Palmer Lake, Colorado: MTI

We've made it to the 3rd week of our training at MTI. We are in the last week of our SPLICE training which is the program that covers the personal aspects of missionary life. Next week we will start PILAT which covers language learning techniques. So far we've been very impressed with the training offered here at MTI and we definitely feel it has been valuable and we highly recommend it.

One of the elements that is emphasized by the staff at MTI is building a community among the participants. They told us that their goal is for us to have painful goodbyes when we part ways with our fellow SPLICE attendees. We have gotten to know our fellow future missionaries very well and we can already tell it will be hard to say good bye. We have been encouraged by the fellowship we've had with the many like-minded people around us, and it have been refreshing to talk with those who are wrestling with many of the same issues we are.

We've been taking advantage of the plethora of hiking trails around this area. We've also been biking when possible which isn't all that often because the weather up here is rather finicky. We used to think that the weather in Illinois changed quickly but it's nothing compared to the mountains. It has also been pretty cold, one day last week the high was only 50 degrees. I will admit it is pretty cool to enjoy a morning bike ride with a view of Pike's Peak.

We will keep you all updated as we continue to learn and explore the area around Palmer lake.

Colorado: Colt Ranch

On Friday May 22nd Andy and I left for our required training in Colorado Springs. Our training here at MTI begins officially today, but we decided to take a few days over the weekend to relax and reconnect after a busy and stressful semester. Andy picked out a wonderful bed & breakfast (Colt Ranch) in Southern Colorado, just North of the New Mexico boarder.

The couple who run Colt Ranch breed highland cattle and have several horses and burros. Their property also includes what is now the abandoned mining town of Primero. We had a beautiful view of the mountains from out window and went hiking between the rain showers. The local scenery reminded us a lot of Turvo with all the pine trees, hills and adobe-style homes.I had never been west of Missouri so I have been soaking up all the new scenery, we are definitely enjoying the diversity of God's beautiful creation.

This morning we drove our last 2 1/2 hours up to MTI. We'll have our orientation later on this afternoon.

Follow this link to more pictures.

Visa Drama

Finish school: check. Move out of our house: check. Begin fund raising: check. Turn in visa application: not quite.

Here's an update on our visa situation so far. Our applications have been turned down twice by the Brazilian consulate in Chicago. The first time we were rejected because applicants for a missionary visa much apply in person. After some last minute scrambling, Andy made the trip up to Chicago on April 24th. We were rejected again, this time because we lacked a necessary document from Brazil. Currently we are waiting for this necessary document to arrive. We were hoping to receive it on May 7th (yesterday) and go to Chicago today but that didn't happen.

Both Andy and I are frustrated about the visa situation, and even though we would love to just have deliverance we suspect God's trying to develop us. We hope we can get our applications turned in before we have to leave for Colorado on May 22nd. We covet your prayers.

Update

A lot has happened since I wrote our first post back in December. Here's a brief update for those who are interested.

On April 18th we will move out of our little rental house and move in with Gary and Mary K Rumbold who have graciously agreed to house us for a month before we leave for training in Colorado on May 23rd. We are hoping that we can use the month with the Rumbold's to save up some additional money (plus, they're a lot of fun to hang out with).

We almost have all the necessary paperwork to apply for our visas. If all goes smoothly we will turn in our paperwork for processing in the next two weeks. Jake and Amanda Teater (fellow CLM missionaries) just received their visas and it took about 4 months for their processing. We're hoping that we will receive our visas by August but we're bracing for a longer wait.

The first Sunday in May we will begin fund raising at Northfield (our home church). We have figured out our monthly budget and one-time expenses.

I have four weeks of school left and then I'll officially be a college graduate. I'm really looking forward to being done! Andy will finish work on May 22nd, right before we leave for Colorado.

Overall things have been very busy but we are getting more and more excited as we go through the process of preparing to leave. We are looking forward to seeing how God provides for all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!

Welcome

I decided it's probably time to start a blog as Andy and I begin our journey to Southern Brazil.
A little history on where we are right now:
-We've been approved by the ACCF missionary committee to go to CLM
-We're hoping to leave for Brazil in August of 2009
-Meanwhile, I'm finishing my bachelor's at Illinois State University and Andy's working full time
-In mid-May we will leave for Colorado to attend the Missionary Training International prep courses on missionary life and language learning

A few prayer requests as we prepare:
-Continued growth in Christ as individuals and as couple
-God's timing in the visa process
-Learning Portuguese! Pray the Spirit will loosen our tongues to learn quickly and with God's ability not by our own strength
-Continued enthusiasm and confidence in God's calling for our lives