I will be writing a few blogs over the next couple weeks to describe different specific ways we have been preparing ourselves for the work ahead and the move to Ethiopia. The first installment is about RMI24, an awesome experience I, Adam, had the opportunity to be a part of at our home church, Reality.
Last summer, I was thinking about our life and our upcoming big changes and I realized that I needed to do something different in my life if I was actually going to be spiritually and mentally ready to move my family to Ethiopia. I was having a desire to free up time in my schedule to read good books about working overseas and about God's plan for us to be part of his work on earth. I was also having a desire to connect to some mentors that could walk with us through this season. The first step was to start working less at my job at Applied Minds and carve out the time to do this, but I had no idea what the next step would look like. I figured I would just have to get really self disciplined and make myself read and process, and then go find my self a mentor. Fortunately, that's not the way God works! Soon after these ideas started brewing in my head our church, Reality, announced they were starting a ministry internship geared at equipping the people of the church to do ministry in and out of the church. This internship would involve reading great books, listening to good teaching, and working with mentors at the church! It would last for nine months and take around 24 hours per week.
The whole program had a thread of personal growth through study of the Bible and reading some great books with solid theological concepts. We had weekly written assignments and discussion groups that helped us unpack the ideas in the reading. We worshiped together, prayed together, had fun together, and shared life.
We did three projects each with a different focus. The first was a group project to study a local sub-culture or people group in our community. We looked at the defining characteristics of the group, the cultural assets, and the physical and spiritual needs of the people group. Our group studied the Mixteco people. Indigenous to Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mixteco people in our community are a vital part of our agricultural economy, and yet they have big challenges because of language barriers, discrimination, and poverty. The second project was to prepare a 40 minute sermon on a topic of our choosing. This was a huge challenge, but taught me so much about studying the Bible with the intention to share it with others. I taught on Acts 6 and the importance of being willing to be ready to do the work of ministry in the church. The last project was a group project to study spiritual gifts. This was certainly the most challenging, as our group tackled the gift of "words of wisdom". We learned much about how this gift is distinct from the gained wisdom that is available to all through study. Instead it is a gift of a distinct word of wisdom breathed into a situation for the growth of the body.
God truly used this season and the RMI24 program to get me ready for what's coming. I grew in self discipline, in vulnerability, in conviction of the word, in relationship to others. I experienced a new sweet closeness with God through this time. Most of all I met some amazing friends who are on this same journey, trying to give their heart fully to our God, and live a life of ministry to others wherever they go.
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| The awesome group of RMI24 Interns |
