Five days in: Getting settled

Five days ago I stepped out of the airport into the humid Abidjan air, and said hello to this country that will be my home for the next nine months. Since then, I’ve been working on getting adjusted and finding my new normal.

Meet the Gables: Andy, Stephanie, Clay, Ellie, Caeden, Sage, and Olivia. The Gable family has been living and serving here in Ivory Coast for about 12 years. Since my arrival, they have been incredibly helpful, answering my many questions (like, “What do I do with my trash?” and, “Where should I buy eggs?”), getting me settled into the house I’m staying in (right next door to theirs), inviting me over to eat with them while I figure out shopping and cooking, showing me around town, introducing me to different people and aspects of the ministry, discussing my role here, and so on. The kids often come over to my house ready to play a card game or just hang out. It’s nice to feel so welcomed, and I have no doubt that the transition would be much more difficult without the Gables’ hospitality.

The open-air restaurant where we ate lunch today. The meal (rice, peanut sauce, and beef) cost less than $2 per person!

Now that I am starting to feel settled, I’m looking forward to getting involved in the ministry. The first step of that will be language-learning. This will be my main focus for at least my first couple of months here. Tomorrow I will begin having French lessons five days a week. In my short time here in country, I’ve quickly realized how useful it will be to have a working knowledge of French and to be able to relate to Ivoirians in their own language.

Prayer requests:
-That I will be able to pick up the language quickly
-For daily courage to step out of my comfort zone
-For the Global Leadership Summit which will be held here in Abengourou for the first time in October

Great Expectations

I officially leave in 15 days. People have been asking me, "Are you excited?" And I can quickly and enthusiastically answer, "Yes!" But, for the sake of honesty, I often add, "...but I am also pretty nervous, and a little overwhelmed at all that needs to be done before leaving." People are pretty understanding of this, as I imagine anyone who has gone through a big life transition has probably experienced this same tension. I'm looking forward to this next step, but it brings with it many unknowns.

In my weakest moments, it is easy to let fears creep in. What if I'm not cut out for this type of ministry? What if I get sick? What if, what if, what if? Of course, I know that it does no good to spend time thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong. During one conversation with a friend about my nervousness, she reminded me that this is something I am feeling called to. My main purpose in going is to serve God and His people, and as long as I keep that as my goal first and foremost, nothing else matters.

So instead of dwelling on my fears, I am trying to examine my expectations. It's only natural to have some expectations, and I think a big challenge is to remain optimistic, but keep expectations as realistic as possible. While I wholeheartedly believe this is the right next step in my life, I also know it is not always going to be easy. I want to prepare myself for the inevitable imperfection in all areas of this next step, such as my living space, the people I will encounter, the new language, the food, the weather, the ministry, etc., but I want to do so in an optimistic way, trusting that God will use everything, good or bad, for his purposes.

During this time I've also decided to set myself a few goals for my time in Ivory Coast. Hopefully this will help to keep me on track when I am feeling overwhelmed.

1) Invest time and energy into learning and practicing the language and the culture

2) Gain a strong understanding of CMF's current ministry in Ivory Coast, and future dreams/plans

3) Get to know people--spend time with them, ask them questions, and really listen to their answers

4) Find my niche in the ministry
5) Grow in my love for God by spending time with Him and His people
6) Seek guidance and wisdom about the next step in my life, and how I can remain involved in God's mission in the world

Please pray with me as I finish up this preparation, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.