Fueling up Before Departure

This was one of the trails I would run on :)

My mind is fairly bursting! I was blessed by an incredible week of training at Team Expansion's Emerald Hills, a beautiful prayer, retreat, & learning center. I know I am much more prepared both mentally and spiritually for the challenges I am sure to face during my time in Romania. My days usually started around 5:45am with a run on the beautiful trails in the woods (they didn't require this, it was by choice), getting ready in the beautiful home of our host family the Carters, breakfast, and devotions started at 8am followed by a myriad of classes and activities.  After all our classes and wonderful  meals supplied by a local church we would finish the night with a little hang time.  This all usually lasted until 11pm after which I would return and crash at the Carter's so I could start it all over the next day!

Needless to say they packed lots of learning and growing time into that one week. The classes prepared us for the unique challenges and exciting experiences we will face during time in another country seeking to reach others with the love and truth of the Gospel. We also got to take language acquisition classes which helped boost my confidence about learning Romanian. We met with the head of global security for a class as well as personal sessions to discuss any necessary security measures. However, Romania is a fairly mild country and the place I am going is reasonably safe. Other classes included evangelism, cultural differences, team interactions/conflict, etc.  I was able to get to know other young people spending their summers in different countries throughout the world. They were all such a blessing to learn with and from.

One of my favorite fun activities was the team building time that included a low-ropes obstacle coarse (see pictures below).  It was an incredible time of digging into God's Word & learning from missionaries who have had lots of experience on the field. I appreciated the wisdom and encouragement they shared. Team Expansion is a ministry simply drenched in prayer; the example of praying without ceasing that they displayed there was a huge blessing. I thank them and all of you for your prayers encouragement as I continue to prepare for my time in Romania. Praise God for blessing me beyond measure and I pray that I will in return be a blessing to the people I meet in Romania! The countdown is 12 DAYS!

Low Ropes: balance & teamwork were key.

 

 

 

Human Knot Challenge

A strictly NO talking challenge!