Welcome to Colorful Colorado

After a long journey from the land shaped like a hand, I was able to settle in a bit in Colorado Springs.  I had just enough time to explore part of the city and move things into my new home - an apartment with my two intern housemates, Jay and Stephen.  The roller coaster-like roads have taken some getting used to, and I first noticed the effects of the elevation change (we're at about 6000-7000 ft) when all my containers of liquids exploded after opening.  But I must say the scenery here is much more interesting than the midwest.

Home sweet home for the next 4 months

Exploring the park right by our apartment

Last week was eMi intern orientation, a physically tiring but spiritually energizing experience.  All 28 interns serving in different eMi offices around the world met together here in Colorado Springs at a retreat center for eight days.  Our schedule was packed from about 7:30am to 9:00pm almost every day.  Staff from eMi gave presentations and discussions for technical and cultural training.  We studied the Bible with regards to missions and God's call for us as Christian engineers and architects.  Although at times it was somewhat of an information overload, we were given time to process our thoughts and spend time alone with God.  

The backyard of the retreat center

There were some really valuable lessons that helped me realize how God has designed me different than the rest of the body of Christ.  Some of these were finding our individual strengths, personality type, and spiritual gifts.  I realized there is so much that goes into reaching people of a different culture with the Gospel.  The training has helped me better understand how culture in different parts of the world plays a huge role in how we communicate the love of God to people.  We are always reminded to avoid the natural reaction of thinking that all unfamiliar cultural differences are bad - many are just different than what Westerners are used to.  

While we learned many things, we also had time to enjoy the great outdoors with some hiking and outdoor games.  It was nice to get some fresh air, even though there doesn't seem to be quite as much of it to breathe up here.  Even just a week after meeting all the interns, we became like family.  We shared our testimonies, studied the Word together, and prayed for each other.

Climbing rocks with new friends

Having to say goodbye to most of them was a little sad as they traveled to their offices in India, Uganda, Costa Rica, and Egypt.  But I am very excited about the group of nine of us serving here in the Colorado Springs office.  It's going to be a blast as we grow together and share experiences from our different project trips.  God continues to bless me and I am extremely grateful to be here.

Blessings and Goodbyes

Myself, Shogo, and Harold at the Technology Center

A funny thing happened the other day; I blinked and summer was gone.  At the end of my time with HCJB last week, I was excited to finally finish my projects and wrap things up.  While our work with the solar thermal tower had pretty limited success, we learned a good amount about the technology and its potential in the short amount of time we had.  As a new research and development project, from the start we knew that it could work well, or it could be impractical.  Basically our testing results and conclusions provided the framework for further development of this project, showing the need for a larger scale tower.

During my time at the Technology Center I also designed the electrical, water supply, and wastewater disposal facilities for a new RV parking pad being installed on the grounds.  As the funding comes in, construction should start soon.  The addition will let working visitors with RVs or trailers to stay at the Tech Center, providing more opportunity for help from volunteers.  Fortunately that will be something I left behind that will be
more tangible and useful immediately.

Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to so many people that have had a big impact on me in just these few months.  Having a great group of interns in and outside of work made the summer so much more meaningful.  I wouldn't have been able to do a lot of things without having them around - interesting lunch conversations, after-work frisbee, camping, and getting sunburned at the beach.  Unfortunately it seems like we had just enough time to become friends, and then we went our separate ways.  Our group was welcomed into the young adult group Bible study with Sugar Grove Church, which was really important to me.  To be able to share ideas and struggles with a group of Christians in similar places in life was one of God's many blessings He had ready for me in Elkhart.  I also owe a lot to Sarah and Andrew for not only letting me live with them, but feeding me (no small task), driving me around, and being my substitute parents for the summer.  I am very thankful for you guys.

These past few months God has shown me why He wanted me here.  Not only have I gained some valuable experience in engineering, but also developed meaningful relationships.  And I think that's more important than anything else.  God has been teaching me many truths through personal experience.  If there's one thing I've learned it's that missionaries are not super Christians.  I've had the opportunity to meet and work with many of them from all over the world.  And while I wouldn't necessarily call them normal (sometimes crazy is a better word), there is usually nothing spectacular about them.  What strikes me about the missionaries I have come in contact with is the passion they have for their work, and the interdependence they have with fellow believers.  The experience has given me a more open mind about missions, and the different ways God allows us to serve Him.  Now I can see how even technical skills in engineering can be used directly to spread the Word.  It's something that creates a spark inside me, and I am excited about the possibilities that God has in store.

This has been an exciting time, I leave for Colorado in two days!  But it has also been a tough time of saying goodbye to family and friends.  Having to leave for a while makes me realize what a great support I have here: an amazing group of friends, supportive and encouraging family, and prayer warriors standing behind me.  As I travel out west, and to the far east, I will be thinking of you all and keeping you in my prayers.

Fully Supported!

I am excited to say that I have received all the financial support I will need for my time of service with eMi this Fall!  Seeing how it has all come together has been an amazing experience of learning to wait on God and not doubt Him.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about raising support right from the beginning.  Not that I didn't think God could do it, there's just a sort of feeling of helplessness when you know you don't have any real control over a situation.  But of course God always provides, in this case through the generosity of family, friends, and fellow believers.  If there's one thing that I find difficult to learn it's that I don't need to always have everything planned out and under control.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34 

 Summer has gone by quickly, as always, and I am nearing the end of my time with HCJB here in Elkhart.  This is my last week and I am trying to wrap things up while preparing for the next adventure.  The trip to Colorado Springs begins August 18.  I will be driving with a couple fellow interns from Chicago, stopping in Omaha to see family, and then arriving in time for orientation at eMi.  That first week will be a time to meet all the other interns and become spiritually prepared for our projects.  After that I'll be living in an apartment rented out by friends of eMi with two other interns.  It'll feel like going back to college again, having a roommate and all.

