Pre-Departure Training Part II

As I mentioned in my last post, this training I just finished was my last! The purpose was to help us through this transition and to help us prepare to live that first year well. So we had sessions on things like good mourning, how to say goodbye well, and learning about the transition/chaos bridge. I will share more about some of those topics in the future. We also spent time talking about how to help kids transition (for the parents) and about some of the pitfalls of this transition. There were definitely some moments when reality sank in that this journey has not and will not be easy at times. There will be moments of loneliness and grief. There will also be moments of joy and laughter. Many of these emotions will be intensified because of the transition we are experiencing. It is good to know and hopefully remember the lessons we have learned here at this training during those times.

Our Group with our IMDs

There were two very special times during this training that I will remember for a long time to come. One I will have to share about later because it deserves its own blog post. The other though I want to share about in this post.

During that first afternoon all of the appointees gathered in a circle and we were surrounded by the International Ministry Directors (IMDs - see previous blog post if you don't know what that is) and the home office staff we have been working with closely during this time of preparation. They laid their hands on us and prayed for us. They have been through this transition and have years of experience, so they have an intimate knowledge of this journey. Because of this experience and knowledge there prayers were full of encouragement and wisdom. Here are a few pictures of those moments.

This training was a great reminder that WorldVenture cares and that there is power in prayer. They care not just about the work we are going to do, but they care about us. They know that this transition will be rough at times but they also know through prayer we will not only survive but thrive.

A big thank you to Josh Tokar for sharing his pictures from pre-departure training!