4:30pm - still in Charlotte, North Carolina
Dear Friends,
I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina. I've been here for alomst a full day and have the ability to take in some of the campus here at SIM. The place is on 60 acres of an old horse ranch. There are tall green trees and long green pastures. There is a small bridge near by with a creek. I had the opportunity to walk around just a bit and really enjoy the campus. The missionary residence is quite nice. The colors are a neutral and relaxing.
There isn't much going on today. People are still arriving. My drive Stuart said that there will be people arriving all hours of the day until midnight tonight. So far there are now four of us. One woman from Washington state, another from Maine, my roomate is from Texas, and then there is me.
Something that I find quite pleasing about this group, is that everyone has International on the mind. Everyone has already been somewhere. And everyone to some degree is aware that when you leave the US you're a student of this planet we live on.
As I was walking to the chapel, I accidentally walked in through the stage of the chapel. So I was pulling on the door hoping to get in, not realizing that the entrance was on the other side. What was worse is that the door was glass but smoked. So I couldn't see in but all the SIM folk could see out. I realized this when I pressed my forehead against the glass to look in and realized that half the people attending chapel had their fingers pointing towards the next door entrance. I made an obviously embarrassed facec and proceeded to enter through the correct door. Now I know why Dan and VFC are so big on signs.
So I sat in during a morning chapel service and heard two missionaries from Phillippines talk about all the work that they're doing there. God is using them to touch ever age group in so many ways. I honestly don't know how they do it all.
Another woman stood up to say her goodbye to the organization. She was leaving her 6 year assignment to go to Colorado and work there with an international childrens ministry.
I then left at the end of chapel to enjoy a nice walk around campus. The weather is excellent. Warm with a cool breeze. A day I'd call perfect. After my walk, I took a nap and headed back up to my dorm.
Stuarts wife made a great lunch where we all sat and talked about all the places everyone has been. We had an elderly couple that was part of the media team. They were the sweetest couples ever. Stuary and Donna lived in Africa for 15+ years. In fact she had her son and four months later they moved to Africa and then had a daughter there in Malawi. Another woman spent months in India. Another woman spent months in China and Ethiopia. And then a woman came and sat with us towards the end to talk about Ethiopia too. And for the most part they are all women.
So when I talk to these people they all know that Africa is a continent not a country. That African is not the language spoke there. That AIDS exists. That babies get HIV for very "strange" reasons. That Oprah is not God. That the smallest kindness makes a difference. That miracles exist. God heals. God is.
I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina. I've been here for alomst a full day and have the ability to take in some of the campus here at SIM. The place is on 60 acres of an old horse ranch. There are tall green trees and long green pastures. There is a small bridge near by with a creek. I had the opportunity to walk around just a bit and really enjoy the campus. The missionary residence is quite nice. The colors are a neutral and relaxing.
There isn't much going on today. People are still arriving. My drive Stuart said that there will be people arriving all hours of the day until midnight tonight. So far there are now four of us. One woman from Washington state, another from Maine, my roomate is from Texas, and then there is me.
Something that I find quite pleasing about this group, is that everyone has International on the mind. Everyone has already been somewhere. And everyone to some degree is aware that when you leave the US you're a student of this planet we live on.
As I was walking to the chapel, I accidentally walked in through the stage of the chapel. So I was pulling on the door hoping to get in, not realizing that the entrance was on the other side. What was worse is that the door was glass but smoked. So I couldn't see in but all the SIM folk could see out. I realized this when I pressed my forehead against the glass to look in and realized that half the people attending chapel had their fingers pointing towards the next door entrance. I made an obviously embarrassed facec and proceeded to enter through the correct door. Now I know why Dan and VFC are so big on signs.
So I sat in during a morning chapel service and heard two missionaries from Phillippines talk about all the work that they're doing there. God is using them to touch ever age group in so many ways. I honestly don't know how they do it all.
Another woman stood up to say her goodbye to the organization. She was leaving her 6 year assignment to go to Colorado and work there with an international childrens ministry.
I then left at the end of chapel to enjoy a nice walk around campus. The weather is excellent. Warm with a cool breeze. A day I'd call perfect. After my walk, I took a nap and headed back up to my dorm.
Stuarts wife made a great lunch where we all sat and talked about all the places everyone has been. We had an elderly couple that was part of the media team. They were the sweetest couples ever. Stuary and Donna lived in Africa for 15+ years. In fact she had her son and four months later they moved to Africa and then had a daughter there in Malawi. Another woman spent months in India. Another woman spent months in China and Ethiopia. And then a woman came and sat with us towards the end to talk about Ethiopia too. And for the most part they are all women.
So when I talk to these people they all know that Africa is a continent not a country. That African is not the language spoke there. That AIDS exists. That babies get HIV for very "strange" reasons. That Oprah is not God. That the smallest kindness makes a difference. That miracles exist. God heals. God is.
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