Misty Graveley Serving with New Tribes Mission Via Brazil.
I have been in Brazil for almost 3 weeks, and so much has happened in that time. First of all let me thank you all for your prayers. I arrived safety and so did all the items that I brought.
Classes for me started this week officially. What does that entail? Well I have to get 40 hours of language learning in a week. With that comes two grammar classes a week and to TPR classes, where I learn vocab. I have to get at least 60 new words each week in TPR. I am also required to find a local church and be active in it. So far I have been to 2 out of the 3 churches in town. I have really like both, well the atmosphere, seeing that I have no idea what the preaching was like, but that will come with time.
I added a gallery of photos called Via, if you want to see where I am living at.
Other than that, that is all I have for you right now. I will keep you posted.
Misty
VISA UPDATE!!!!!
Hip Hip Hooray!!!!
I have my visa, and I feel like shouting it from the rooftops, the only problem with this is that the haystacks will have to do, and the cows really do not understand what a visa is nor why a crazy person is up on a stack creating such a ruckus. So, instead I decided to get on my computer and try to remember the address for my blog page, and update it.
WOW, I know, yes it is really an update, so try to stay focused and not to faint.
Okay down to business.So, I finally have visa in hand, and it feels good. But what happens now?
Well it will take awhile to repack the boxes that I had packed then got into while I was waiting, and for headquarters to get everything transferred down to the Brazilian headquarters. So, I will be here until the beginning of Feb. then fly out.
I will be sending out an update letter soon with other info, so be looking for that if you are on my update list. If you are not please contact me, and I will add you into my group.
Thank you for all your prayers.
Misty
Waiting and Waiting and More Waiting….
My support is at a level where I can go to Brazil!!!
My packet came from the mission in Brazil asking me to come down and join them.
I have my background check done so that I can leave the country.
I even flew down to LA. and personally applied at the consulate in September.
So when am I going???
I have no idea.
Hence the title. 
The Consulate sent my paperwork and application down Brazil. They have had it since the end of September beginning of October. I was hoping to have heard something from them by now, but nothing so far. I have sent the consulate an email asking if they can give me any information. So far I have not even heard back from them, and when I called to ask if they could help me they said all updates and given through email. So again I wait.
So I do not have a direct date as to when I will be leaving, but Lord willing it will be soon.
Please pray for me as I wait in God’s timing for everything.
Thank you all so much for all you have done for me.
I will keep you posted.
Misty
UPDATE!!!!!
I was going to post my last update letter on here, but a lot has happened since then. My support went up, and I have the green light to apply for my visa.
I have contacted the personal in Brazil that starts the process. He will then contact me and after some questions, he will send my a packet.
I will add papers to that packet and send it to the consulate for Montana.
Hopefully it will take only 30 days before I receive my visa.
Lisa is also applying for her visa.
After we have our visas we will set a day for arriving in Brazil.
I will let you know when that happens!
Brazil Update!
Hey everyone!
Things are going well. I am at 27% and it is continually rising. Praise the Lord for He is ever faithful.
For those of you wondering, I am not in Brazil yet, and for two reasons… The first being support is still not at 50%. The second is really a blessing. Brazil asked for me to wait and come down with two other single girls. Their names are Diana Rodriguez and Lisa Gardiner. They wanted the three of us to experience things together. And I think that is an awesome idea.
We are thinking about trying to get everything ready for November. Diana however, cannot make it this year and will try to make it early next year.
Please be praying as Lisa and I try on getting everything we need ready to head over to the field of Brazil and for learning the culture and language there.
Interesting things about Brazil:
1. They do not have seasonings like chili powder, taco seasoning, seasoned salt, or garlic powder.
2. American items can plug into the wall with a small adapter, the volts are compatible.
3. Brazilian Ladies like to wear high heels even if you have to walk for a ways.
4. The clocks there lose time easily, some people do not even have a clock in their house, but just a watch.
Well That is all that I have for you at this time.
Thank you for checking in and your prayers.
