It's kinda like the show Big Brother but without all the drama...

Week 2 of my SPLICE mission conference has come and gone.  I know my title is kind of odd, but it's true; it feels a bit like being in the Big Brother or Real World house for three weeks.  We eat together, hang out in the evenings together, have deep talks together, watch movies together, cry together...As I'm sitting here typing on my laptop while watching all the children of the future missionary families dancing to "Pharaoh Pharaoh," I'm realizing how much you can grow to care and appreciate a group of people in such a short period of time.  Everyone here is planning on going to the mission field, so that by default is a common bond that we all have.  There are about 40 adults and probably 20 or so kiddos, and I feel like I could sit down and chat with any and all of them.  I have my group of precious kids that I color with several nights a week, and the group of us "grownups" that play Sporkle.com quizzes to test our knowledge of geography or Disney songs.  Part of me feels like I've been here FOREVER, but most of me feels like I'm going to miss the wonderful community that has been created among all of us.

So what exactly have I been doing when I'm not watching movies or eating or writing blogs?  Every day is spent in several workshops covering different topics.  Really, this conference is a Christian leadership conference for believers wanting to answer the call to live overseas.  We've talked a lot about our conflict handling style, which hasn't been easy when it comes to talking about what demotivates others about our style.  But in reality, we ALL have to deal with conflict.  And moving to a new culture, there will probably be more stress and therefore, more conflict.  We've talked about dealing with adversity and what the Bible says about it.  I even got to be the class scribe as we discussed the cycle that we will most likely face as we leave our culture and become resettled in a new culture.  

The idea that I had that I was going to go to this conference and feel super encouraged and affirmed as a future missionary isn't exactly what it's turned out to be.  It's been a lot of soul searching, praying, digging deep, and talking about some of the really hard things that are just part of being a serious Christ follower.  But I've come to realize that this is what I need; I NEED to be challenged to think about some things that I might not have otherwise been willing to process.  And I still do feel encouraged and confirmed about my call to join SI: Costa Rica.  But I also feel challenged to continue to focus on the Lord and allow Him to be my source and my strength, because there are undoubtedly a lot of changes and difficulties ahead.   Jesus also faced a lot of difficulties in his life.  And that gives me hope.

Colorado

A week of class has passed by, and lots of thinking, processing and praying to go along with that.  Rather than get into all the deep things that I've been learning and talking about, I thought I'd post some pictures of the pretty places I got to visit yesterday.  It was a wonderful change to get out in nature after being contained in a building (albeit a very nice building) for the past five days straight.  A few of us were joking that it felt like we were in a really nice prison with yummy food, which is far from the truth; but for an independent lady like me, staying in one place for three weeks with no car of my own can feel a bit constraining. 

A view of Pike's Peak from about 11,000 feet.  That's as far as we could go up because of the extreme wind.

 

 

 

 

New friends Austin and Jill, part of the Students International staff in Nicaragua.

 

 

 

Beautiful frozen lake

We debated whether this was the "Sleeping Giant" rock formation, but I'm sticking to a yes.  Can you see him? :)

More cool rock formations at Garden of the Gods

Answers to Prayer

Today begins a new adventure in my path to Costa Rica.  For the next three weeks I will be at a training facility in the Colorado Springs area to learn how to be a missionary.  Well, not exactly "how" but we will be having a lot of sessions on how to move to, live in, and minister in a new culture.  I don't know a lot more about what to expect besides that, but I'm trusting and praying that God will teach me and grow in me in the ways that I need to be taught and grown (I don't know if that is the way to say that :).  I arrived a bit early to the airport so while I'm waiting for the shuttle service, I thought I'd update my blog.

The past few weeks there have been many answers to prayer, some huge answers, and some not as big, but all blessings just the same.  First of all, the fact that I'm going to my missionary training during this January session rather than the February session I originally thought is a huge answer to prayer.  Now I will be able to train with some of the other Students International new staffers going to Nicaragua, as well as be back in California for the birth of my brother's first son or daughter.  I am so thrilled that I won't be out of state (or the country) for that special event in our family.

