How to Train Your Missionary Candidate (Who Is Almost as Dangerous as a Dragon)



My iPhone tells me that Spring is almost
here, and I believe everything my iPhone
tells me to believe. Just kidding! I only
believe what Steve Jobs tells me to believe.



Hello, friends and family! It's practically March, which means it's practically Spring, which means soon we can all start enjoying NOT being cooped up in our winter slumber cabin's anymore.

This particular post, I wanted to brief everyone on quite a large milestone I just completed in this process.



The view from my hotel in Reading, PA.
On a clear day it was really great!



Last Sunday, I packed up the car with my suitcase, my laptop, my ECMI member's handbook and a little (read: LARGE) bundle of nerves and made a leisurely jaunt (haha) to the fine state of Pennsylvania for our missionary candidate orientation. Perhaps flying would have been a more convenient option for some, but I actually enjoy driving...the solitude, the scenery and the ability to play whatever music I want however loud I want. It was actually not a bad drive, in fact...barring the moment when I realized I had driven over 20 miles in the wrong direction and had to turn around. After about 10 1/2 hours, I reached my destination: New Holland, Pennsylvania. After a few scary moments spent dodging unexpectedly numerous Old Order Mennonites in horse and buggy's, I arrived just in time to snag some delicious lentil stew and begin meeting everyone.

Little known fact: Although I have been involved with ECMI-USA since January 2010, I have only ever met one person, once. I met the U.S. Director, George Brown, at Urbana 2009 when he was manning their promotional kiosk, but since then, I have made the entire journey over the phone, internet and through a little something they call "mail." You actually use "paper," put it into an "envelope" and then put a "stamp" on it. Somehow, the parcel manages to physically arrive where you have sent it, though I think this is all a conspiracy. ;) Anyway, after all these different forms of communication, I actually got to meet almost all of the staff and board of the wonderful organization that I am working with.

The week was filled with more information than I could ever have imagined, but it was all so interesting. I finally understand the general structure of this international organization and it's policies. It will certainly be a learning process that will continue on for some time, but I now feel very official...something about meeting everyone and Skyping to several different cities and countries has made everything seem much more real than it did in the past. I wanted to also share with you some things that were said that I found to be especially enlightening.

Sometimes (and I think this is very natural) I wonder about this call that I believe has been put on my life...am I right? Is this actually what God wants? During one of our seminars, George Brown (you can find his blog here) said this in regards to missions:

My co-candidates, Helen and Bob. They will be
working in mobilization and here in the States.

"Many are willing to go, but planning to stay.

                  Few are planning to go, but willing to stay."

I immediately felt totally secure in my move into missions, as I fully identified with the second line in that statement. I have never desired to stay in my current position...I absolutely am willing to stay if that is what God desires, but I have always believed that God placed a desire in my heart to GO. I have been chomping at the bit for 3 years!

My other co-candidates, Dan and Anna, who will be
working in beautiful, sunny Spain!

During a Skype meeting with the ECM-International director, Chris Wigram, he quoted an author as saying that in Rostock, "People have forgotten that they forgot God." How powerful is that? Here in the States, we often pray for revival in our churches. We ask that those who have fallen away from the God will rediscover Him. In Europe, especially in former East Germany, there is no longer enough residual knowledge to even ask for a revival. The atheistic communist regime left the younger generations without even the ability to recognize well-known stories like Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. They are literally back at square one. So in that way, some parts of Europe seem a lot like other unreached people groups that you would find in highly isolated places like Papua New Guinea...just food for thought.

In other news, I have received some verbal commitments for support from friends and family members! I am absolutely overjoyed!! It is still early in the game for me, but I am so excited to see that God is truly being faithful in providing for my call.

Please pray:

• That those who have made verbal commitments and those who are praying about supporting this mission will follow through in whatever way that God is leading them.
• For members of my team, Justin and Kristin, that they would continue adjusting well to their new life in Germany, and that they would recover some supporters that they have lost since reaching the field.
• That my current church, Embrace, would continue growing and that we would soon find a building that we can call our own.
• About supporting me financially and/or in prayer. Thank you to those who are already praying! God has really been evident in the past week or so!

Ways that you can give:

http://www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now Click here and designate that your gift is for me, Alison Settle.

Make checks payable to ECMI-USA 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

Blessings, pals!

Alison