May God Bless you;
Misty
Busy as a Bee
With the warmer weather setting in, I have become very busy. These last fews days I was at a Missions Conference in Montana City. It was my first conference, and I was nervous. The worst thing that happened was my introduction. I started with a great Good Morning and a smile. Why was this so bad you ask….? Because it was around 7:00 that evening. After the confused looks on the people’s faces I started laughing, and said Good Evening. After that it was not too bad — some small problems with the remote and the projector.
Over all I thought that it went very well. It was a great time with some very amazing people. Thank you Friendship Baptist for you support and for being so welcoming.
I have a couple more conferences coming up this spring, and am looking forward to them. I also have Super Saturday this weekend with my Trek group. We would be practicing tonight but had to cancel because of sick leaders and a close-up meeting. I am filling in at Truth and Training because of this.
If you are wondering what my week looks like, here it is:
- Once a month (first Monday) I have a Ladies Fellowship meeting from 1 to 3.
- Saturdays of April- cleaning the church.
- Sundays every other week- Puggles the 2 and 3 yr old group for Awana.
- Tuesdays- Bible Class
- Wednesdays- Trek middle school Awana group.
- Every other week-Childcare for my oldest nephew.
- Everyday- helping my sister-in-law cook for the ranch crew, and with two little children 2 and 8months, it is a task.
- Free time 10-12ish or 1ish- while every one else is in bed.
I will update you more on up-coming events when dates are set.
Count down to Brazil about 4 months God willing.
Missionary Technology Specailist!
Whoa!!! Hold on a minute. What in the world is a Missionary Technology Specialist???
Well, I am. Yep Misty Graveley is a MTS.
Really! So I take it your internship went well! So what is it that you do??
Yes! My internship was amazing! I learned so much! What I will be doing is setting up alternative power sources for other missionaries on the field. I will be there to help them set-up things that they will need to live in a tribal village. As well as help the missionaries who live in the city supporting the tribal missionaries. I will do things like fix wiring, generators, frig/freezers, solar panels, and a bunch of other things like that.
Oh, so you do not work with computers?
Not really. I do know a little about them, but when I say technology I do not mean computers.
Okay. When are you looking at doing all of this?
I am hopefully heading to Brazil in the fall of 2011 to start my National Language and Culture training.
Wow!! That is not very long, what do you have left to do before you go?
Right now I am raising my support to head over. I would like to be at 60% before I go. You see NTM is a faith based mission. All of their missionaries have to raise their own support.
That is interesting, how do you raise support?
Talking to people like you is how I start. I am also looking for churches that would be interested in letting me speak at their church and share about my mission. If not to a whole church I would also like to share with a small group of people. Like: a Bible study, Youth group, or Ladies group.
The Dobu Way!
Mena Japawena,” we call out as we arrive and the area where our village helper lives. “Mena,” comes the reply from Mwedi.
Mwedi is a Dobu tribal person (a teacher Rhonda here at the school). She lives on an island in Papua New Guinea. We visit her at her manena’s house twice a week to learn the language and culture of the Dobu people. We are in teams of 5 to 6, and we are here to practice the things we have learned so far.
On the Dobu island they think very different than we do, and they do not like people outside of their clan. So we had to come in and try to make friends with our helper. It was not too hard to become friends with our helper thankfully.
Names are important to them so you call them by something, like a nickname. Our helper wanted to be called “Witni Huston”.
We learned a lot about ourselves and the way we learn during this class. I know that I will take with me the things that I have learned in this class to the field.
On the last day of class we found out that our helper Mwedi was dying. We only got to talk to her for a while before she asked us to go. It was so real, and we could not tell her about God and the way of salvation.
How true to real life. How important to be there giving your all for the chance that they might hear about the Cross and to have a relationship with the one who died on it.
Just Life
In all truth, “just” does not describe my life here. I volunteer at a youth program called Young Life which is about 6 to 10 hours a week. I co-teach the 3rd to 6th graders for Sunday School. I work in the front office 7.5 hours a week, and go to classes. Somehow with all of this going on I still find time to read a book, and I can even get bored. I know … crazy, huh?
