Intercultural Training Take Away Points

Tonight is my final night in Union Mills, NC and it is a tad bit bittersweet. Today in class we had a "graduation" of sorts for those of us who were leaving this weekend. There are two more sessions to follow, of which many of our classmates are attending. Therefore, a few of us got to go forward and get our certificates of completion, shake all of the professors' hands and then engage in the typical conversations that always seem to follow graduations. Suddenly everyone is talking to you and wishing you luck and proclaiming the great times that have been had...

Who knew a month would go so quickly or that 34 adults and 20 children could mesh so incredibly well together? This community was great and the people here will definitely hold a special place in my heart. It's funny how quickly you can bond with people because you're all in the same place (so to speak). All of us are going overseas. We're doing countless different things, but we're all going and we all have things we're nervous about and excited about. And we're all striving towards a common purpose: to serve God and his people. Because of that, there is an understanding amongst us that a lot of people cannot grasp, since they don't have the same desires or plans.

There are also a lot of nicknames, lots of deep conversation (and not so deep) and above all, constant laughter :)

Nonetheless, I just wanted to jot down some take away points from this month. These are things I learned through classes, activities, the people here, you name it.

1. It's not right. It's not wrong. It's different. It may in fact be better.

2. Transitions lead to transformation.

3. Good intentions are often the monuments of destruction.

4. To accept others is to love God.

5. We do a terrible injustice when we only use words to portray the gospel.

6. God is still writing HIS story in all of the hurt and pain. There isn't a hurt that God won't use if we let him write the rest of the story.

7. The absence of trust is the basis of team dysfunction.

8. Breathe Grace.

9. Things are not always what they seem.

10. Shut up, so God can speak.

oh and 11. be sure to take time to enjoy WHO God is.


There you have it folks.