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Well, it got crazy busy and I was depending on a computer in the common area. So I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted updating the blog. However, I promise, I will get you updated on all the wonderful events and details of training before the end of the weekend!
Whew! We've done a lot in the last two days. We've been busy from 8:00 to 5:00 each day and will be again tomorrow.
Yesterday we heard from a number of department heads. They shared with us their personal histories with World Venture as well as their current roles. Lots of organizational structure information and so forth - you know, all the stuff you have to learn when you first get to any new organization.
Today we started in on our personal introductions. We'll use them many, many times as we start talking in churches, women's groups, Sunday schools, and many other places.
So we all had to get up in front of the group and talk about our personal testimony, how we've gotten to this stage and what we plan on doing and where we will be doing that - all in under 90 seconds (2 minutes for married couples)!! Yikes!!
I thought I didn't have enough material to make it work for a minute and a half, so I slowed down and added some extra details. When I got cut off at 90 seconds, I was only about 2/3 done. Everyone was critiqued on their presentations, which turned out to be quite helpful.
We also had to do a 5-7 minute presentation in front of a variety of hypothetical groups. Mine was a group of Sunday school teachers. Some others were a group of 4 & 5 year olds, a women's group, a missions board, etc. The purpose was to prepare us for any group that we would run into. We were able to use the same basic information for each group, but needed to tailor it to each of their demographic levels. I found that to be pretty helpful as well, but mostly it was fun pretending to be a four-year-old or a snotty junior high kid! ;-)
At the end of the day, we all re-presented our 90-second intros. I was able to condense mine and keep all the pertinent information in only 1 minute and 25 seconds!!!! Who knew I could do that!!! LOL Everyone did an outstanding job. We'll be presenting them to an audience of about 150 people on Monday morning at our Recognition Service.
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Tonight, I'm meeting Ruth Hughie for dinner. Ruthie used to live in Tucson and we both attended the same church. Now she lives in the Denver area and I was very sad to see her go. So I'm very excited to get a little time with her.
Well, off I go. I'll get back to you again as soon as possible.
So yesterday I had my debriefing with the psychologist. She went over the results of the tests I had taken about 2 months ago (personality bubble test and cross cultural adaptation test). We talked about strategies for coping with living in another culture and what I can do to prepare.
Overall, the tests tell me that I'm average. Who knew ;-) Not so crazy afterall.
By the end of the day, all of the candidates had completed their psych debriefing and interviews with the committee. Everyone made it through! Yay for God!! Very exciting!
I had lunch with the Internation Ministries Director of Africa, Glenn Kendall, and his wife Kathy. It was very nice and gave me some time to ask questions specific to my ministry in Zambia and South Africa. While I was at their house, the person I will be responsible to in South Africa called. Mark S. and his wife Kathy were also able to provide me with some more specific information and I was able to ask more directed questions.
Last night, a number of us all made stir fry together. One of the women is Japanese and brought her rice cookers with her. So we had a scrumptious meal!
I was so exhausted by the end of the two days of interviews and activity that I was falling asleep by 8:00 PM last night.
Today we start with orientation and classes. 8:00 - 5:00 for three days. More later!
Well, I survived the interview and I'm in!!!!
I've officially been accepted into World Venture. The interview went quite well, though I was very emotional throughout. The board members were all very nice and obviously want us all to succeed and send us out into the mission field.
At the end of the interview, they kicked me out for a few minutes to "discuss amongst themselves." When they brought me back in, they gave me an actual hard, magnetic name tag!! So I'm official now!
Woo hoo!!!
On the way down to the hotel lobby, a young couple got on the elevator with me and saw my folder. They asked if I was with World Venture. It was the other candidate couple. So once again - instant friends!
We all headed to a Covenant church just a few blocks away from the office. They were very excited to see us and asked one of the guys to talk about what the group was doing. Matt did a very nice job.
