Jeff's Reflection from MTI

It is hard to summarize all that was learned and contemplated during a 3 week training program. It was a great time of preparation for us. Some of the richest times for me were precessing things after the sessions with Tracey. To talk about our hopes, dreams, and fears about moving and all that entails was invaluable. It was great to be able to talk and pray with each other without the usual pressures and responsibilities of life.

The principle that most impacted me is really quite simple and may not seem all that profound. The concept is to simply take care of myself and my family. To pay attention to signs of stress and to take practical steps to relieve it. To make sure that I and we are taking times to simply be with the Lord and are regularly practicing the discipline of Sabbath rest. From my limited experience abroad as well as in ministry it is easy for me to be consumed by my "work", the expectations of my supervisors, and of those around me. As a result the last person I think to take care of is myself. Yet to be effective and to have some longevity in Costa Rica I need to make sure that I am taking care of myself and our family in order to avoid burnout. In a way these are not necessarily new concepts to me. Rather it was more of a confirmation of what I knew deep down inside and permission in a sense to schedule in times of rest and restoration and to make them a priority.

I think at the core of pushing myself and stretching myself to thin is a desire to see God's kingdom extended and to do all I can to see his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. It is easy to think that I am responsible for producing the results and then taking them to God. Rather I need to remember that I am not responsible for the results or for our work being successful. Rather my job is to simply be obedient to what he has called me to do and to be faithful. Part of that is making sure that I do my part to stay healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually, so that I am able to run a marathon instead of a sprint.