Ends and Beginings

Today was my last day working at Global Insight (now IHS Global Insight after a recent merger). As my first real job out of college, it was strange leaving the only workplace I ever really knew. I've been parking in the same lot, using the same elevators, working with the same group of people for 2 years and its strange to think that I'll never do that again. In those two years I've grown a lot. I've seen my faith grow, I've transitioned from single to married life and God has completely transformed my vision for my future. Its exciting to know that this page in my life is complete with a new page ready to begin.

Since I've written last I've traveled to Florida to train and study at the ECHO farm near Fort Myers, (http://www.echonet.org/) a few of the decisions that needed to be made for Kenya have been made and we just recently set the date of our departure. Through all of these things, I've been feeling more at peace about going to Kenya. After a recent Survival Ministry Training (SMT) class at church I felt pushed to finally say with complete confidence that I knew that this was our call. For months I had vacillated between being pretty sure, mostly sure, I think I'm sure, and I want to be sure. Now I am sure that this position with MCC is God's call for us and that no matter what comes, we know we are walking in obedience!
Thank you God.

Plans becoming reality

Have you ever been planning something for so long, you don't even really know if it's actually going to take place? 

For the past week Matt has been down in Florida at ECHO doing research and getting some experience with crops that we will potentially be using over in Kenya. In the near future (as soon as we can set-up a time through skype) we will be finalizing where we will be living and what I will be doing while there with our country directors. This week I will be notifying my principals of our departure. .  whoa. this is really happening. 

The reality of leaving everything, it's frightening. I don't want to leave the people I love. I want to see my students continue to grow and become the best they can be. I don't want to miss out on everything that will be happening here. And yet, I am so excited to step out and obey God's call on our lives. I can't even describe the tremendous joy I have to be going, giving everything up, in order to serve God's kingdom and hopefully bring some hope, justice, redemption here on earth. I pray that God would mold me into his faithful servant, humble and loving, ready to do whatever He asks. 

Musings

Over that past year I've found myself wearily asking: why does God keeping asking for more?

I know that all that I have belongs to God. But I look back at growing up and think about how content I was to know God and live my faith as best I could. Yet, God wants so much more. I see how God relentlessly pursues us and seeks for us to surrender ourselves fully to His Headship. I thought that I was living a full life in the Lord, yet God invites us into even deeper intimacy. Am I really willing to give up everything? Yeah sure, I'm ready to go to Kenya. But am I willing to give up my sleep? (I really only function with at least 8 hours) Am I willing to look foolish for Christ?

I am thankful that God has been transforming us little by little. The other week we had the opportunity to dance before the Lord as a part of worship at our church. Praise God that He used our movement to bless others! Today we had an awesome prayer time where we were able to not just pray next to each other, but battle together in prayer for God's work in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. We had been pondering the power of prayer together and felt that just alternating in prayer wasn't all that it could be. We just got a brief taste of the power there can be in joining forces in prayer. What does that mean? What does it look like? Can we continue to pray like we did today, or was it just luck because we both were well-rested and focused?

In our ministry class we have been learning about the work of satan and the demonic in order to know how to fight back against our foe that has already been defeated! I am someone who thought I understood who satan was, but have always been intimidated by spiritual warfare or the idea of taking back ground from the evil one (such as casting out demons). Yet, the Bible says that we have the full power of God on our side against satan. That when we confess our sin, and are willing to obey to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God will prevail. I pray that God will increase my faith to believe that if He so chose, He could so the same through me.

Fall frenzy

The school year has begun well for me, but as predicted, I am swamped with lesson planning, curriculum development, private piano students, and homework for our ministry survival training course. I've also had the happy luck of getting allergies and a sustained sinus infection for the totality of the school year so far. However, I am finding great joy in seeing how I've improved as a teacher, and getting to share in the day-to-day progress and development of my students whom I cherish deeply. Matt, meanwhile, has been bored and continually seeking new ways to use his time. I've struggled with coming home exhausted and yet wanting to spend quality time with my man who hasn't had much of anything to do.

Every weekend has been continual excitement, from watching Penn State and the Phillies to joining a chamber choir (about 25 singers), which has been such a pleasure to be making music at a high calibre again. We've been in State College with my whole family together discovering our artistic side, painting pottery and being a part of worship at church. And next weekend we head home to the Kistler farm for Oktoberfest for all of the apple and pumpkin picking, playing in leaves, hearty food and family festivities that come with it.

We look forward to all that fall will bring (except learning how to drive stick)....

Double Shot

Next week, the whole Kleinert/Hackman clan will be vacationing in Florida which should be lots of fun. I've never been much of a Disney guy but I am looking forward to seeing everybody and playing tons of card games. Once we get back, things will start getting hectic for Steph. On Monday we're getting our shots and soon after she starts school. I, on the other hand, have had increasingly little to do at work and spend my time doing things like writing random posts on our blog. Hopefully, this fall will present some opportunities to be challenged. Steph (and Mom Kleinert) have suggested tutoring which I've always enjoyed. Other options might be writing theme songs for South American bike trips (www.oneroadsouth.com) and reading every book ever written on Kenyan culture.

So my thought of the week about our transition to Kenya is in regards to how relationships and money are handled in the African context. I am reading a book sent by MCC about how Western norms often don't apply in regards to sharing, giving within friendship, financial planning etc.. (African Friends and Money Matters http://www.amazon.com/African-Friends-Money-Matters-Observations/dp/1556711174) Has anybody run into this or encountered a situation where they were caught off guard by a different set of finanical expectations?

And It Begins

Yesterday we officially accepted our assignment to Kenya and it seems like a torrent of things to do and keep track of has already begun to descend upon us. This morning an email with approximately 15 attachments gave us the first taste of the preparations to come. For me this is exciting. I think I am happier now than when we were offered the position. I love the organizational aspect of things and appreciate MCC's thorough nature.

Another exciting development is that Steph and I have been asked to take part of a "Mission Survival Training" course being developed by our church (www.cornerstonewestchester.com). The class will be made up of two pastors and 7 members who are about to head into the mission field (Kenya, Mozambique, Cambodia and Sudan). The training will focus on purposefully understanding ourselves in light of the personal/relational attacks we'll face overseas. Pastor Bob put it this way, "If Satan has a dossier of you, of which buttons to push to set you off or shut you down, we want to know that dossier and work to protect ourselves from those attacks." It sounds difficult, with a lot of situations where people are purposefully trying to find your "buttons" and trying to push them. But in the end, I think it'll make us stronger and better able to cope when we are in Kenya.

Lastly, if anybody knows how to fix a cd-rom drive that stopped reading any cds (and just makes a lot of noise when you put in a cd), give me a call. I tried a cleaning cd but that was a waste of time and money.

Hello World

So, I'm really excited about finally having my own blog. It was actually Steph's idea and I think this will be good for a variety of reasons:
1. It is better than group emails
2. It gives me something to play around with when I have no work to do
3. I feel like being a reasonably tech-saavy person requires having a blog
4. Mike Beris has a blog and he is about the coolest person ever.

Right now I'm praying for wisdom in regards to whether Steph and I should accept a position in Kenya. We're excited about the adventures God has in front of us and I'm sure that wherever we go, it will be for our good. God is faithful