MDS

Sometimes the longer you put something off the harder and more awkward it is to actually begin. I am speaking of blogging. I really meant to blog more during my time in the MDS but until recently have never had a computer of my own. I seem to spend most of my borrowed computer time answering emails. Enough about that.

The MDS ended nearly a month ago and all my wonderful fellow students went home. I was able to stay here in Mexico an extra month and help out with all the guests we've had. For nearly a week we had six little kids in the house, and all but one of them were three or younger. It made me miss life with Marie's family. Her mom had a daycare and it was often noisy.

But before I attempt to rejoin the world of normal bloggers, it seems appropriate that I should pause and write a bit about the MDS. A sort of thanks and goodbye to a school that has been one of those life - changing bits of the journey.

When I first heard of the MDS (Missional Discipleship School) I had no intention of joining. Don't get me wrong, it was the thing I had been waiting for my church to do for ages. The problem was I didn't feel ready, I felt like I had messed up everything I'd touched for a long time (especially my relationships with people in the church), and I just wanted to leave for college and couldn't make that day come fast enough.

God had His own ideas and since He is God it is best to obey. It was one of those times where I attempt to respectfully pray something like, "Um, God, are You sure You know what You're doing?" I almost cried right in class the first few days because I was so scared of what the year would look like. As always, it turned out God did know what He was doing. (Duh.) As a result this year has really been life-changing. Not that I have become super-saint or anything, but I do feel like a somewhat dark chapter of my life has ended and this school has been the beginning of something new.

I think mostly what God has done is taken a lot of things He had taught me over the last few years and tied them together in a way that suddenly leaves me freer and more anchored. (I know that is somewhat a contradiction in terms. However, a leaf tossed by the waves is not free, but a captive of the sea. Meanwhile a boat with an anchor is free to stay or go by lifting or dropping the anchor.) I think God worked deeply in all our lives through this experience.

Our time living together in Mexico was definitely the most challenging. We are all more introverted personalities that need a little more space. The fact that God was really working in all of us seemed to make that more true. Living with ten people in one house was new for all of us. We had a lot of fun cooking together, praying every morning, and having crazy water fights. Usually these were started by Anissa or Joel, but I got the opportunity to help organize a group dousing of Mike, the pastor of the church in Colorado, when he visited on his birthday. Out of pure courtesy and politeness for his birthday I gave him the privilege of throwing a pitcher of watter on me in the battle that ensued. (Actually, Anissa pushed me in an effort to save herself, but that's a secret.) We also played many a game of Jungle Speed together, from which I still bear the scars of Claudia's nails.

Another important point about the MDS is that I killed my first scorpion.

I spent much of my time in Mexico wondering why God chose to send me and not someone else. He had to remind me over and over that I need to trust His choice. In the past I've made the mistake of not trusting God's choice, seeing someone I think is better for the job, and trying to be that person. It tends to be a disaster.

Despite us being a rather introverted group we all had the privilege of seeing a church birthed. Sometimes I would try to figure out how it was happening. None of us expected to see things happen as fast as they did. Just a week or two after we arrived another church donated all their stuff to us and joined themselves to us. Crazy and unexpected. The church here is not large at all but a bit bigger than we expected to see so soon.

Well that was long and a bit rambly and is about to come to one of my infamous sudden conclusions.

I miss all my fellow students of the MDS, hopefully it won't be too long before I can come visit Paris...