More dangers of 24

The other night, we were in the middle of a quite intense episode of the TV show 24, and we stopped for a short bathroom break. When I came back, I pressed play, switched off the light, and hurried to get back into bed. Our bed is just a mattress on the floor, so I just jumped on it. As I did, I managed to step on Torben's foot and, in pain, he jerked it out from under me and all of the sudden, I was flipped down onto the bed, twisting my left thumb backwards in the process.

So here I am managing to type with a sprained thumb and feeling quite silly. Torben claims he's the real victim since I jumped on his foot and gave him a pretty bad scratch on my way down (don't remember that).

Maybe I should be getting the hint that this TV show is a bad idea for me, but I'm so darn addicted!!

Three continents

As of yesterday morning, my family is spread out across three continents!! Craziness!! The huge majority is still, of course, in North America while I'm here in Europe, but Mom, Daddy, Erika, and Lizzy are now in Malawi, Africa! For the ladies involved, it is their first timeoff of the North American continent. I'm so excited to hear what they think and experience! I talked to a Zimbabwean friend of mine today and asked what he thinks of Malawi. His response was, "The people are great, but watch out for the hippos!"

My parents & younger sisters will be there for a month helping to set up contacts and sort of pave the way for a ministry from their church to start up an orphanage there in Malawi. I think they are even beginning the process of building while they're there.

It has been so cool to see the way my parents have just allowed God to completely change their lives in the past few years. I mean, they have always been godly people listening and following God's call, but He has been bringing them through a lot of changes lately. They are a true testament to the fact that God is in control and when you are truly surrendered to Him, life is never boring. I thank God for the witness my parents are to me and to countless others.

Graduation

So last week we graduated our September 2006 DTS. They have been on outreach in southern Ukraine and Moldova for three months, while Torben and I were in the States and Denmark. We had them back in Kyiv for a week for debriefing and graduation. The point of that week is to help the students to begin the long process of thinking through what they have experienced and learned over the past six months of DTS, and also to prepare them for returning to their families, friends, and churches.
I usually really like debrief week because it's an exciting chance to hear what God has been doing in the students' lives. I love to hear their testimonies. They were all really learning in the midst of serving and reaching out to the lost. I am very proud of all of them. My highlight of the week was when Torben and I and the outreach leader, Krista, sat down with each student individually to give them feedback and to hear their plans for the future. For me that was wonderful! Nearly all of the twelve students are planning on staying in full time ministry, either in YWAM, their home churches, or other missions projects. Some are getting training first and some are jumping right in. I was so excited to hear all of it!!
The other thing that happened that day was that I was reminded of why I love what I do so much. I have lost sight of it for a while now. I love one-on-one counseling. I love sitting and looking another person in the eyes and trying hard to hear their heart. And more than anything, I love when it happens that I have no idea what to say to a person and I am forced to turn to God for what to say. My wisdom is very limited and I often don't know what to say. But it's so exciting to know that God is speaking through me and directing me. And I knew that that was happening because by the end of the day, I was exhausted. Pouring myself out for people is thrilling and exhausting. I was reminded once again that I love discipleship. Maybe I would be better in counseling or something more focused on one-on-one meetings than DTS. But you know, much as DTS frustrates me at times, I love DTS too.
Torben and I are spending time in prayer these days about our future. We really don't know where God is leading us after our commitment in Kyiv is done at the end of the year. Maybe longer here or maybe somewhere else. We don't know. But we do know that we are called to discipleship. We both love it. And as I was reminded during debrief week, God is still using me and speaking through me in discipleship.

P.S. - My parents and two younger sisters are leaving for Malawi, Africa tomorrow morning. Please pray for them and their ministry time there. If you want to see my two newest nephews and get updates on how my parents' time in Africa goes, check out www.drrickt.blogspot.com (Yes, my parents have a blog!! I'm still in shock!!)

The dangers of 24

While in Denmark, Torben and I split the cost with a friend of ours to buy the second season of the TV show 24. We were really excited because someone here in Kyiv had loaned us the first season last year and we were hooked. So this time, we agreed that we would watch one episode a day (A REEEEEALLY hard thing for those of you who haven't seen the show). It's a pretty intense show, really well made. Anyways, we've been watching an episode a night for the past two weeks or so.
The other night, we stayed up pretty late, so it was already past midnight when we sat down to watch that evening's episode. This season is about terrorists planning an attack in LA and a conspiracy in the president's administration. So, we finished the episode sometime after 1am and went to sleep pretty soon after that. Those of you who know me well know that I have an insanely active imagination and often have crazy dreams. Well, that night I dreamed that Torben was at the head of this huge conspiracy, he had been a mass murderer, and he was coming after me! I was terrified!! So when I woke up, I scooted to the far end of the bed and it took me a good half hour to convince myself that it had been just a dream.

So there's a half advertisement/half warning about 24 :)

Good old Holmsted

We are finally back in Kyiv after our time in America, Denmark, and England. Our last stop before returning here was our old base, Holmsted Manor just south of London. It was strange to be back. I had so many conflicting thoughts when we got there and I caught sight of that beautiful old manor.
Holmsted was where I did my DTS. I had so many times there at Holmsted of powerful encounters with God, really starting to understand what it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, beginning to see God’s call on my life. It was also at Holmsted that I met and fell in love with Torben. There are so many good memories there. But there are also some terrible memories from there. I had some very hard times there when I returned as staff and when God closed the door for us to return again, I was relieved.
So when we got to Holmsted, I was overwhelmed with the good and bad memories. The negativity of the more recent memories outweighed the positive and I prayed that God would heal me of the hurt that I realized was still there in my heart. While Torben prepared to teach the DTS, I took lots of long walks and prayed. Finally, I had a very candid conversation with one of the staff there and was able to forgive and move on. I could really feel the difference in my heart. Even now, as I write and think of Holmsted, I don’t have the negative feelings that used to rise up in me. I love that place because of the wonderful things that happened there and the beautiful place that it is.
I thought a lot about what happened there. I carried hurt and resentment in my heart for almost two years rather than dealing with it. I am so grateful that our travels brought us back there and that the healing was done in my heart. I am grateful that God knew what He was doing in bringing us to Kyiv instead of back to Holmsted. I am grateful that God is so wise in how He deals with us.