8th
India - Peter Chang (8/7/10)
I remember why I quit blogging so long ago. I have always lacked the perseverance to keep updating. It is difficult and my flesh is like fading leaves, a garden without water (Isaiah reference, what what!) :( I’m currently one of the few left in the Pioneers campus now, and by the time I post this, I’ll be the 2nd to last to leave. I’ll try to take some quick pictures of the area before I go to the airport so you can get an idea of it all, but I have definitely lived, in my opinion, quite lavishly for a camp/orientation. I’m sure all of you who were praying for my “sufferings” in Christ did not have this venue in mind. Since Niceness aside, the last few days have been an awesome blessing. For those wondering, I am officially an appointee of Pioneers. YAAAY. This was what all the interviews were for earlier. It isn’t a huge achievement seeing that everyone pretty much makes it, but it is a step none the less. They even give us these legit name tags that I’m probably overexcited about. But thank you for your prayers and support! Even a step like this, as small as it is, is a praise to the Lord. Orientation has thus been packed to the brim with “pre-field” sessions since many of the appointees will be trying to get to the field within the next 2 years. These sessions were on how to do things ranging from prayer letters, secure email, avoiding moral pitfalls, keeping track of your supporters, etc. Luckily for me I’m leaving today so all my pre-field stuff is finished. Nevertheless, the sessions were very informative, and definitely help if I ever decide to go long term with Pioneers (Dad, if you’re reading, you can pretend to miss that last part. Just kidding :D). The best part of it all though, is finally being able to hang out with many of the appointees and getting to know them better and just have fun and fellowship. Wed night we had a jam session (playing a guitar and singing since forever felt fantastic) and my roommate and I talked with another person until 12, hearing about his life story from Korea and working at Nasa and then getting called to Mongolia w/ his 4 kids. It’s pretty crazy. Thurs night many of us gathered to play games and fellowship. We played the bowl game (mix btwn taboo and charades), and another game where one person writes something, the next person draws what was written, then the person after writes what they think was drawn, the person after draws what was written, etc in a circle. It. Was. Hilarious. Let’s just say one stack of papers started with “fascist dictator” into “hitler doll” to “man bag” to “belt of truth”. So apparently fascist dictator = belt of truth. I haven’t laughed like that in a long time. And to be doing so with brothers and sisters I had only met 4 days earlier was something that I went to bed praising God over and over again. And tonight, for those of us remaining, we played monopoly deal, talked about everything from engagements to mission fields to movies, and then went to get some dessert at a place really near the campus. All of these are God’s answer to prayers of loneliness, as well as the fact that my time in the word has been great too! Thank you :) It’s been such a blessing. My heart is rejoicing so much over just those few times of fellowship! Many of these guys I probably won’t see again, although, Lord willing, I hope I do see some! But the better part is that though we’ll all be leaving and going on our own ways, they are the ways that God has placed for us. Each person will be living out the plans God has for them and doing things for His Kingdom in places of the world untouched and disregarded. How beautiful is that? I feel as to have no right to be in the same company of any of these folks, yet God has graced me to have our paths cross for this one week COP. Whether I hear from those going to the middle east, jungles, east asia, africa, or europe, my heart will thank the Lord for his enduring love in and through these family members. Truly, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-9) There’s obviously so much more to unpack and process, but I might not get to do that until I arrive in India, or even after. I can say this though: Though I still do not know God’s plan for me in the future, my heart will always be open to His calling to all followers of Jesus in laying down my cross and going to the ends of the Earth to make His name known. If I don’t feel a strong call to go somewhere else, the mission field may very well be it. (I was going to write a disclaimer saying to not take this too seriously, but I would just be defaming all God has done in my heart and I cannot do that to the Big Guy). Missions has and will always be a huge part of me, I just don’t know how God will have me participate. Forward My flight to India is at 3:50PM Eastern. Please play for safe and smooth traveling! I’ll be at O’Hare for around 1.5 hrs and then a nice long flight to Delhi. Where I’ll meet my team lead and probably stay the night and then trek on 10 hrs to the city. MMmmm… I love traveling. Not. As far as my feelings, I’m still kind of in limbo. Definitely feeling more encouraged from this week, but also sad I won’t get to see family and friends before heading off. On top of it all, I want this time to be focused on God, and not my feelings of missing others. I always find my heart to be much more difficult to deal with than my mind. Emotions or not, the life of Jesus Christ still needs to be proclaimed to the mountains (literally in my case). A heart without burden is a heart that does not truly feel all that God feels. I want my heart of flesh to feel as flesh, not stone, should feel within the righteousness of God. Please Pray For… Thanks for always reading these long updates. My wordiness needs to be refined… Hope everyone has been doing well and as summer comes to an end that God will be reigniting the fire for you college folks to do crazy stuff for Jesus on campus. I can’t be having all the fun over here you know ;) See you in 4 months America!Difficult
from Peter(In)dia
