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.