training recap!

there were about twenty of us. at first we didn't know each others' age, denomination, background, family history, college, etc...all we knew was that we had the same passion and the same goal. that alone brought us together like nothing else could, and within HOURS, we were a family. i would imagine that it was a small taste of what heaven will be like, and with that in mind... i cannot WAIT until the Lord calls us home. it took me a day or so before i realized that i didn't have to be anything with my family here but myself. the love and acceptance was indescribable.

the sessions themselves were extremely informative and useful. i feel so much more prepared now than before. we learned about culture shock and how to deal with it, spiritual warfare, fundraising, emotional health, conflict resolution (boy did i learn a lot here!), writing, public speaking, language learning, and so much more. our days were jam-packed with different sessions and though our evenings were free, we packed them with games of ultimate frisbee, rounds of volleyball, and travels to the city. i even learned how to swing dance, which i'm told i am VERY good at and have an "amazing sense of internal rhythm."

three of our team are already out on the field (two in the philippines and one in japan) and others leave for places such as russia, kosovo, far east asia, poland, prague, spain, and taiwan over the next few months...and no matter where and when we go, we'll always be the STT SUMMER CLASS OF JUNE 2007!