Current Events in Upside-Down Life Land

Happy Valentine's Day! As my first real post other than my initial introductory post, I wanted to give everyone an idea as to how my life has changed since being accepted as an appointee in October.

Northeast Germany with Rostock and Schwerin

At first, I was over the moon that the process of acceptance was finally coming to a close, and practically high with excitement having just returned from my week-long visit to Rostock and the neighboring capitol of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin. I was hyped up beyond belief and couldn't wait to get back and start! Once the dust settled, however, I realized that I had very little idea what I was doing or where to start. Thankfully, ECMI-USA supplied me with a "to-do list" of sorts full of steps I needed to take between then and my departure.

A view of what the class looked like...a little strange (and I
hate to admit this, but it's really difficult not to watch yourself!)

I began with signing up for a support-raising class held by Kingdom Come Training. The class came recommended and required by the folks at ECMI, including the head honcho, George Brown. The format of this class was something I had never experienced before...in an online-meeting room. I armed myself with a webcam, a microphone and a homemade 50-foot long ethernet cable jury-rigged by my friend, Andrew. After 3 weeks of 4 day-a-week, 1 1/2 hour long classes that consisted of composing a "ministry visit" (an ordered collection of stories forming a presentation for support-raising), I was released to begin calling folks and presenting my appeal. I felt (and still do feel) a little awkward about phoning people, many of them mere aquaintances, and entering their homes with a "ministry visit" filled with stories that they may or may not find interesting. Not to mention that some of the people on my list are those I am close enough with that they actually know all of these stories. I am hyper-terrified of sounding unauthentic or of my stories sounding contrived or "canned." I presented to a couple that is friends of mine and I *gasp* ended up throwing my entire presentation away as I feared I would stoop to possible disrespect if I was to tell vignettes that this couple lived through. Ever since that experience, I have found it difficult to go through the entire ministry visit unaltered. I am still making calls and appointments, though. Perhaps after a few months of being prideful and trying it my way without success, I may go back to the original status quo.

The jewelry biz propaganda

After my becoming a little jaded by the rehearsed ministry visit, I chose to also integrate other more modern aspects into my strategy. I created this particular blog in hopes of reaching a larger number of people, while also forming a simple way to keep my friends and family posted. I am also reaching folks via Facebook and email, and by resurrecting my little itty-bitty jewlery business. Aliza Designs, which I started in or around November of 2009, is said jewelry business. My desire is to devote more time than I have in the past with hopes to spread the word of my mission while simultaneously devoting the profits to my support account.

Needless to say, time has sort of become...an issue. I also work full-time (9am-6pm) in a church-based preschool where I care for 4 little babies. Combined with small group/bible study, leading an Alpha table, and attempting to have a social life, I am feeling the pressure! Because of this, I recently decided to take Wednesday's off so I could have a "work day." I'm a bit worried about how this is going to affect me financially, but frankly, I wasn't able to make much headway in prep for the move to Germany. Thankfully, I am still at 32 hours a week and my insurance coverage will remain stable...I am well beyond relieved about that!

My baptism...God gave me the most INCREDIBLE
thunderstorm afterwards to celebrate!

Another more personal change has been my decision to switch home churches. I had been at my original church since my baptism, and attended regularly before that. It has always been my dream to eventually return to Europe, and so when I became involved with ECMI, I immediately informed the leadership at my home church. After being accepted as an appointee, I was doing a page in my devotional (click here! I highly recommend this book. It has helped me to really deepen my knowledge of the bible and my relationship with God) and it asked me to consider where I had made commitments without asking God...or if I had made commitments because of what would be done for me. I began to wonder if I had committed to a church based on the resources it could offer me rather than what I could give to it. I found that God was really leading me to be sent as a missionary by an inner-city church called Embrace. Though Embrace is very young and still without a building to call home, I knew it was important that I feel a close relationship with my sending church...that we be equally excited about each other, and not be clouded by what one can do for the

Embrace's current home at The Kentucky Theatre

 other. I feel so at home yet challenged by this church...I am overjoyed by its future and what it stands for. I also believe that they are ready, willing and able to send me out as its first long-term missionary. I am super excited to partner up with my pastor, Rosario Picardo, and the rest of the Embrace family for this new movement!

What you can do if you'd like to help...

• Continue to read this blog! :)
• Pray for the church-plant in Rostock...that it would continue to grow and that it's current members would be blessed in their relationships with each other.
• Consider supporting me on a monthly basis...even a $10 a month commitment gets me closer! A 1% ($44 a month) donation would get me even closer. One time gifts are equally welcomed and appreciated! I believe God will provide for those who give...He has never failed to provide for me even when I didn't know how I could ever make it to the next set of bills! All donations are tax deductible. Here's giving info:

Click here and designate that your gift is for me, Alison Settle. You can also set up electronic transfers from this site.

