{"id":1710,"date":"2015-06-02T13:23:13","date_gmt":"2015-06-02T17:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2015-06-02T13:23:13","modified_gmt":"2015-06-02T17:23:13","slug":"lead-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/2015\/06\/lead-me\/","title":{"rendered":"lead me"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is our “office” right now where all of the research, planning, writing, and coffee drinking is done.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are coming into the last four weeks (ish) before we get on a plane and fly to Papua New Guinea to begin the next phase of our lives. This is the phase that nobody really talks about – maybe because they’re too busy to pause long enough to – but mostly because it’s hard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0This is the time to think about, purchase, and then pack and\/or ship all of the things you’ll need for the next four years. Josh and I don’t have kids, and we don’t have a lot of housing stuff to bring, so this is a little bit easier for us, but it’s still a challenge. How many pairs of shoes will you go through? How many t-shirts, socks, and underwear? And then there are those specific brands\/products that you love, but can only get in the states… How much deodorant or mascara will you use? How about spices?<\/div>\n
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Josh and I went through pre-field orientation two summers ago; while there, they talk to you about the many stages you’ll go through before and after arriving overseas. Then they introduce the “RAFT<\/i>” that helps to bridge the gap and make the transition easier. These are:\u00a0reconciliation, affirmation, farewell,\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0think destination<\/i>. I feel like the last month or two before going overseas is firmly entrenched in the “think destination” part.\u00a0Everything we do now is with the goal of getting us there.\u00a0<\/i>Paperwork is being finalized. Ticket prices are being researched. Belongings are purged. Supplies are purchased, weight is always in mind.\u00a0Life is lived in those percentages<\/a>\u00a0I’ve talked so much about lately. Overseas housing is set up. Arrival plans are established.<\/div>\n
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On top of all of that is the speaking engagements and presentations and time spent visiting and loving on family and friends.\u00a0Like I said recently<\/a>: every day life seems so far and so hard to relate to. \u00a0My friends are making plans for summer camps, a new college, weddings, or a new job. I’m making plans for life in a third world country.<\/div>\n
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The prayer of my heart is that the Lord would lead me to that place where I can trust and love without borders. Lyrics from the song “Oceans” by Hillsong.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s amazing to look back and see the areas where the Lord has grown me. I used to struggle with horrible anxiety. The mere mention of change would cripple me. And now I\u00a0want\u00a0<\/b>to talk about change, and I actually get excited when we do. That’s a huge testament to God’s unending grace in my life! It’s also a huge burden lifted off of Josh, too. Suddenly he has a helpmeet who can actually help to bear the burden of change and plans and life; he no longer has to bear it alone! I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It feels like there are so many things happening, and so many things that need to happen in the coming weeks; but the good news is that God has more than enough grace to cover it all.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are coming into the last four weeks (ish) before we get on a plane and fly to Papua New Guinea to begin the next phase of our lives. This is the phase that nobody really talks about – maybe because they’re too busy to pause long enough to – but mostly because it’s hard. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1080,"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":[4],"tags":[1239,1249,2396,91613,91837,1196,68449,85834,637,2147,490,638],"class_list":{"0":"post-1710","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-ministry","7":"tag-aviation","8":"tag-erin","9":"tag-josh","10":"tag-josh-and-erin-verdonck","11":"tag-josh-verdonck","12":"tag-missionary-aviation","13":"tag-missionary-aviation-png","14":"tag-missionary-life","15":"tag-new-tribes-mission","16":"tag-new-tribes-mission-aviation","17":"tag-ntma","18":"tag-papua-new-guinea","19":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1080"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/josh-verdonck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}