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- Toss In A Little Trauma...For Good Measure
- Crazy With A Side Order of Chaos
- Spring Newsletter
- God's Economy
- A Day Off
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- Search The Kautz Family
We have survived the first day of Missionary Training...and it was only check-in! In all honesty, it was not that big of a deal for Corey and I, but Maggie and Alex got put through the ringer today! I should note that Maggie was already not feeling real well. She had been upset leaving Michigan so quickly after school ending and didn't want to leave her dog behind for three weeks. She ended up sick a good deal of the journey from Michigan to Missouri. Then when we arrived she was very nervous about going to "Bootcamp", the Missionary Kid program for middle schoolers and high schoolers. See, last time we went through this they were in the elementary program, which has lots of adventure but a little less challenge to it. Knowing bits and pieces of what is to come over the next three weeks made her very nervous that she wouldn't be up to it.
We spent the morning encouraging her that everything was going to be fine...then we arrived for check-in where one of the first items of action involved needles! Alex and Maggie had to have blood drawn and TB tests done. We had not even been on campus for 30 minutes before they were sitting nervously waiting their turn. Maggie has quite the history of extreme strength when faced with needles and impressive lungs, but being that she is older now we thought she'd deal much better this time. We were wrong.
I walked into the room with her and Corey stayed behind with Alex. When the nurse began explaining what she was going to do Maggie looked at me very calmly and said, "I need you to get daddy." I switched places with Corey, and it's a good thing I did. She knew she was going to fall apart. She began screaming and pulling her arm away. She was yelling at the nurses "Don't hurt me!" The poor nurses were feeling guilty but trying their best to keep her still. It became quite an ordeal until Corey could finally hold her in place for them to get it done. Alex followed and was fine until he saw Maggie screaming and then he got nervous. Fortunately he was able to keep calm and get through it but he told me Maggie had completely freaked him out.
So we survived the medical process (at least for that day...they have doctor appointments this week) and went on to MK Orientation. The notebook said this would be a meeting for the kids and parents to tell us what's going to be going on during camp...but as the MKs will learn in probably any country they go, things rarely go as planned. They told the "bootcampers" they were going to leave immediately, without their parents, and off they went. They were entered into a crazy bazaar. I will describe this as best as I can and maybe one of the kids can jump on here later and explain more. They said it was a dark room with only blacklights, people dressed as military hauling some of them off to jail, some people begging, some people trying to make them bow down and worship someone...absolute chaos. The point is to help them learn how to cope with culture shock. Given Maggie's already weakened emotional state I was very nervous knowing what she was going into, but both she and Alex left completely excited and happy so they made it through no problem.
As I write this today they are crawling through caves where they've been told there are snakes, bats and all other kinds of creatures that they will have to avoid to get through it. Again Maggie leaves nervous and Alex leaves stoked for the challenge. I have no doubt they will come back tonight proud of their accomplishments and at the end of these three weeks they will be so much stronger for all of the trauma they have been through! :)
Oh, in case you were worried about Corey and I...we're sitting through meetings just facing the challenge of staying awake! Haha...actually we're getting great information it's just not as fun to write about as what Alex and Maggie are up to!
~Tona
Can you believe 2009 is almost half-way over? We just passed the year mark since our return to the States. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since we said goodbye to such dear people and left behind a country that has become a second home to us!
This year has been wonderful, however. It's been the first time that Alex and Maggie have lived near grandparents and aunts and uncles. We've had lots of time to enjoy the company of friends and family while we travel through Michigan.
The school year has just come to a close. Alex and Maggie finished school on Friday. After a couple of weekends and weeknights of soccer tournaments, end of the school year field trips, recognition ceremonies - Maggie just finished her last year of elementary school - and goodbye parties, it's time to hit the road! There will be no lazy days of summer here...at least not yet!
As school came to a close on Friday we were busy packing our bags, closing up our house and getting ready to hit the road first thing on Saturday to head to Springfield, Missouri where we will spend the next three weeks in Missionary Training. I'll keep you updated as we go along so you can get a glimpse of what it's like to go through this process. I have to be honest, this is a much more fun adventure for Alex and Maggie than it is for Corey and I, but it's a time for us to get prepared for our time in Colombia and we are grateful to have this time with other missionaries and our leaders.
~Tona
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Blessings,
Tona
It seems that everywhere we turn today we are bombarded with warnings and stories about our failing economy. Many are nervous about losing their houses, jobs or savings as a spirit of fear overwhelms our nation. Several verses come to mind as we walk through these difficult times. The first is James 1:2,3 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (NIV) Becoming a Christian does not exempt us from facing trials, but how we face them is what sets us apart.
As we’ve had the blessing to visit churches and meet pastors we have seen firsthand what happens when congregations choose not to put their faith in what the TV commentators are saying, but rather in God’s promises. God is doing amazing things right here in the US! We’ve seen churches that are growing, not only in attendance but in missions giving; friends that have seen their jobs preserved; generosity poured out to communities from people who are not afraid to share what they have. That brings me to the second verse that’s become a mantra in my life. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV) It’s time for all of us to stand up against fear, put our trust in God and make wise decisions. We are praying for you, your job, your church and your family that God will bless you and meet all of your needs.
Some have said, “Wow, what a horrible time to be a missionary raising funds!” But as one pastor said recently, “God doesn’t look at the Dow before he makes a decision.” We know that God has not put the Great Commission – to go into all the world and make disciples – on hold until our economy recovers. We are persevering and trusting that God will provide the funding we need to get to Colombia. Souls are at stake and we will not give up and lose hope!
This weekend we had the honor of getting to know the people at Living Hope Assembly of God. Pastor Sanders and his team realized after looking at the numbers that they had been able to triple their missions giving in the last few years. His revelation - "All we did was give!" When we stop depending on what the news is telling us is our future and start depending on God and his promises, we are going to see incredible things happen! I hope today you won't spend your time stressing about the bills you have to pay, but that you'll seek God's will for your finances and find ways to be generous to those around you.
~Tona
I recently had a conversation with a missionary who told me she was asked the same questions we've been asked - "What do you do when you're stateside? Do you just relax and watch TV and stuff?" Today that might be somewhat true, but most days that is not the case.
Last night Corey and I finished touring the Michigan District through Sectional Councils. What does that mean? We drove to different parts of the state of Michigan on nine afternoons to meet all the pastors in those areas. These councils - from the time we arrived at the venue until the time we left - lasted about five and a half hours each night (plus a drive of anywhere between one to three hours each way). During the business portion of the meetings we were given a two minute window to present our ministry. One of my favorite parts of sectional tours is the time we get to spend with other missionaries and ministry leaders. By the end of the nine nights we all had each others presentations memorized as well as the main presentation. We joked that should anything happen to anyone presenting there were plenty of understudies ready to step in and keep the meetings going!
That's just a portion of what's been going on. March has been incredibly busy for us. Outside of sectional councils we've been speaking in churches on the weekends and Wednesday evenings. Outside of driving and meeting new congregations we spend hours calling pastors trying to book more services, sending out newsletters and follow-up correspondence, etc. I assure you, we are not just sitting around watching TV! Today, however, may be an exception. Today is the only day in an eight day span that we are not adding another 100 plus miles to the car and we have no speaking engagement. We'll do some follow-up, take some time to get the house back in order since it quickly falls apart when we're constantly running in and out and catch up on the paperwork sitting on our desks before the kids get home from a half day of school. Then, we will spend this day relaxing and renewing for a weekend of travel and speaking engagements.
~Tona
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