Make checks out payable to ECMI-USA, designate that they are for Alison Settle on a seperate note and mail to:
European Christian Mission International-USA
PO Box 181
West Unity, Ohio
43570-018

And if you'd like to set up donations via electronic transfer, send a quick note specifying my name, Alison Settle, to the above mailing address or to the email here: rebekah.burkholder@ecmi.org

Thanks for reading and praying!

Alison

The Journey to Here



ME!



Welcome to the beginning of my documented journeys! My name is Alison Settle, and I have recently been appointed as a missionary to Rostock, Germany with the organization European Christian Mission InternationalEven though my blog is just beginning now, I have actually been in communication with ECMI since January of 2010...and the steps I have taken to get to this point have been going on for even longer..

Five years ago, I made the decision to leave my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky for a grand adventure in Europe. After three weeks of job searching and only another three weeks of loose-end-tying, I found myself living in Munich, Germany as an au pair. Despite having virtually no knowledge of the German language and culture, I managed to make friends and carve myself a lovely niche in that amazing country for 13 months. After my adventure in Europe came to an end, I made my way back home to Kentucky with hopes of cutting any remaining ties to the States and returning to live in Munich permanently. Interestingly enough, God had other plans! I was somehow coerced into attending an Alpha course at the church where I worked. Even though I had spent my first 21 years as a skeptic/agnostic, I reluctantly agreed to go...with the understanding that I would do nothing other than cause trouble and ask lots of difficult questions. Luckily, the patience of those leading the course eventually broke down my “devil's advocate” exterior and made me feel safe enough to ask the real and genuine questions I had been wanting to say for so long. And even though not all my questions were able to be answered, I was being shown the love of Christ through the kindness and support of my friends. Throughout this process of searching and wrestling with God, I continued working on my plans of returning to Germany, but strangely (and not coincidentally), one February night in 2008 a fluke wind storm of tornadic proportions



My poor baby post-destruction.



caused a mature maple tree to collapse upon my precious 1993 Dodge Dakota...effectively cutting my plans short, as I had to purchase another vehicle and this would tie me back down to the States for at least another year or so. After my precious European plans were destroyed, I turned to everything and everyone I could to try to figure out what to do with my life, but to no avail. And so I prayed. I prayed a prayer of desperation and exasperation to God for what I wanted and what I needed and what had been taken away from me. And not more than a month later and four days after my 22^nd birthday, I accepted Christ as my Savior...by surrendering my life to Him after realizing that what I was doing and what I thought was right was not working. Sometimes you have to hit the rock-bottom of darkness before you can see the light clearly enough to move in the right direction.



My Munich trip in September 2008.
Breakfast at the Chinese Tower in the Englischer Garten.



A few months later, in June, I was baptized on my family's farm in southern Indiana surrounded by family and friends. I still wished to return to Munich, but I knew that it had to be the right timing...God's timing. And in August, I found I somehow had acquired just the amount of money I needed to purchase a flight to Munich in September, and I booked. This was a much needed return trip, one I certainly needed to take after my enormous life change. I was able to see everything from a different perspective and reconcile my old life with my new. I suddenly realized that what I wanted most now was to serve God in a place where I felt uniquely prepared to do so...in Europe, specifically Germany. I am by no means an expert in the German language or culture, but I feel my year long crash course as an au pair has left me with a most basic understanding, while my Christian roots come from my life here in Lexington. I have been so nurtured and encouraged here, that I feel I have a strong enough foundation to begin working. I wish to take what I have learned and how I have been lifted up to a place where there is not nearly as much support as I have received...to Europe. And this search brought me to Urbana 2009 where I initially met with ECMI.

At Urbana 2009 (LtoR Lauren, Rachel, Lara and me)

After an intensive application process and finally a trip to Rostock, Germany to meet the team currently working there, I was accepted as an appointee and now I have begun the support raising process. This has been an incredible journey so far, but I know that this particular time will be an even more interesting time and I wanted to document this...all of it. My day-to-day life and how I am able to fit everything together, the frustration, the blessings, the encouragement and even the boring stuff. I wanted anyone and everyone to be able to see this movement from an inside perspective, to be able to comment on it or make suggestions, to enjoy it or to question it. I wish this blog to be an honest portrayal of my life from this day forward and how God acts in it. I hope you will join me!

If you want to help, here are things you could do that would make a world of difference to me:

• Most importantly, pray for ECMI, the team in Rostock and for me as I begin this process.
• Reply to my posts with any thoughts or suggestions you might have.
• Tell your friends about this blog!
• Pray about supporting me financially with a monthly donation. Donations should be designated to me, Alison Settle, are through Amazon.com and are tax-deductible. Just click "supporting me!" :)