Friday, August 3, 2012

Future Plans, Ecuador, Oregon Visit, Praises and Prayer requests

Hey all!

I know it's been a little while now since I've posted an update, so I figured I'd toss some new thoughts and information your way.

Things have been rolling along quite well here in Temecula as I've been able to get my feet wet in a few different areas of service at GRN, as well as enjoying some time meeting new people and developing new friendships. God has certainly provided during my time here so far, and I'm sure He will continue to do so.

One of the things I've been pondering a lot since moving here is what God's direction might look like for my life, and what He has for me next. After a lot of thought and seeking council from various friends and family, I decided that a life in an office such as this is not where I feel led (though it has been a great way to serve temporarily). With that, I've been trying to decide exactly why God called me to this area: whether it was to just be exposed to missions in a different way, to prepare me for something else, to move me out of my comfort zone (and/or physical location)? Honestly, I'm still not sure, but I've still got a decent amount of time here for God to show me what He has next, and I've been given one opportunity in particular that should help reveal these things a bit quicker, which brings me to my next topic of discussion:

Ecuador:
I know, going into this experience we all (including myself) thought I would be spending some time in Australia. Well, things change pretty fast when you're a missionary and you have to go with the flow when opportunities arise.
There are several reasons why I've chosen to go on this trip to Ecuador instead of pursuing time in GRN's Australia office:
  1. This trip is focused on a Recordist Training Series that GRN has put together for upcoming recordists (which was my initial interest when looking into this organization). So this should give me some good insight into whether I want to pursue that path or not.
  2. I have been chosen to help videotape the training so that it can be made more accessible to future recordists. This should give me a nice creative outlet for a change.
  3. The work that I will be doing there gets me out of the office (which I prefer), but if I choose to continue working with GRN in the future, it would also potentially prepare me for more "field" work. If I were to spend time in Australia, it would be preparing me more for a future in the office.
  4. Financially it is much more reasonable for me to attend this trip.
  5. Traveling :)
This trip will be approximately one month for me, from September 26th - October 24th. The rest of the team will be staying through the end of October, but I get to be back for a wedding here in Temecula on the 27th :)

***At this point in time, I am thinking the end of October might be when I start to transition back up to Oregon, hoping to find some kind of work in Portland. I'm certainly not writing off any sort of partnership with GRN and I will certainly always support them, but even if I do end up wanting to become a recordist in some other area of the world, I would still need to raise money and attend bible college for a year (a requirement for the position).
So right now, I'm looking towards a rainy, bicycle-friendly future (which I've oddly missed), at least for a little while as my current plan.***

Oregon Visit!

I'll admit I've had a bit of OSA (Oregon Separation Anxiety), but I am thrilled to say I'll be visiting from August 29th - September 8th for a good friend's wedding, and some family and friends time.
I'll be taking the Amtrak Coast Starlight up for the first time, which I'm very excited about, and will be flying back.

Praises and Prayer Requests:
  • Praise: God is at work in His teachings and guiding
  • Prayer: that I have an open mind and heart to where God wants me to be. I find that I'm a bit stubborn in my own ideas at times, so pray that I let God have His way.
  • Prayer: direction for my future.
  • Praise: I've been able to make a few good friends around here and am enjoying some great fellowship time with other members of my new church.
  • Prayer: for joy and energy throughout some very tedious and (honestly) somewhat boring jobs in the office.
  • Prayer: that God would prepare my heart and mind for the upcoming trip to Ecuador, and that I would be skillfully ready with videotaping. Also for travel and equipment logistics as others are putting everything together.
  • Prayer: desire for time in the Word and prayer could use improvement.

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God bless you all! Thank you for your support and prayers!

-Matt 


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