Since I've been asked frequently about all the dates coming up, here's a brief schedule:

• August 18           Leave for Colorado Springs
• September 17     Leave for Thailand (trip lasts 3 weeks)
• October 8           Return to Colorado Springs to finish design work
• December 15      End of my term

I'm excited and very thankful for all the ways God is blessing me.  Please continue to pray for this time of preparation leading up to starting in a new place.

Rangers Lead the Way

Here's a story told by a young girl who is called "White Monkey" in the Karen language.  She is a daughter of David Eubank, the founder the Free Burma Rangers, the group we will be working with in Thailand.  Their family lives in a community near the border of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand.  The FBR provides help for internally displaced people in the wake of attacks by the Burma Army.

Most of these people are an ethnic minority group living in the Karen State of Burma.  A large number of the Karen people are Christian, and they suffer much persecution as the Burmese government suppresses religious freedom.  The Burma Army has been accused of ethnic cleansing, as Karen villages continue to be burned and destroyed.  Hundreds of thousands have fled to refugee camps in Thailand, while countless others are hiding in the jungles of Burma after being forced from their homes.



The Karen people have a desperate need not only for emergency medical support, but also spiritual guidance and encouragement.  Our goal as an eMi Project Team this fall is to aid the Free Burma Rangers in their efforts to offer the hope and love of Christ to these people.  Please pray for the Karen people and members of the FBR, that God would watch over them and protect them.

There's also another video about FBR missions that is very informative, although quite graphic and disturbing.  That's why I didn't actually put it up here.  If you're squeamish I wouldn't recommend it, so be warned.  Here's the link: Free Burma Rangers Video.

Out of Dirt Comes Hope

Over the past few weeks I've been learning more about my upcoming EMI project and preparing myself for what lies ahead.  Until now I haven't given much detail about what we are actually going to be doing.  So, here it is.

I have been assigned to a project team of engineers and architects volunteering on Project 5550.  Our team includes an EMI staff project leader, architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, building contractor, architectural intern, and myself.  We will be serving a medical training center called the Jungle School of Medicine Kawthoolei, located in a conflict zone in the country of Burma.  Due to the hostile nature of this remote location we will be traveling to Thailand and staying in Mae Sariang, just east of the Burma border. 

 Over fifty years of civil war have left Burma one of the poorest countries in the world. Now the military dictatorship attacks its own people, killing or capturing them for forced labor.  Over one million people are now displaced inside Burma after fleeing from their homes into the jungle.  A lack of attention from global media has left the desperate situation relatively unnoticed.  An organization called the Free Burma Rangers is devoted to helping internally displaced people in Burma.  They provide medical, spiritual, and educational resources for these communities.

 Our project team will be working to design facilities for medical training in Burma, including a classroom and clinical laboratory.  In addition to the designs we will be training FBR members to build these facilities themselves using earthbag construction.  This is a relatively new technique for permanent structures based on an old method of building temporary structures, such as flood control with sand bags.  These massive walls give protection from severe weather, earthquakes, floods, even bullets.  Earthbags can be filled with local soils, require very few traditional building materials, and they're dirt cheap (okay, not funny).  It's an interesting method for sustainable construction, and is very applicable to

this remote location in the jungle.  We will be constructing a 

home which will benefit a village in Mae Sariang, but the main 

purpose is to demonstrate earthbag building techniques.

The trip will begin in late September and in-country design objectives will be accomplished in Mae Sariang.  After three weeks in Thailand, the remainder of the design work will be completed at the EMI office in Colorado Springs until the end of my term.  I cannot tell you how excited I am about this project!  I'm looking forward to seeing how God works through this.

Short Term with a Lasting Impact

It seems that short term missions are sometimes thought of as less significant or of lesser impact than long term service.  They are often viewed as sort of a stepping stone to a real ministry effort.  And while it is true that some missions can be shortsighted, this perspective really puts limits on how God can work through every opportunity.  My four months of service with EMI this fall is short term.  This doesn't mean that I don't have a long term mindset.  It would be easy to think of it as a good experience to have under my belt and then move on, but God is able to do so much more.

During my little bit of spare time I've been reading a book about short term missions and how to prepare for them.  The author's idea of recognizing Paul's journeys in Acts as short terms is interesting to me.  Of course Paul didn't just travel to a foreign land, preach the gospel, and forget about the people he came to help.  After returning home he prayed for the communities and churches that he developed relationships with.  He cared for them through his letters.

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

The purpose is not to simply to accomplish some task or good deed.  We are developing relationships with other believers and helping to build Christ's church.  The calling from the Lord is to obey Him and and let the Spirit work in us.  This is a quote from a Christian martyred for her faith that speaks to this truth:

"The missionary heart: Care more than some think is wise. Risk more than some think is safe. Dream more than some think is practical. Expect more than some think is possible. I was called not to comfort or success but to obedience.  There is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving him."

Karen Watson, 2004

 As I continue to prepare myself for service I just want to do my best to remember that God's purpose will prevail regardless of my successes or failures.  It isn't me working, but the Spirit working through me.

eMi Project 9110

Here's an example of what an eMi project trip looks like.  This project was in March 2011 in Burundi in East Africa.  The group worked to design a vocational training center for widows.

EMI normally provides design drawings and plans to the Christian organization being served in country.  Then that organization will raise funds to construct the design.

My team in Thailand (Project 5550) will be smaller, but lean and mean, with just seven of us.  Our project will also be a little different since it will involve actual construction with the team.  More details on the project to follow...