NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

We have, for the last month, been building great relationships with the new students. As you can see, Guitar Hero is a big hit, as well as late night Halo Reach parties with the guys. Though I don’t feel much older than most of the students, after going to bed at 3 AM I’m feeling my age. I’ll be 30 in a couple months, so my best years are behind me now!

Daily, Jonie is keeping busy at the guest house as we have had several large volunteer groups come through. We are always so grateful for the churches and individuals that come here for a few days or a couple weeks to serve God by painting, working grounds, hanging siding on the new 5 family house we’re building, as well as building things in the Tech Department to ship to missionaries overseas.

I am working two full days a week on the construction crew driving equipment and doing whatever I’m told to do. I feel very awkward as I don’t really know what I’m doing and can’t just move on to something new once I finish a task. I’m constantly hunting down my in-charge guys to see what’s next. We are preparing for building a new multi purpose building as well as a classroom building. So far just the drainage culverts and ditches are keeping us busy. Lots of moving dirt, laying pipe, covering it again, building forms and pouring cement. I do know from all this that I really really miss working on airplanes, and fixing things in general.

Frequently while walking by the garage I get distracted with whats going on in there and am able to give helpful insight to whatever they are stuck on. I’m grateful for the experience I’ve had on all sorts of mechanical things.

The rest of the time I’m teaching Tech Labs in the mornings, rebuilding an engine for my brother, playing soccer and getting involved in our church here. I didn’t think I’d like teaching, but I really enjoy helping the new missionaries attempt to understand the basics of the systems that we have for them to use. They all are doing very well, though the occasional blank stares remind me just how needed the Tech Reps, how needed Jonie and I will be overseas. It’s one thing to take a class, it’s another to survive on it for years and years.

Well, I’ll try to keep these short. There is a lot to catch up on in more detail, so I’m writing about it in the next newsletter. If you’re not on the list, send us a message with your email and/or mailing address and we’ll be sure to include you.