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That ‘tick-tock … tick-tock’ sound you’re hearing?

That’s the count-down to our move to Colombia, scheduled for mid-May. Scary, huh? And wonderful.

A number of dominoes have to fall before we can board that Avianca  big bird, fly the three and a half hours to Medellín’s international airport, and put our feet up in the apartment that is waiting for us on the campus of the Biblical Seminary of Colombia.

But one honkin’ big domino just fell with an awesomely orderly sound, like the door slam of a brand new car.

Yup, we completed our eight weeks of pre-field training at North Carolina’s Center for Intercultural Training, along with 37 other adults and a small army of their children, all of whom are heading out on the strengths of calling that is similar to ours to countries around the planet.
Our classmates from Equipping for Cross-cultural Life and Ministry at the Center for Intercultural Training. They weren’t nearly this blurry when you saw them in person. Those whose backs are turned to the camera or whose faces are covered will serve in restricted-access (closed) countries and so must protect their identities.
We learned a ton about how to navigate the currents the await us as a fifty-something couple learning to live in South America. We studied culture, navel-gazed at our personality profiles and pondered how they’ll fit with the diverse team at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia, shared our stories and wiped tears from our cheeks as we listened to the stories of our new friends. We drank way too much coffee and ate a little too much chocolate. We grew to love millennials, young couples and their children, and a few couples older than us who in spite of many differences share invigorating life experience with our own. We suspect a few of them have weaseled themselves into our ‘life-long friend’ category while we weren’t paying attention.

We cannot imagine how anyone could survive cross-cultural service in this turbulent moment in history without pre-field training like this.

Clunk!

Down falls the domino.
Karen did an additional two-week course called Second Language Acquisition to prepare her for the full-body-contact-sport of learning Spanish by immersion that awaits her in Medellín. Crazy kids, every one of’em.

So, what other dominoes need to fall?
Domino 1: We need to secure our visas for work and residence in Colombia. 

We share the Biblical Seminary of Colombia’s commitment to stewarding wisely the opportunities for service that Colombian law and society have provided by doing all things transparently and in order. We’ll apply for visas to the Colombian consulate in Newark on April 15. Since our goal is to move to Colombia on May 15, we pray for a quick and efficient response by these authorities.

Domino 2: We need to complete the funding of our ministry.

We’re currently at 87% of our financial support requirement. If our work aligns with God’s calling on your heart, mind, and resources, this is the time to join us. Start here.

Domino 3: Lighten up.

We need to pack the stuff we’re living with now into storage, reduce our Medellín-bound stuff to four suitcases, and depart beloved Millersburg to live lean in waiting Colombia.

Tick … tock …
Did you know?
  • Punishing though you may find the exercise to be, all our Baerly There … and Unfiltered updates can be found here. My other blog, called Canter Bridge, is here.
  • A group of about 30 intercessors who travel under the slightly conspiratorial name of The Guardians pray for our specific needs regularly. But we’d love to have you pray over our updates as well. You might begin with the dominoes. Somehow, in our Creator’s odd design, prayer moves mountains. If you ask me how, I will need to refer you to someone who claims to know.
  • Between every (somewhat rare) edition of Baerly There …, we send out a(n equally rare) update called Unfiltered. It contains less color and more facts.
  • Cross-cultural service in Jesus’ name takes place on a particular kind of battlefield. Please take us seriously.
  • We love that you read this far. Thank you so much.
Karen, in full-on blossoming mode these days (on which, more anon …), stands and delivers. Good grief, that man’s head is really shiny.
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739 Church Street

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