**Please pray for my travels back to NC today- a total of 12 hours. Thank you!
I said that I was going to write more about the teachers who were out at MMT(Mountainside Missionary Training) this week, and today's the day. Becky and Carroll(yes, Carroll is the husband) joined IM at 20% time part of the way through 2011, in the role of Staff Care for our staff in Poland. Carroll has been a pastor for years and has been involved with IM for years, going on short term trips in the summers for English Camps. As they made the decision to cut back on some of their church responsibilities, they agreed to spend some time helping with Staff Care. In January of 2013, he will be cutting back to 50% of his previous responsibilities at his church so that they can do more with IM. The role of Staff Care is one that is very self directed much of the time, and I often feel alone in moving forward and making decisions in this ministry. So being out here this week with Becky and Carroll was a God-directed event. Our being out here at the same time was complete coincidence, and we didn't know each other at all, having only met in passing at staff conference this year. We have just enjoyed getting to know each other so much, and it's been a joy to hear their hearts for the ministry of caring for our staff- and to see how many things we have in common in regard to the vision that we have for better staff care. Something that I believe in so much is preventative care, not "putting out the fire" care. That idea, need, or vision isn't shared by everyone in the organization, and so it brought me great joy to hear that be one of the first things out of Carroll's mouth when we began talking. I thought, "Wow, they have the same vision and passion as me!" So today, on Day 18 of 29 Days, I'm super thankful for God's timing in bringing me out here at the same time as the Millers and for the quick and easy connection that we made. I'm thankful for their hearts to serve our staff, and for their enthusiasm in wanting to team with me and others in learning how to better care for IM missionaries.
With Becky and Carroll
1 comment:
"Something that I believe in so much is preventative care, not 'putting out the fire' care." One of the illustrations our friends who do member care used when they spoke at Circle was two plants they showed to everyone. One plant looked good, one was horribly wilted. They asked which one needed member care? And they explained that it was the healthy one. (The wilted one was beyond member care; crisis care might be able to save it.)
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