A GIGANTIC answer to prayer is that as of this past week, I am fully funded with my monthly support!!  I had three more dear friends join my support team, and I am just so blessed to know that my monthly goal of $2000 has been met!  Praise Him because I know it's nothing that I have done to earn or deserve this.

A smaller blessing, but important just the same, is a special gift that was given to me by my dear girlfriends.  They were thinking ahead to my need to become fluent in Spanish and so they pooled together and bought me a side by side Spanish/English Bible!  It was perfect timing because I had just that very day been thinking about getting a new Bible to replace my falling apart one and start this new chapter of life with.  What a special and very appropriate gift that was.

I anticipate that I will be updating my blog more frequently over the next three weeks while I'm in Colorado.  I would cherish your prayers as God teaches and molds me in the ways that are needed.

Below I'm posting two pics; one of me and two of the fantastic ladies that are going to be joining the Costa Rica staff a few months after I do (thanks for the picture, Rose! :) and then the other of a trip to Yosemite with my friends for New Years Eve.

Prayer card!

Here's what my prayer card looks like.  If you are on my newsletter mailing list, you should be getting one in the mail very soon!  A  HUGE thank you to Jessica Haynes for being my photographer and my graphic designer.  :)  If you are not on my mailing list but would like to be, e-mail me tarakfrantz@gmail.com. 

2012, it's gonna be swell...

Happy New Year!  It's hard to believe that 2012 has arrived.  So much has happened in the last twelve months, and so much more is going to happen in the next few months.  Life has been a whirlwind since my last blog entry, but I'm thankful for all the wonderful moments that I've been able to spend with many of the special people in my life.  Here's just a bit of the highlights:

• went to a FABULOUS Christmas concert at a church in Fresno that featured 8 different Christian artists, including my favorite, Tyrone Wells.  I was able to shake his hand and chat with him for a bit after the show, and that was just the icing on the cake.  :)
• yummy dinner and salsa dancing with my two soon-to-be roommates, Cailah and Rose.  Cailah is here visiting family and friends over her break from working in Costa Rica and Rose will be joining the SI staff a few months after I get down there.  Lots of laughs and silly moments indicated many good times ahead with these ladies.
• hanging out with three dear friends from high school and college and two of their darling baby boys!  What a precious gift to spend time with my friends' babies.
• three Christmases in two days with both sides of the family.  I am blessed to have parents, grandparents, and extended family who love the Lord and desire to honor Him in our celebration of His birth.  
• a Christmas breakfast and party with my Visalia girls where we drew a name and made a homemade gift for our "secret santa."  I do not consider myself very creative and was blown away by the ideas these girls came up with.  I have much to learn!
• beach trip with the Frantz family for two nights.  It was the last time the six of us will be able to go to Pismo before my brother and sister-in-law have their baby and I move.  A fabulous dinner at McClintock's and quality time together was much needed 
• and to end/begin 2011/2012, a trip up to Yosemite to enjoy the Lord's beautiful creation and go ice-skating!  So much fun and my rollerblading skills proved to transfer to the ice rink just fine.  

Oh, and in the middle of all these wonderful adventures and time spent with loved ones, I moved out of the house my roommate Kristin and I had been in for the past few years and moved in with my cousin and dear friend Annie.  A really neat blessing that came out of the moving process was something that happened when I was selling some of my furniture.  I put some pictures up on facebook of furniture I had for sale and I sold two of the three pieces the following day to a gal I knew from college.  The following day I put my couch up on craigslist and had several people interested real quick.  The lady that ended up coming to buy the couch brought with her a family from Dinuba who had a truck to help her move it.  The women that the truck belonged to looked at my room filled with bags and asked what I was going to do with all that stuff.  I responded that I was planning on donating it and she proceeded to tell me that she would be happy to take it because she works for a church that gives clothes and other things to needy children and families.  Long story short, I sold my couch for the price I asked for it AND had my living room cleared out of a TON of donated items all in one swipe.  I think the Lord knew that I was feeling stressed and crunched for time and He sent just the perfect person to buy my couch and to take my donations. And we wonder why we EVER doubt if He hears us and answers our prayers!

I'm looking forward to the new staff training with Students' International that I will be attending this Wednesday through Friday.  It will be so great to see my field directors again and also to get to know this organization I'm coming on board with better. :)