A Daily Struggle for Daily Success

Hello and good afternoon to all!

It is that time again...time for an update on the road to missionaryhood.

As the title suggests, it really is a daily struggle for daily success in the world of potential missionaries. Often times, the milestones that I must reach are so large that I have to take a breath and realize that God will provide if I can just step up to the plate and do my part. Not to say that raising support is something that I necessarily have control over, as I have already clearly seen that God works through many channels, but more that I must continue to show my commitment, dilligence and obedience to God and this calling. 

I will give you an idea of the emotional roller coaster that I am often taking a ride on:

"I have heard from different people lately that they have been intentionally praying for me, and it has all been quite humbling and unexpected. I actually was feeling a little down on myself yesterday for not being as productive last week as I had been the week before, but then my (current) favorite song came on on the way to work, and I immediately just felt this intense feeling of joy, excitement and peacefulness about everything. I realized that I need to keep pushing and pushing hard, and sometimes I won't get everything done or raise as much support as I had hoped, etc., but God still wants me there, that He has provided for me in the past and He will in the future. I also sometimes get so taken aback that I am actually going to be a missionary in Germany...how INCREDIBLE is that?? That God has not only given me this opportunity, but that He is trusting me with it! So, needless to say, I got to work and walked in with cry-face. But, they were tears of joy. :)"

 

This whole process has become so much more than I ever thought it would be... I always thought that things kind of went like this:

 

 

       Point A --------------------------------- Point B

                  (Me now)                             (Some stuff I have to do)                    (Me as a missionary)

 

 

Now, I am quite certain that things look a little more like this:

 

 

Photo Credit: twoagespilgrims.com

Look familiar? It's the path that God led Moses through to get to the promised land. I believe that God is taking me through different rifts and valleys, high points and summits, in order to prepare me the best way He possible. He knows my downfalls and my shortcomings, and He knows what my strengths and skills are. He is using my life now along with all the paperwork, emails, social situations, financial situations and presentations to strengthen my strengths and to make my shortcomings a little less, um, short. He is taking me on a journey, one that is not straight or narrow, but curvy and bumpy and I take one step forward and two steps back...and where God picks me up sometimes and moves me miles and miles...

 

So, for now, I take things one day and one task at a time. Today, for example, I sat down with my coffee at 8:30am and wrote my list of tasks for the day. It sort of looked like this:

 

- Write emails to 8 people

- Write Facebook messages to 6 people

- Look into mint.com to track finances

- Finish and mail Thank You cards

- Meet friend for lunch

- Do laundry

- Write Blog

- Call 10 people

 

And I do these things. I make a list of things to do every day, and then I do them. And that is how I do my part...how I stay committed, how I show myself and God and others that I'm in the game. It's how I breathe...it's how I stay focused while I wait on God to move those mountains into the sea.

 

Here's how you can help me to breathe a little easier, and how you can help God to move the mountains...

 

• PRAY...for me, for the church in Rostock and for my sending church Embrace.
• Post this blog on your Twitter and Facebook accounts using the button up top! :)
• Prayerfully consider supporting me financially...even a pledge of $5 a month will make a difference! Committing to something can seem scary, but think of it like this: You could give up Starbuck's once a month to support me $5, or fast food once a month to support me $10, or eating out once a month to support me $20. Here are ways that you can invest in this ministry:

1. Send your checks made out to ECMI-USA with a separate note with my name, Alison Settle on it to this address:            ECMI-USA
                                                                      PO Box 181
                                                             West Unity, OH 43570

2. Click here, specify me, Alison Settle, and you can donate through your amazon.com account.

3. Or for monthly donations via electronic transfer, send a request by email to rebekah.burkholder@ecmi.org

 

Thanks for reading!

Blessings and Love,

Alison

 



Blessings from Dreamland

Our local weatherman, Bill Meck, took this...the crocuses are
beginning to bloom!

Happy Sunday, all my friends!

My Cats! (Well, I guess this is actually a picture
I took of the cheerleaders, but you get the idea)
They beat the Tennessee Vols today
for their 2nd road game win.

