{"id":3216,"date":"2014-05-26T11:24:04","date_gmt":"2014-05-26T11:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/?p=3216"},"modified":"2014-05-26T11:24:04","modified_gmt":"2014-05-26T11:24:04","slug":"furlough-prep-2-accomplishments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/2014\/05\/26\/furlough-prep-2-accomplishments\/","title":{"rendered":"Furlough Prep 2: Accomplishments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>What have been your biggest accomplishments this first term?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Making Home &#8211; <\/strong>When we left for Africa I knew that our first term would be difficult.\u00a0 We were facing the biggest change of our lifetime and that change would require sacrifice from every member of our family.\u00a0 My prayer to God is that by the end of our first term we would leave Africa not afraid of whether or not we would want to come back.\u00a0 God has gone beyond that prayer.\u00a0 I not only have no fear about whether we will want to come back, but I honestly feel like we are leaving our home.\u00a0 This little town has become our home.\u00a0 We have friends and family here.\u00a0\u00a0 We have a church we belong to here.\u00a0 Yes we stick out.\u00a0 Yes we still sound funny when we talk.\u00a0 Yes we still need to work on how we dance.\u00a0 Yes we still make many mistakes.\u00a0 Yet despite all that, we have have a place here and we thank God for that immensely.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beginning the Process of Becoming<\/strong> &#8211; The process of entering into culture and is a very humbling process.\u00a0 It is a process that we will never be done with, but we have made great strides in the process.\u00a0 We have now come far enough that we see the value and the results which makes it easier to press on.\u00a0 We are so thankful we have started on this path as a family and believe in the importance of it for all those who minister here.<\/li>\n<li><strong>French &#8211; <\/strong>We will never be done, but this first term brought us a long way in terms of our French.\u00a0 Far enough that we have now moved on to Wolof.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beginning of Ministry <\/strong>&#8211; Teaching future African Missionaries, leading Sunday School, Kids camps, organizing conferences, participating in village churches, encouraging missionaries in remote locations, orientation for new missionaries, women&#8217;s retreats&#8230;We have had many opportunities even in little time we have been here.\u00a0 We continue to be excited by all that God lays in front of our path.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dependence On God &#8211; <\/strong>The adventures this first 3 years have brought us has taught us how to trust God in a way we never knew before.\u00a0 We have learned that the most important thing is just to follow where God leads and that he leads us usually only one step at a time.\u00a0 It is amazingly freeing to know that and I just need to follow where God leads each day and take advantage of the opportunities he places before me.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>African Mother&#8217;s Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong>Yesterday was African Mother&#8217;s day.\u00a0 For the second year in a row the ladies of our church decided to celebrate this day with our sisters out in the village.\u00a0 I woke up in the morning not really wanting to go as usual, but by the end of the day I was so glad I went!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3223\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3223\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040469.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3223 \" title=\"P1040469\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040469.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040469.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040469-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040469-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3223\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There was a lot of women from our church who went this year. The bus was jam packed for the 2 hour drive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3218\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3218\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040459.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3218 \" title=\"P1040459\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040459.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040459.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040459-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040459-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3218\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yet the laughter, singing and fellowship in the bus brought me so much joy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3225\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3225\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040476.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3225 \" title=\"P1040476\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040476.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040476.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040476-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040476-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3225\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The best part was gathering together with another church<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3221\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3221\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040467.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3221 \" title=\"P1040467\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040467.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040467.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040467-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040467-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3221\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There was teaching from Gods word<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3224\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3224\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040473.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3224 \" title=\"P1040473\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040473.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040473.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040473-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040473-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3224\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Times of testimonies and pray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3222\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3222\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040468.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3222 \" title=\"P1040468\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040468.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040468.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040468-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040468-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3222\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lots of singing and Dancing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3226\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3226\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040479.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3226 \" title=\"P1040479\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040479.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040479.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040479-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040479-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3226\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">And we ended our day with lunch around 4:30<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3217\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3217\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040480.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3217 \" title=\"P1040480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040480.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040480-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040480-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3217\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I returned home hot, sunburned, layered in dust, and very tired<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3219\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3219\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040462.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3219 \" title=\"P1040462\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040462.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040462.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040462-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040462-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3219\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">But those smiles throughout the day, made it all worth it<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3220\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3220\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040464.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3220 \" title=\"P1040464\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040464.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040464.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040464-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/files\/2014\/05\/P1040464-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3220\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It was a day of making memories, starting new relationships, and strengthening old ones <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What have been your biggest accomplishments this first term? Making Home &#8211; When we left for Africa I knew that our first term would be difficult.\u00a0 We were facing the biggest change of our lifetime and that change would require sacrifice from every member of our family.\u00a0 My prayer to God is that by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":830,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2545],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3216","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-updates-and-news","7":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/830"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}