It has been a rather eventful, which explains the lack of activity on my blog.
On Monday, we went to work as usual, and then we stayed back after work to help with hosting the 190 students from Campus Outreach who came to visit the Discovery Center and to be exposed to the work of Bible translation. It was really nice to be with a group of young people who are so full of energy, and to see their reactions as they were alerted to the need for Bible translation work. I bet I was just like that during my first week here at Wycliffe. Anyway, it was an energetic night as their enthusiasm rubbed off on us.
We got home at about 11.30pm on Monday night. Needless to say, we spent the rest of the week recuperating from our fatigue.
Yesterday, I attended Wycliffe's Ladies Lunch. It was a needed break from the routine that I was falling into. Appropriately, the theme of the luncheon was REST. It was really encouraging and refreshing to hear the speaker, Wendy (she works in my department), share about our need for rest. It hit me right on the head when she said that we don't always have to do everything, and we don't always have to do everything right now. It's so easy for me to be a workaholic and to force myself to being the best in everything.
I really appreciate hearing from Wendy who works in my department. She is such a humble person. Yesterday, she led our department's devotion as well, and one thing that she shared is something that I needed to hear: "We never arrive spiritually because faith is a journey."
So often, I feel that I have become so focused on the final destination that I have let the rest of the journey pass me by, without taking any notice of anything. Yet, the learning experience is just as important as the destination, if not more. And that I something that I desperately need to learn. This whole experience at Wycliffe has been a learning experience, the journey. I have not arrived at the destination yet, and I may never. But the most important thing right now is my learning process.
What do I need for my journey? Humility.
The road ahead may be rough and bumpy. I may find myself traversing on muddy terrain. I may even be tired out by the journey. But every stretch of the road counts, and every inch of the journey offers a lesson that I can learn.
That was the theme of today's sharing during Entermission (Wycliffe's weekly Wednesday morning chapel). The speaker was sharing about how he was reminded that we see, not only with our eyes, but with our ears, nose, and skin. And sometimes, we also need to look beyond what our physical eyes see. When I do not understand the things that I see, maybe I need to look beyond the immediate present to see the bigger picture that God is painting.
This past weekend was the July 4 weekend. We went to Lake Eola on Sunday and stayed all evening to watch fireworks at night. It was a really long day, and I am glad that we got Monday off. We went grocery shopping on Monday, and just spent the rest of the day chilling out at home and watched a movie.
Yesterday night was Close Call (dinner and worship). It was also our last activity with the OSI staff around, because from today onwards, the interns will be taking over the leadership entirely. Each of us is assigned to a particular leadership role within the group and we will be running the show from now on.
I have been assigned to take over the Faith and Culture class, which I am very excited about. I have thoroughly enjoyed the class and have also enjoyed doing the fieldwork. I can also relate better to the material used in the class as I have had intercultural experience. I have always been somewhat apprehensive about sharing my faith. Not that I am ashame of it, but I do not really know how to start the conversation without being too pushy. But in this class, I have learned to play a more passive role by asking questions that stir people's thoughts, and let God do the work of convincing them.
I am excited to see all that God will do as we begin the second half of our internship here.
Two weeks of OSI gone, eight more to go! I cannot believe how quickly time flies by at times. I have finished up one work week: edited two articles and wrote one. Yet, reflecting on these two weeks, I realise that there is so much that the Lord is trying to teach me, not just through work, but also through interacting with other people.
We joked that this feels very much like a reality TV show. Twelve random people thrown together to try to survive in the wild land of Orlando. Well, maybe not so wild, like Survivor. Yet the wildest element of a reality TV show is not the setting of the show, but the people that are involved. I have indeed learned much about interacting with other people, and trying to live together.
On a different note, the girls got a treat on Friday night, as the guys invited us over to their place for a dinner. They cooked, served, and cleaned up. Then we stayed for a movie. Yesterday evening, we also went to the guys' house for a Bible study, and then stayed after that for a game of Catch Phrase. It was really nice to chill out after a stressful work week. Okay, it was not really that stressful. It just took a while for me to learn the language of Wycliffe.
I also got to interview a lady for my Faith and Culture class. She has some pretty interesting views on morality and the origins of our values. Pray that the Lord will give me wisdom during our conversation.
PS: I have updated my mailing address here in Orlando under the "contact" tab on the top of this page. If you want to contact me by snail mail (which I love to get), please mail it to that address. Remember to put "Attn: Karen Snyder".
I started my first day of work in the Integrated Marketing Communications department of Wycliffe USA on Monday, June 14. My first day was a little dense with an overload of information. Trying to wrap my mind around the procedure of submitting edited articles and the process involved in accessing the project list online wears my teeny-weeny little brain out. But aside from that, I did get a desk and my own laptop for business use. Oh, did I say that I have a very cool office with dim spotlights, a colourful whiteboard, two huge plasma screens on the front wall, and a cool smart board? Just the right mood for creativity to thrive, that is, if I can stay awake under the dim spotlight...
As of now, I have four projects on my plate, some editing and some story-writing. I have just finished editing two articles to be submitted for publication in a newspaper to raise funds through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) program for Wycliffe.
I do think that I have the best job in the world. Reading and writing stories about the amazing things that God is doing all over the world. Can it get any better?
Do pray that I may be sensitive to God's voice, and allow Him to speak to me even through the stories that I am editing or writing.
Feel free to leave comments here!
I'm all set to leave for Orlando tomorrow afternoon! Well, besides the packing part... I'm getting there though.
Welcome aboard to join me in my adventures as I take part in what Wycliffe Bible Translators is doing to reach the world for Christ. I am very thrilled to be blessed with this wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord in a ministry for which I have a deep passion. I look forward to being amazed by what God can do in me and through me as I learn to surrender my will to His.
You can be a part of this life-changing experience by becoming my prayer partner. Nothing is possible apart from prayer. So, you can be sure that your prayer does make a whole lot of difference. On the right column of this page, there is a list of my prayer requests. Please remember me in your daily prayers. I humbly ask you to take a moment, even right now, to say a prayer for me. Thank you for taking time to pray for me.
Also, visit this journal, Treasure in Jars of Clay, to stay updated about my progress as I prepare for the internship and as I serve with Wycliffe in Orlando, Florida.
Thank you for dropping by. Stay tuned for more updates!