We all had lunch together and then began playing ice breaker games. The first one was "I Never." The one where one person stands in the middle of the circle and tells something they have never done. If you have done it, you have to get up and change seats. The person in the middle tries to get one of those empty seats. It was pretty entertaining and we did learn some interesting things about each other.
The second game was a make shift mini-golf course. We each had 4 people on our teams. At each of the 9 holes there was a question to help us get to know each other better. Things like: the scariest thing you've ever done, or what's the best thing about where you grew up. It did give us a chance to simply talk to each other.
After a 2-hour orientation meeting, we had dinner - with more converstation. In the evening I went back to the hotel with Kelly Jo and John to study and read for my interview on Monday.
This group of people is very friendly and energetic. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of them and am looking forward to the time we spend together.
Well, I'm going to attempt to blog every day because there is so much happening. We have one computer available to us in the guest lounge.
I arrived in Denver on Saturday afternoon on a very bumpy flight. I really tried my best. But after finally making it into the DIA terminel, I sacrified my lunch to the porcelain gods. Eventually, I found the right luggage carousel, and thankfully both of my bags were on it. Then I found the bus I was to take to Littleton.
While standing at the bus stop, I noticed a girl who looked like she might be headed to World Venture also. I check the schedule that had been sent to me to see if I could figure out who she was. While I was looking, she got on another bus - so obviously not her.
I did notice another name on the list: Youssi. There were three of them (with their 12-year-old daughter), and they should have been on the bus an hour before me. So I figured I'd give it a shot and ask them. English is not their first language, so the conversation went something like this:
Me to the mom: Excuse me, are you the Youssi family?
Mrs: No. then a little pause while the wheels were turning. Oh yes, we are the El Youssi family. Are you going to World Venture too?
Me: yes, I am.
After that it was a flurry of hugs and exchanging names. Instant friends!!! Husband would no longer let me touch my luggage. He insisted on making sure it all got on the bus, then off again when we arrived at our stop. :-D
World Venture headquarters has a guest wing for candidates and missionaries who come home for home assignment. So most of the candidates and their children are staying here. I am staying at a nearby hotel as is one other couple, since there was no more room in the inn. We ate dinner here as people were coming in. Then I took one of the cars available to all of us to head over to the hotel.
So I'm getting ready to go to Colorado on Saturday for the World Venture interviews, commissioning, and trainging. I'm excited. But also stressed.
I'm trying to get as caught up at work as I possibly can (I'm perpetually 2-4 weeks behind) and work on all of the assignments I need to have completed for WV before I leave.
And, oh yeah, my brother Michael and his girlfriend Stacia will be here on Thursday and Friday nights. Whew!! Thanks goodness I like them both a lot! For the confused, Carsten and Michael are the same guy. Read more here on the name change. They'll be driving me to the airport in Phoenix on Saturday - nice kids that they are :D
My official interview is on Monday from 2:00 - 3:30. Please pray that God's will shines through for us all to clearly see in this matter.
I'll update again as soon as I can. :-D
I got an e-mail from Mom today. She and Dad are still in Nigeria. Mom said she was offered locusts and honey. And she ate them! Way to go, Mom!!!!
She said she was feeling a bit like John the Baptizer and, "They're not so bad if you don't look at them."
Oh, Dear Lord, I know I'm looking forward to living in Africa. But if there's any way to avoid it, I'd like to not have to eat bugs - of any sort - pleeeease!!!
You all just wait and see...that'll be my cue to eat toasted termites.
I live in a convection oven!
Today it was officially 105 degrees here in the Old Pueblo. Couple that with the 4% humidity and the wind, I could have been cooked in under thirty minutes!!
I am absolutely looking forward to going Colorado (for World Venture interviews and training), if for no other reason than to cool off in the 80 degree temps.
I've also been looking up average temperatures for Lusaka, Zambia. Turns out the average high is between 70 and 85 degrees fahrenheit. Gotta love that!!