This line from a song by my Dad’s favourite band (find out
which here) aptly sums up ‘where I am at’ at the moment. Nine months of training at BMS’s
International Mission Centre (IMC) are completed and I’ve got the certificate
to prove it! I’ve looked at more
theology and cross-cultural issues than I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve learnt lots, questioned lots, broadened
my horizons and made good friends. I’ve
learnt what it’s like to live in community (see last blog entry post) and it’s
been great.
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| Looking studious in class at IMC! |
There’s nothing like life and study at IMC to prepare you
for long term mission work. You get the
time and space to study new concepts, work through theories and generally get a
broader view of mission. Integral
mission at that.
I think getting my head around integral mission as a concept
is the biggest thing I’ve taken on board since being here. Healthcare work – to use my own field as an
example, there are many others – is mission work in and of itself and in its
own right. Realising this has been
liberating. I am looking forward to
getting to Guinebor II Hospital in Chad and helping to provide that healthcare service.
As the title of this blog says, finishing IMC is just the
end of the beginning of my overseas life.
It feels like there are a lot of steps, and rightly so, until I
eventually get to Chad in January 2016.
My next step is to go to language school in France in an
attempt to improve my French. I’ve been
having lessons since January to help keep me ticking over with mon français. Forming
friendships with colleagues and neighbours in Chad is something that I’ve
realised time and time again whilst at IMC is integral to integral mission
work. And I can’t do that without a good
grasp of French (to start with, there are many other languages I can learn that
are widely used in Chad!). One thing I
remember distinctly from when I was in Chad last time was the frustration at
not being able to express myself verbally because I only had a basic knowledge
of French. Going to Les Cèdres in
Massy near Paris will hopefully move my level of French up a notch. That’s the idea anyway! I will be at Les Cèdres until just before
Christmas.
Thanks for reading my blog, keep following for more updates!
