Heart Language
I really need to be going to bed since I poured concrete for 9 hours today, but I'm blogging instead. I got back from I.D.I.O.M., the Lutheran Bible Translators conference that I attended in Chicago, on Saturday, and I feel that I owe all my faithful readers a blog anyways, plus I've been wanting to summarize what we did and my thoughts afterwards. I'll try to keep it brief though, I am seriously tired.
After an interesting journey on the way there--an unexpected 3 hour layover in Phoenix due to a delayed flight out of El Paso--I really enjoyed the entire weekend. There were super-informational (in some cases, overwhelmingly so) presentations by pretty much everyone on staff, a tour of the HQ building, plenty of free time to chat with fellow participants and LBT staff and missionaries, and much more that I'm forgetting. I won't go into detail unless you want me to, in which case I will talk your ear off, but pretty much I loved everything they were telling us. Two things though, are keeping me from signing my name on the dotted line right now:
1) I am a young, single female. I guess I didn't realize how many of LBT's missionaries are couples or families, and I wrongly had the idea that the work is done as a team. I mean it goes without saying that Bible translation is a team effort, but not typically between multiple missionaries at the same location; rather between the missionary, a team of nationals, and the LBT staff, who may or may not make a field visit and work from Aurora, IL. There are safety concerns to think about as a petite 26 or 27 year old girl, and frankly the idea of moving to a foreign country by myself just terrifies me. I've done that before and was so lonely that I had an awful time and counted down the days until I came home. NOT going to do that for the rest of my career. One of the staff members I talked to did mention that it's possible I could pair off with another person my age but it's not typical, or there exists the possibility of serving as a missionary kid tutor for a family currently in the field. That would give me field experience (although it's not the position that really intrigues me, which is Bible Translation Advisor) AND I'd be living with a family, but I have no educational background, plus it's a volunteer deal and I think maybe it is time to start supporting myself since I will have done that already for 3 years.
2) LBT isn't currently conducting any projects in Latin America; most of their work is in West Africa. I don't have anything against Africa, I just don't have any particular pull towards going there. I wouldn't be opposed to it, my interest just lies in Mexico or South America. Again, there is a potential loophole: in the past LBT has had missionaries work for them that were subsequently "loaned out" to Wycliffe or another Bible translation organization that is working somewhere I would be more inclined to go. I didn't realize that most such organizations were so closely linked, but apparently they all work in very close partnership with one another.
SO, I suppose it's a matter of finding a position that I would be comfortable with at this point. Everything else--training, partnership development, compensation, benefits, etc.--sounded fantastic. I still plan to apply in January and I told them that, so they can be thinking even now of something that would be the right fit. Back-up plans are swirling around in my head though--going back to school for linguistics but not through LBT, going back to school for library science, staying on at YLM, getting a degree/certificate in education and teaching Spanish, etc. Lately the idea of settling down with a "real" job and having my own place, specifically my own kitchen, has really excited me, but I don't have a clear picture of exactly where or what that would be yet, and I would still jump at the chance to work for LBT, save for those 2 misgivings. Your prayers are appreciated.
Oh, I titled this blog as such because one concept that was brought up repeatedly over the course of the conference was that of "heart language," and I really liked it. English is my heart language, the one that I will always revert to no matter how many I speak, the one I think in and dream in (although I did have a dream in Spanish once and it was SO cool), and cannot imagine what it would be like to not have the Bible in. The mission statement of LBT says something about making the Word of God available to people who do not yet have it in their "heart language."
I think I failed on keeping this short. Oh well. Bedtime, except I just realized that I haven't done today's Bible reading yet...I hate it when I save it for when all I want to do is sleep! Until next time, blessings!
After an interesting journey on the way there--an unexpected 3 hour layover in Phoenix due to a delayed flight out of El Paso--I really enjoyed the entire weekend. There were super-informational (in some cases, overwhelmingly so) presentations by pretty much everyone on staff, a tour of the HQ building, plenty of free time to chat with fellow participants and LBT staff and missionaries, and much more that I'm forgetting. I won't go into detail unless you want me to, in which case I will talk your ear off, but pretty much I loved everything they were telling us. Two things though, are keeping me from signing my name on the dotted line right now:
1) I am a young, single female. I guess I didn't realize how many of LBT's missionaries are couples or families, and I wrongly had the idea that the work is done as a team. I mean it goes without saying that Bible translation is a team effort, but not typically between multiple missionaries at the same location; rather between the missionary, a team of nationals, and the LBT staff, who may or may not make a field visit and work from Aurora, IL. There are safety concerns to think about as a petite 26 or 27 year old girl, and frankly the idea of moving to a foreign country by myself just terrifies me. I've done that before and was so lonely that I had an awful time and counted down the days until I came home. NOT going to do that for the rest of my career. One of the staff members I talked to did mention that it's possible I could pair off with another person my age but it's not typical, or there exists the possibility of serving as a missionary kid tutor for a family currently in the field. That would give me field experience (although it's not the position that really intrigues me, which is Bible Translation Advisor) AND I'd be living with a family, but I have no educational background, plus it's a volunteer deal and I think maybe it is time to start supporting myself since I will have done that already for 3 years.
2) LBT isn't currently conducting any projects in Latin America; most of their work is in West Africa. I don't have anything against Africa, I just don't have any particular pull towards going there. I wouldn't be opposed to it, my interest just lies in Mexico or South America. Again, there is a potential loophole: in the past LBT has had missionaries work for them that were subsequently "loaned out" to Wycliffe or another Bible translation organization that is working somewhere I would be more inclined to go. I didn't realize that most such organizations were so closely linked, but apparently they all work in very close partnership with one another.
SO, I suppose it's a matter of finding a position that I would be comfortable with at this point. Everything else--training, partnership development, compensation, benefits, etc.--sounded fantastic. I still plan to apply in January and I told them that, so they can be thinking even now of something that would be the right fit. Back-up plans are swirling around in my head though--going back to school for linguistics but not through LBT, going back to school for library science, staying on at YLM, getting a degree/certificate in education and teaching Spanish, etc. Lately the idea of settling down with a "real" job and having my own place, specifically my own kitchen, has really excited me, but I don't have a clear picture of exactly where or what that would be yet, and I would still jump at the chance to work for LBT, save for those 2 misgivings. Your prayers are appreciated.
Oh, I titled this blog as such because one concept that was brought up repeatedly over the course of the conference was that of "heart language," and I really liked it. English is my heart language, the one that I will always revert to no matter how many I speak, the one I think in and dream in (although I did have a dream in Spanish once and it was SO cool), and cannot imagine what it would be like to not have the Bible in. The mission statement of LBT says something about making the Word of God available to people who do not yet have it in their "heart language."
I think I failed on keeping this short. Oh well. Bedtime, except I just realized that I haven't done today's Bible reading yet...I hate it when I save it for when all I want to do is sleep! Until next time, blessings!
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