Miles to Go Before I Sleep

I started this blog in February and then forgot about it. BUT, i was inspired by my friend, Danika Potters 'blogging' and thought it a good idea to begin posting to share things that I'm learning and ways that life is changing. Stay tuned! Here's a piece of my last newsletter update that I sent out:

Greetings Friends and Family!

I came upon a Robert Frost poem, “Stopping by the Snowy Woods for an Evening” a few weeks ago and it implications have since gripped me. I want to share it with you. It’s about a person who is on a journey and stops to gaze at the woods as it snows. He is taken by the lovely scene and tempted to stay longer. However, the speaker acknowledges the long journey he has ahead and his obligations to keep. Here is the poem:

"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

I especially like the last stanza. It really struck me because it’s true. I have a calling to live out, a purpose to be fully engaged in and a journey to continue on despite setbacks, distractions, and weakness. There is still a considerable distance to be traveled and I/We must continue to walk on. We all still have “miles to go” friends… keep journeying!
It has been officially a year since I moved from Chicago to Wheaton for Grad School at Wheaton College! I’ve been working on an MA in Intercultural Studies and actually have only one semester left before I graduate! (again) My time here has been incredibly equipping and shaping. Truly, I believe God has wanted me here and He has taught me so much, academically and personally, in my first year after college. Classes like Cross Cultural Research, Contextualization, Principles of Development, Second Language Acquisition, and Intercultural Communication have exposed me to valuable principles necessary for effective and sensitive cross cultural work. I am so thankful for this past year and the opportunity to study here!
One of the highlights has been the exposure to the field of transformational development. As you know my desire is to work among unreached people groups and to be a part of the church planting process. The past year I have seen how much God has made me for development work! My vision is to, in partership with others, strive to address and work towards meeting the multifaceted needs of communities and individuals with the foundational purpose of clearly making the hope of Jesus Christ known. For me, that's what this is all about. Development can be used as a platform for church planting, since evangelism naturally stems from the relationships you build in the community. It’s a great fit for some of the abilities God has given me and I see this as being a core part of my career/life. There are many niches within development and I am still exploring those, but currently am most interested in working in the area of women’s health, community health, and pre and post natal care. [In developing countries, an alarming amount of women and children die from completely preventable causes both in childbirth and after.]
I took a small step in receiving further training this summer when I began correspondence training to become a [doula],- a birthing assistant. A doula serves a family or woman by assisting her/them through the child labor process. I am slowly making my way through the course work and the intention is to use this knowledge overseas in working with women and their families.
Over the past year God has used relationships, classes, and circumstances to further shape my understanding of His vision for my life! That is priceless. What began long ago as an “interest in missions” has become increasingly specific and is a journey that has demanded waiting, listening, trusting, and….continued walking. It’s exciting times!

ENGAGED

■ to bind oneself to do something; ■ to pledge oneself;

■ to begin and carry on an enterprise or activity ■ to hold the attention of;

■ to enter into contest or battle with; ■ to bring together or interlock;

■ to deal with especially at length;

After many years of growing interest in missions and saying “Send me!”this past year the Lord has directed my interest towards a specific country in Central Asia.
After attending a conference regarding this country, it became clear that this “interest” I had was His sovereign doing and I sensed so deeply His nudge to move forward to pursuing a career in this country. I called PIONEERS to tell them I sensed His leading to Afghanistan and they were supportive, encouraging, and not surprised. My excitement was uncontainable for several days after as I enjoyed the pleasure of knowing His leading. Oh, how few and far between those moments of deep certainty and unmistakable leading can be; I treasure them when they occur.
I joyfully and warmly INVITE YOU to continue walking this journey with me, sharing in His faithfulness and pursuing His glory as the steps continue to unfold.

The Next Steps
After making this decision, my “timeline,” in faith, looks like this:
September to December: Finish grad school
January and February: Continue Doula training, work, be involved at my church, and raise support for….
March to June: A vision trip to Central Asia that includes visiting with teams, different NGO's, experiencing what it's like to live there, seeing how God is at work, and with open hands praying for His leading.
July through 2009: Live in Wheaton, raise support for long term work, spend time serving at my church, receive training in Community Health, and prepare for departure.
Spring/Summer 2009: Depart and begin a career in development with the vision of church planting in Afghanistan.

JOIN ME…
In being engaged in taking the HOPE and
HEALING of Jesus to our communities- in
Wheaton, Chicago, Wisconsin, etc.
and to Central Asia.

Email me with comments, questions, and
an update on how you are doing!



With Many Miles to Go,
Beth