Classes here are really good and I have truly loved those that I have taken and am currently in. I cannot wait to talk to you more in person about those classes.
I will be graduating on Dec. 18, 2009. And after grad. I will be heading home to visit family and friends.
I will be heading back to the Training Center in Jan. to work in the Tech. Center to learn more about the technology that we use on the field. I will also be helping out in Childcare.
After that, Lord willing, I am heading to Brazil in the fall of 2010.
Prayer and Praise
Pray:
- For the time I spend training in the Tech. Center, and working in Childcare.
- For more people to start supporting me as I will be heading out to the field as soon as I have the support needed.
- That I finish well the task set before me.
Praise:
- For all that God is doing in my life.
- For the people God put in my life as a huge blessing.
Heath and Wellness.
Hello Friends and Family,
Classes started again, and what a heavy load. We started with Child Protection And then jumped right into Health and Wellness. From there we started into Student teaching, I was one of the first to speak, then into Church principles 2, and Tech tips of missionaries on the field.
Heath and Wellness!
- You might be asking yourself “What in the world is she doing?” Well that is a good question. I am getting ready to give my partner a shot. We are learning to care for basic needs while in the tribe.
And Some was Hands On!!
- We also learned basic skills to first aide, to care for wounds, check for common tropical deceases. The type of things that are going to keep you safe because you are aware of them, and their symptoms, and can also help the tribe people live longer lives. It was a really interesting class. A nurse named Faye came just for the week to teach us.
- The things that we are learning right now are practical things for survival out on the field. So classes are really interesting. They are also adding in some classes for teaching and what a church is to look like, so that we have a good balance of different types of learning.
Graveley News
Hello Friends and Family,
Thank you all very much for your prayers and your support. I could not be here without you on my team.
As many of you know I am in Roach Missouri. I am in training at the Missions Training Center with New Tribes Mission. I will be here for a year and a half to two years depending on my linguistics abilities.
I am in classes to help in language study, culture study and how to teach the Bible Chronologically. All of these things will help me to be a more effective Missionary in the future.
I have fully settled in, and classes are in full swing. I am living in a very nice and cozy apartment with my old Bible school roommate Deanna Castillo. It has a big room (living, dinning and kitchen)two bedrooms and a ½ bath. The shower house is only a couple blocks away. We are both artsy and have done a lot to make it home.
I am getting to know many people, and making new friends every day. One important family right now is the Sharps. Christi Sharp is my E-Linc advisor. We get to together every week and discuss what is going on in classes and life. If I have any questions or problems we talk through them together.
I also have a work detail here on campus. It is HTR. Which stands for Hold the Ropes. My team, consisting of one other student and a staff lady to guide us, have 20 minutes a day to bring forth prayer request from missionaries all over the world. Three days a week we read through the e-mails sent in by NTM missionaries, about 30 a day. We take information and put special events on a calendar and then print off all the letters for individual prayer time. We put really big things on a slide to present to the class. It does not sound like a lot of work but we are very busy.
I also am involved in an outreach program. Mine outreach is Young Life. It is a center for teens to come and hang out on Wednesday nights. My group gets together and just hangs out with the kids there. Many of them are on drugs, smoke, and drink. We are trying to make a difference in their lives by showing that we care for them. We do this with the hope that they will one day want to hang out one-on-one outside of the center. These kids really have a rough life, and we hope to bring them to the Lord.
Well that is about it on this end.
Prayer and Praise:
- Pray for my outreach group, that we will be a tool that God uses to reach these kids.
- Pray that I am getting all that the Lord would have me to get out of classes.
- Praise that my year is paid for. It is a huge relief not to have to worry about it.
- Praise for the time that I am down here with this incredible group of people.
Thank you all for your prayers.
Complete in Christ,
Misty Graveley
PS. I am also updating my prayer card in the fall (around Nov. here).