Today has been the culmination of one of my most productive weeks on this path so far. I was able to Skype with one of my good friends, Lara, who is doing her semester of student teaching in sunny South Africa, as well as chat briefly to one of my Rostock teammates, Justin Sismey (see a link to his family's blog to the right). I was even fortunate enough to meet with a friend of mine for lunch to talk about the mission. In combination with getting some other "housekeeping" done, attending church this morning, seeing evidence of the beginning of Spring and watching the Cats beat the Vols, I am feeling really encouraged!

In essence, I have felt nothing but pure, blissful thankfulness towards God this week...I have been able to do so much with His help. To those of you who know me, you would agree when I say that I am an unorganized, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of personality. I am never really engaged in the details of life, and I often spend my time sort of piddling around, procrastinating until the absolute deadlines to accomplish things. But lately, God has put this desire in my heart to really get down to business...to get my stuff together and start becoming a self-motivated, time-managing, productive person. I am convinced that this is God's way of preparing me for the life of a missionary where the work is sort of, well, ambiguous. Where there's no corporate boss breathing down your neck pushing for certain tasks to be accomplished. Where I am working individually, but as part of a team, to build relationships with people and to build up the Kingdom of God through whatever means He chooses to use. Though there are certain quantitative ways to measure success, such as church attendance or weekly giving stats, most of it is unmeasurable and immeasurable works of the heart. So, I believe, God is leading me to develop skills that will aid in this.

I recently enjoyed doing something I never thought I would want to do...I bought an agenda. A little green book where I am scheduling my day, and on many days, I am scheduling it to the hour. And by golly if I haven't accomplished every stinkin' thing I put in there! Everything from emails and exercise to birthday parties and lunch box packing, it's in there. I suddenly feel like every task that comes my way is accomplishable. I end my days exhausted, but rewarded in knowing that I am that much closer to making my dream of missions come true. Quick, slightly disturbing fact: I sat down to watch TV to unwind this week, and I found it a waste of time. I turned it off. WHOA.

The agenda. What a week!

But above and beyond it all, the blessing that has brought me to the point of tears several times this week is how many friends and family members have come forward and expressed their desire to support me in this work. It is natural to fear this daunting process that I have begun, especially with the knowledge that you are entirely at the mercy of God and the kindness of those around you. Very little can be as faith-building as relying on that, especially in this American culture where we are taught to be in control of every aspect of our lives in order to be successful. And here is the news, if I can hold the tears back long enough to type it...

In the past week, I have had 4 people/families pledge to support me for a total of $400 per month! That is nearly 10% of my budget in...if I may remind you..just 7 days!!

This weekend, I attended a retreat for the Alpha course I am currently a table leader for. There came a point where it was time to pray for each other regarding whatever matter was most important, and when it was my turn, I literally went through everything that has been going on in my life, and had nothing I wanted to ask God for...my heart was practically bursting at the seams with all my gratefulness and thanks. I asked the group, "Would you just help me to praise God?"

If I ever needed confirmation that I am headed in the direction that God wishes me to go in, this week has been it. I have never worked harder, felt more blessed, been more excited or felt more joyous than I am in this very moment! To all those out there praying for me and this stage of my life...Thank you and please don't stop! It's working! To all those that are out there reading this blog...God is real. :)

If you want to help and join in this ministry that God has called me to do, please:

• Continue reading this blog and praying for me, this mission and for the church in Rostock.
• Send me an email here or leave a comment with your prayer requests so that I may be sharing in the blessings that God is giving me. :)
• Prayerfully consider supporting me! Although I have experienced so many blessings of success this week, I still have a ways to go, and I can't do it without your help!

Here are ways that you can give (all donations are tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt):

1. Send your checks made out to ECMI-USA with a separate note with my name, Alison Settle on it to this address:            ECMI-USA
                        PO Box 181
                  West Unity, OH 43570

2. Click here, specify me, Alison Settle, and you can donate through your amazon.com account.

3. Or for monthly donations via electronic transfer, send a request by email to rebekah.burkholder@ecmi.org

Many blessings and thanks to all of you for joining me on this journey. Keep reading! :)

Love,

Alison

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

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!" :)