Divine Voyagers

Tom

Part of our pre-field process is going along to a bunch of different, mostly optional, training events in order to be better equipped for the missionary journey. At the end of July, we took part in our first one of these. Where as Orientation was in person, this was run all online for people all across Australia. Some of us were in the middle of the application stage, some where already on the field but wanted some more training, and some were just testing the waters so to speak.One of the great joys of the weekend was seeing some familiar faces from Orientation. We hadn’t seen most of the staff and other participants since we first met them so it was a wonderful time catching up briefly.

The aim of the weekend was to think through practices that we can put in place this side of the mission field to ground us in good spiritual, relational, physical, and personal habits. For both of us, the most eye opening and influential session was run by Paul on what forgiveness looks like. He took us through part of Steps to Freedom in Christ, a seven step “discipleship counselling process designed to help people resolve issues that are critical
between themselves and God.” We looked at step 3: Bitterness Vs. Forgiveness, with Paul taking us through how to forgive even when there is no admittance of wrongdoing from the other party. For any of you who know what our last year and a bit looked like, this was pretty confronting in some ways. And yet through it, I felt God allowing me to be able to move on with my life and not hold onto the deep hurt I have felt.

I think for us as we continue down this road towards mission, it’s both fascinating and very humbling to see all the ways in which God is gently moving us, pulling us towards himself in the most beautiful of ways.

Prayer points:
– That God continue to work powerfully in the lives of all those who came along to the weekend.
— That we would continue to open ourselves up to hearing what God is saying in our lives.