing during FPO. Last week was focusing on personal discipleship, which was awesome. We had 3-hour sessions on prayer and 5-hour sessions on doctrine, all followed up with details like payroll or insurance. By Friday, my brain was gone. So much stinkin information in five days. All I can pray is that I’ll recall this stuff when I need it.

This week is affinity week, which has been really awesome. Monday we studied anthropology, and Tuesday we broke into worldview workshops. Meals are even based on what week it is. We had two special meals at lunch where we ate like different cultures. The first meal was bortsch (pardon my spelling), rye bread, and sour cream, based on Central Asian culture. The second was Middle Eastern. I forgot the name, but it was some sort of “salad” (picture fruit salsa, except it was onions and some other diced vegetables) and meatballs that we ate by tearing off pieces of flatbread and grabbing the food with it. Quite delicious actually and both fun experiences. Unfortunately I’ve heard we only have one more.

Visa details are still being worked out. I got my paperwork for my initial visa today, and my departure date was pushed back four days to October 9 for my language school partner.

New requests:

• Stability and consistency in emotions and thoughts. I feel like it’s the middle of the school semester, and I can’t form intelligent, coherent sentences because I’m so zapped. And it’s been a super emotional time for many, many different reasons (I think my record for days crying in a row now is up to 12). No worries, a lot of those days were empathizing with others. I’m not THAT distressed.

• Discernment in knowing what’s truth in my head and what are lies, and strength for fighting those lies. I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s true that I can’t do this by myself, that I’m human and sinful and in need of Him, but the great, awesome hope is that He is my sufficiency and power.

• Emilie and Josh as they are trying to figure out how to raise a baby and are getting used to there being a third one in their family.

The travel saga

After a crazy travel experience, I am here, alive though tired, at FPO.

I was originally supposed to arrive in Richmond around 5:30 after connecting in Atlanta. I met up with seven other Jman in Atlanta and was super encouraged by their passion and excitement. Together we boarded our plane bound for Richmond and waited on the runway to take off... and waited... and waited. Three hours later, the pilot turns our plane back around, and our flight is officially canceled because of weather.

We wait in a line for an hour to rebook our flight, only to find out that they were only able to rebook one of us for 10 p.m. that night. The two guys in the group will be flying out around 10 a.m. the next morning, and the rest of us have a flight at 12:48 p.m. We get in another line for hotel vouchers where we wait in that line for another hour... only to find out that we won't be getting a voucher because our cancellation was due to inclement weather. They tell us we can, however, get a hotel at a discounted price. After booking two rooms for the seven of us, we make our way down to baggage claim to try to figure out what's happening to our luggage. Once again, we wait in ANOTHER line for 30 minutes to find out our luggage has been routed to Richmond. They did give us a complementary toilettry set, complete with mini-deodorant and a t-shirt! We eat some precious food finally at 9:30, call the hotel shuttle, and crash in our oversized Sky Team shirts.

The journey doesn't get any easier. When we check in to our flight, we find out our flight has been delayed until 2. Seriously?? Another delay?? With no other options, we park ourselves next to our gate, whip out our books and laptops, and wait. Again. Our gate gets switched to one right across from us, and 20 minutes was added to our departure time. Then, five minutes before our departure time, our gate is switched from D13 to B25. B 25. In another terminal. We slowly follow the frustrated, groaning mass down the long escalator, onto the tram, down two stops, up the long escalator, and finally to B25. I can thankfully say that at 2:40, our plane got off the ground with the five of us on it, arrived safely, our luggage was waiting for us when we got there, and the shuttle transported us to the center with little to no other hinderances. Even though I've only been here once before, I've never been so overwhelmed with joy at arriving somewhere.

I've made it out to be some really horrible experience, and while it was frustrating at times, it really was a great opportunity to be able to ease into the whole experience. The seven of us got pretty close throughout the whole ordeal, and, hey, it was great practice at being flexible and fluid.

So, now I'm here. Still relieved to be here but also overwhelmed with information, emotions, and insecurities. After talking with some people and going through the binder they gave us, I felt so incompetent and inadequate. Like for real.

My comfort and peace:

"[Jesus said] 'Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.'" John 15:4-5

It's true - apart from Him, I really can't do anything. But the awesome truth is that the Spirit is in me, and he can really do some pretty powerful things. So for now, I think I'm going to quit focusing on all my shortcomings and worries and abide in him. He's pretty awesome.

Malaria, Earthquakes, and Sovereignty

With orientation just around the corner, my days have been full of ensuring I have everything ready for the next two months. In addition to racking my brain for what I should pack, there's also a lot of paperwork. I can only pray that I've read and printed everything that I'll need.

I did learn one thing today from all the reading: I will probably get malaria at least once in the next two years.

Which reminds me of something else you can add to your pr-yer list: health and safety.

Now, I know following Him isn't all about safety and security. In fact, oftentimes, obedience will lead us into situations that aren't safe or easy. Our comfort is that G*d is King and in control, so those risky situations in reality aren't really risky at all when we're following our good Father.

That being said, I definitely don't think we should ask for illnesses or dangers since they would hinder our work.

Anyways. Done rambling. Back to prayer requests.

As you probably guessed, malaria is extremely prevalent in the country I'm going to, as well as lots of other not-fun fevers and diseases. In my time talking with my supervisors, their family has gotten sick numerous times from various things.

Earthquakes aren't uncommon either... so please lift up me and my team as we aren't in the safest of places. And pray for comfort for my family. Especially for my dear mother.

I love knowing, though, that no matter what happens, be it good or bad, He will accomplish what He wills and glorify His name.

"When I cannot stand I'll fall on you. Jesus, you're my hope and stay."

And the goodbyes have begun.

Each one makes this thing all the more real.

I really am going 10,000 miles away from everything familiar to a country where the food is new, the language is new, the people are new.

This is going to happen.

The goodbyes are rough. I'm pretty good at holding myself together until I get to myself when I am suddenly swarmed by emotions and have to, once again, fall before my King, recognizing I totally need him to do this.

Before anyone doubts whether or not this is something I actually want to do, I do want to do this. I am excited. This is a huge opportunity to go and make His name known among the nations.

It's just the anticipation that kills.

But G*d is so good. His faithfulness and love is mind-blowing. I can't wait to share it with the students over there.

"Surely those who know the great passionate heart of Jehovah must deny their own loves in order to share in the expression of his." - Jim Elliot