missionaryMAC

It's a quiet afternoon in the office as I put the finishing touches on plans for OIM's first foray into partnering with MOST Ministries on a short-term mission team. There's so much to tell before you'll get to hear about that, though.  The week before classes begin at the DR seminary is always set aside for "orientation." It's a chance for new and returning students to (re-)acclimate to student life, get to know each other and any new staff, and, oftentimes, benefit from some kind of practical skills enrichment. Pastor Fritzler opened last Monday's First Aid/Basic Life Support Training to the entire school, group home, and missionary community. I went because as someone who's regularly responsible for groups of extranjeros , I wanted to brush up on what to do if, God forbid, the unthinkable were to happen. It's been several years since my last CPH certification, and the recommendations are always changing with the times. I was also hoping we&

Lots of plates spinning around here, but I (mostly) set aside planning for an upcoming FORO and eyeglass team and running point as far as on-field orientation for four new families to help friends Kelsey & Franco get ready for baby girl Hernández. It took me ~45 minutes longer than it should have to get to their apartment in Santo Domingo Friday due to rain (as if I didn't get enough of that in Belize ), but we still got all of our catching up out of the way over a spaghetti dinner so we'd be ready to buckle down in the morning.  The plan: paint a pine forest on two adjacent walls in the guest-room-turned-nursery.  The work crew:  Turns out Franco is a sketching machine! We got off to a slow start prepping the walls, fiddling with the projector, projecting the image THREE separate times on the longer wall and figuring out how to make the seams look...seamless, and running to the store for smaller brushes - all before lunch.  Admittedly, I was questioning Kelsey's life c

I am not a teacher, nor do I play one on TV, so I'm not sure what fear and trembling, dread, or eye-rolling the term "in-service" normally evokes.  For Elba and Linda (E&L), the 4s and 3s teachers, respectively at Little Lambs Lutheran Preschool in Valley of Peace, Belize, it was nerves. As soon as they met Bev and Eunice (B&E), two retired LCMS preschool "teachers in service" with 76+ years of classroom and consulting experience between them, the butterflies were gone. I don't think we could have found two more knowledgeable, thoughtful, encouraging individuals to lead an in-service workshop in anticipation of school starting 9/2. I had a front row seat.  I arrived in Belize on a Saturday to host the team, however small, as well as "learn" Belize with my hostess hat on. Conversations sprinkled throughout my eight days on the ground point to spending a fair bit of time there in 2025 (during the dry season? pretty please?).  Even this city g

The first full week of August meant it was regional conference time again in LAC.  His steadfast love endures forever .  The regional team arrived on a Friday (NEW this year, instead of staying after) for 2 days of meetings.  His steadfast love endures forever.  Any day that starts with a sunrise walk on a beach far cleaner than I remember is a good day.  His steadfast love endures forever .  The conference center was under construction, so we met in the one of the restaurants, Under the Sea.  His steadfast love endures forever .  It's a gift to be part of this talented, driven team that supports 42 church plants in 13 countries.  His steadfast love endures forever .  When your room is directly across from the meeting place, it becomes a makeshift storage unit.  His steadfast love endures forever .  Buuuuut I also had the BEST maid who put flowers on my bed every day ❤ His steadfast love endures forever .  Her piece de resistance was this guy! His steadfast love endures forever .