missionaryMAC

I always ask teams to be flexible, even before they ever hit the field as they browse the DRAFT (yes, I usually include that word in all caps in the filename) schedules I send them.  I didn't mean THIS flexible, though, in the case of a Belize mission team from Trinity Lutheran in Houston, TX. I'm supposed to be landing at Philip W. Goldson International Airport soon; instead, I'm blogging.  A group of nine was supposed  to install a playground at Little Lambs Lutheran Preschool in Valley of Peace beginning Thursday. The Belize mission's resident contractor & his hardworking crew had long ago removed the old equipment and leveled the terrain so work could begin bright and early.  And it would have, except there sits the palette...having never left the shipper's US warehouse. What was supposed to arrive in-country on June 12 is now expected on or after July 2.  The team leader messaged me Thursday at 12:33 pm to see when I could hop on a call, ominously sayin...

The second-longest work trip I can remember continued after I dropped off  Lutheran South  at the airport; I had two days until four faculty/staff from Concordia University in Seward, NE (CUNE), would arrive. I LOVE my job, but needless to say I needed some introvert time.  Julie (far right), CUNE's Director of Global Opportunities, has supported the sending of numerous CUNE volunteers to LAC during my tenure; I've personally hosted students in the DR and Uruguay. The impetus behind this student- free trip was a grant she received to better equip colleagues as far as the planning and execution of study tours in their various areas. What better way to learn than to go through the motions? Julie hand-picked ten who embody the sought-after set of leadership characteristics, three of whom joined her for a 3-day plunge. I knew Hannah (2nd from L) from volunteering at the 2022 Youth Gathering .  With such a short time on the ground, I crammed our days full of everything on...

Team #1 of back-to-back teams in Belize over the past 2 weeks (9 Spanish students + 2 chaperones from my alma mater, Lutheran High School South in Affton, MO) told me I should try and use as much Gen Z slang as possible with team #2. I don't tend to be very  devious , but I told them I'd  low key try. In keeping with the many experiences, meals, comments, and more that figured into top 10  lists as the week wore on, it's an undeniable fact that they're among my top 10 high school teams in Belize. I couldn't limit myself to my top 10 photos, though! Bunk sweet bunk for the next 2 weeks. My ride for the usual round of pre-trip errands. I'd pick up a 15-passenger van when I picked up the team. Host family meals are a chance for individual missionaries to tell their stories. Here, the team learns from the Rev. Jason Groth after enjoying shredded chicken tacos on their first night. Fresh tortillas are a necessity for breakfast tacos. They're sold here every day f...

No, really: this is a post about goat!  Saturday morning, I had the VERY Dominican experience of buying and seasoning it for a coworker who'd later grill it as the main dish for the May iteration of the DR team's monthly meeting > Bible study > English worship service > potluck.  Casa del Chivo is just around the corner from one of the grocery stores I frequent. The place was hopping! I ordered 5 lbs. of male goat meat, cut into pieces more or less the size of my palm.  You can see the camera back up at the end when a bone chip came flying at me! Step 1: lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Step 2: spice rub (chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, curry, ginger, and thyme). Then: into the fridge to marinate for ~48 hours.  The Stigdons kindly lent their built-in, outdoor grill and had even just made some timely improvements to better trap the heat of the coals.  Taste test: predictably a bit chewier than goat that's been guisado (braised in a fl...