In case you haven't seen this already - written on the cusp of Seed

Everything I (Karen) have been working on for the past three and a half months leads up to this. I’m in South Africa where we’ll meet most of the team for MCC General Orientation. Sadly, some of them are having visa complications and won’t arrive when we’d hoped.

Mark with beautiful mountains in Rwanda Karen at the beach near Durban, South Africa

There have been a lot of setbacks and frustrations. We really are working in a context that requires so much flexibility with planning on every level – we don't know whether or not someone will be able to travel the day they plan to (there have been frequent boat strikes recently), if necessary documents will arrive as anticipated (and if they will be accepted as legitimate), or if we will have access to needed funds when unexpected expenses come up, etc. It’s challenging. But today, we get to meet the young people we’ll be working with for the next two years! I know there will be an aura of excitement all around the conference center where we’re staying. I’m really looking forward to my role as hostess. I feel like I can step out of my introvertedness when I know it’s my role to make new people comfortable and welcome, and I really enjoy that. I’m also looking forward to being a mentor and spiritual director of sorts. Part of that is sharing a devotion one day this week. Here are some of my thoughts that are brewing in preparation for that: “Real training for service asks for a hard and often painful process of self-emptying…Training for service is not training to become rich but to become voluntarily poor; not to fulfill ourselves but to empty ourselves; not to conquer God but to surrender to his saving power. All this is very hard to accept in our contemporary world, which tells us about the importance of power and influence.” – Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out The idea of self-emptying speaks to me of forgetting my own rights, letting go of how people think of me or if they say something that seems offensive to me, and acknowledging that I don’t know the answers. And when I empty myself, I am humble before God. I am also more of my “true self” – who God made me to be! Or, in a different light, simply "who I am." I was not created to know everything, to have the power to change things on my own, or to be more respected than others. When I empty myself of my self-will and the fantasies of my own importance, I can be filled by the Holy Spirit and centered on Jesus. Abiding in Him. Connected to the life-giving vine. I fix my eyes on His glory and kingdom. I wanted to share with you, as I’m on the brink of this big day, and say thank you for your encouragement and support of Mark and me in our adventures, as we follow God’s leading, as He gives us abundant life in the places He’s called us to. God's peace, Karen And Mark sends his greetings from Kinshasa. Can't wait to be back with him in ten days ! Prayer requests: Resolution on visas for three of our eight Seed participants Safe travel back to DR Congo for the whole team on 25-26 Feb Good team bonding and protection from the enemy's attacks Energy and health during this busy learning season Wisdom, discernment, flexibility to roll with the changes in schedules Grace for us in the three week absence from one another For Congo to have free, fair, and peaceful elections (more on that later)