About Mission Training International

Dear friends in Christ, 14 February 2009

Peace be with you.

We are at Mission Training International, in a beautiful part of Colorado, learning how to learn a language. Lydia is doing much better than many of the adults!

We thought to augment our regular webpage with some thoughts on what the missionary life is like for those attending this program.

First, there are people from around the world who are going to various parts of
the globe over the course of the next few months, many within the next month:
An empty nester couple going to serve in Afghanistan.
A family with several small children going to Indonesia.
A single man in his twenties going to Burkina Faso in Africa.
A single young lady in her twenties going to Cambodia.
A young married couple going to the Tibet area of China.
A young family with small children going to Northeastern China.
A young couple going to Kyrgyzstan.
We are going to Peru.

Second, what do these people do? They have a spiritual ministry and a physical
ministry. To be more effective, they need to know how to learn to speak the local language(s), in the area where they will be ministering.

Their spiritual ministry is to pass on the eternal life offered by Jesus Christ to
those they meet, and to strengthen the body of Christ, world-wide.

Their physical ministry includes digging water wells for communities, providing medical assistance in specific locations, helping communities grow region specific crops for food, providing administrative assistance to organizations who could use their help, church planting, and training up leaders in the Church.

Third, what are some language issues people are likely to be prepared for?
“Where is the bathroom?”
“How do you say this?”
“Where are the land mines?”

All of us are on the edge of an important ministry, and the process can be
exhilarating. We are honored to be studying with these heroes of the faith, and
we are honored to be supported by you.

God bless you!

Shaw, Julie, and Lydia.