Imagine hanging up the phone like this: “Good bye! I’ll talk to you again in a few months.” We had a mini 2-week ‘taste’ of this: Practical Skills/Simple Living class, during which we cut ourselves off from modern conveniences .
Making flour tortillas with daddy |
- We practiced ‘supply buying’- ordering our food for the next 2 weeks via radio, having another team purchase our supplies for us. We likewise shopped for a different team.
- Scratch cooking only- no kitchen appliances (incl. microwave, coffee maker, bread machine, kitchenaid, crock pot…), no prepackaged, instant, or processed foods.
- Internet and phone use: 1 hour per week (and no social networking, shopping, or recreational internet usage).
- Limited electricity: At 8pm each evening we had to turn off every light and rely on candles/flashlights.
homemade soft pretzels!! |
The biggest impact this had on us was imagining what it may feel like to be out of touch with family and friends- both from the lack of face-to-face contact, and coming out of a culture so deep into instant social networking. In all honesty, it’s already been difficult over these years of training to be away from ‘home’- it is tempting to feel like we are forgotten about since we’re not there (and we’re still in the States with phones and internet!). We’re increasingly aware of the need to be encouraging each other as the Body of Christ and praying for one another. Challenge: Contact a missionary, or even a long-distance friend/family member! It will encourage them!
ready for our Practical Skills Outing! |
In mid-October, we had a Practical Skills Outing (not a Family Fun Center type of “outing”, in case you were getting excited)… a wilderness camping experience. We used a compass to locate our campsite (aka: random spot in the woods), and built a shelter (waterproof, ‘warm’) with tarps. Noe built a fantastic shelter (see photos), and we spent three chilly nights there with some of our classmates, with classes (i.e. knife sharpening, chainsaws, chicken butchering, etc.), and cooking our meals over a fire. We also experienced some likely on-the-field scenarios, such as no power or no running water for 1-2 days.
working together to build our shelter |
the completed shelter! |
Our Teaching Considerations class reminded us that the way and the method we use to teach Biblical truths in our Western culture may not connect at all with a tribal person’s culture and context!
Similarly, the Curriculum Development class emphasizes the fact that learning language is NOT sufficient for translating and teaching God’s Word in a way that the people will understand! A teacher of the Bible MUST understand the culture, beliefs, behaviors and motivations, and influences of the people being spoken to! We risk losing the connection if we do not consider these significant barriers to understanding and meaning!
Exciting news:
The birthday girl!! (aka “Cinderella”) |
- 1.5 months left of our training! (Then next semester’s Linguistics course for Lisa)
- 1 year from now, we anticipate having just moved to Seattle to prepare for the field!
- Jocellyn turned 3 on November 2nd!
- We have finished developing new photo cards! Expect newsletters and photo cards in your mailbox (yes, your real mailbox) soon! If you’d like extras to share what we’re doing with others, please let us know.
- We will be IN SEATTLE for Christmas break! Would you or your small group be interested in hearing from us/getting involved? We will be in the Northwest from Christmas until mid-January.