Grit.
It’s going on nine months since this Yankee packed his bags
and moved to the volunteer state. Several adjectives come to mind, but I believe
I’ll stick to the word that the south proudly uses to describe itself: GRIT. It
may not be in the dictionary (Merriam Webster must’ve been a Yankee or a school
teacher), but that doesn’t matter to a hillbilly. The southerners take as much
pride in having “grit in the gissard” as they do in their sweet tea. (emphasis
on sweet). If there’s one thing that has rubbed on me during my stay here, I
would have to say it’s the determined, no-nonsense, no beat-around-the-bush
attitude folks carry around here. As a timid young teenager, handicapped by
self-consciousness, and plaqued by a silly sense of inferiority, being in the
south has taught me to get a grip, let my light shine, and forget about what
other people think.
Moving away from home to a new place, away from my family
and everything I grew up with, has also taught me to find my roots. The search
for the answer to the question of who I am and where I belong has at times been
frustrating, and at other times exhilarating. It’s been a time of sorting
through my belief system, and developing a more stable worldview. It has been a
time of sorting through various ideas, however noble and spiritual, and getting
to the heart of the Man behind all the fanfare of Christianity. In short, the
last nine months have been a period of discipline, growth, learning, and big
expectations. As I sit in the proverbial cockpit, and place my hand to the
yoke, I am more confident and prepared to let go of the brake, and watch the
tarmac begin to roll behind me on the mission God is calling me to. That
mission may not be clear yet, but I am ready to face it.
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So here are a few highlights of my stay in Tn:
On the Job
I couldn’t ask for a better boss. I’ve learned lots in the
areas of responsibility and quality workmanship.
We built lots of barns.
A local restaurant in the works.
I learned how to do concrete. Turns out I don't loath it like I thought I did.
What a joy.
No, this is not supposed to happen in Tn. Yes, it did anyway.
That was painful.
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Ministry
My study.
Gotta love a cluttered desk.
Church folks helping to stamp the tracts to take to China.
It was a blessing and honor to be involved in the salvation and baptism of 9 year old Abram.
At the Christmas parade.
Passing out tracts at Mule Day.
Our booth at Octoberfest.
Street-preaching in Nashville.
Abortion ministry in Nashville.
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Adventure
Tennessee may leave a few things to be desired, but it does have some decent places to see. There are a number of rivers close to where I lived, which provide for some great scenery and action. In the little spare time I had between work and performing mundane womanly house tasks, I managed to get out and see some cool stuff.
This is an overlook called Lady's Bluff, overlooking the Tn river. A cool Sunday afternoon hike.
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Cherokee National Forest
Over Easter weekend, while everyone else was hunting Easter eggs and chasing fluffy bunnies, I spent the weekend hiking and camping at Cherokee National Forest, which consists of 655,000 acres of wilderness. It's a man's world.
Guidepost.
"This do in remembrance of me."
As always, I was frustrated by the utter incapability of technology to capture the scene. It was a brisk Sunday morning, with the sun pouring down on a world so glorious and rich you could feel it in the air. Mountains, trees, and lakes sprawled in every direction, so that you didn't want to look on one scene too long for fear of missing out on another.
The overlook afforded a view of miles and miles in three different directions, with sprawling lakes, surrounded by beautiful, pine-covered mountains. A lazy mist lifted off the lakes, adding a surreal touch to it all. In one word, it was breath-taking.
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NIE
Limited Resource Survival
In May, I had the wonderful privilege of attending a 10-day wilderness survival course in Kentucky at Daniel Boone National forest. A friend of mine from BBTI (see below) put me in contact with a super amazing young man who does outdoor group survival expeditions. Things are still in development stages for him, but here are some links to what he does:
Basically, twelve of us put together some "limited resources", and went out into the woods for ten days, where we learned a basic survival skills, in areas ranging from building shelters, finding and purifying water, obtaining food (there was little to be obtained in our situation, so we learned to eat green-brier leaves and violets), crossing rivers, navigating rugged terrain using compass headings, and basic medical initial response training. Oh, and fires. Like, really, starting a fire using only sticks and a parachute cord. It was a grand time of pushing the body to its limits, and building character with fellow believers in a rugged nature setting. I learned many valuable things, and grew lots.
The gang.
Campsite A.
We learned some fantastic navigation skills.
We must needs cross this river.
The rope and safety harness might seem overkill, but the current is stronger than it looks.
Bear tracks!
Campsite B under construction.
We killed a copperhead...
It tasted like chicken.
Crawdads.
It doesn't get much prettier than this.
We learned how to start a fire using the bow-drill technique.
Campsite C.
My moss bed.
Tim's moss bed.
Building a stretcher for a fake emergency accident, in which the patient has fallen off a cliff and is paralyzed from the waist down.
Rapelling.
The clan.
Clash of vibes.
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Ukraine
Carpathian Mountain Outreach
June 14 - July 31.
June 14 - July 31.
In a few weeks I get to go to Ukraine with Joshua Steele, who serves as a missionary with his wife Kelsie and their children. Each year Joshua does an outreach called Carpathian Mountain Outreach (CMO), inviting young men to come for a six-week period of intensive evangelism in the Carpathian mountains. It involves a lot of hiking to different villages, and camping in tents for days at a time, making it the ultimate camping/evangelism trip.
You can watch the trailer here:
http://bit.ly/cmotrailer
You can visit the Steeles' website here:
http://www.euroteamoutreach.org/
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Home to Sweet Home OHIO.
August 1 - 22
After returning from Ukraine, I will spend several weeks at home in Ohio during August. I look forward to a time of being with the family in the good ole buckeye state before heading off to school in Texas.
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BBTI
(Baptist Bible Translators Institute)
Bowie, Texas
http://www.baptisttranslators.com/
Bowie, Texas
http://www.baptisttranslators.com/
August 24
I have officially started the process of enrolling at BBTI, where I will be attending linguistic, bible translation, and anthropology classes for 9 months. It was a difficult decision for me to choose between Wycliffe and BBTI, but I have sensed God leading me toward BBTI, and have peace going there. I owe my first exposure to bible translation to Wycliffe, where I attended an amazing week-long course called TOTAL-IT-UP (taste of translation and linguistics) where I learned about the dynamics of meeting the needs of bibleless language groups. It was phenomenal, and I highly recommend it; please check out the link:
https://www.wycliffe.org/events/total-it-up
I tentatively planned to go to Wycliffe, until I discovered BBTI, and after months of consideration and prayer, I decided BBTI was where God wanted me.
Please pray for me as I learn the many different things that go into missions, both on an intellectual and spiritual level. I want these nine months to be a time of discipline and training in preparation for service in the mission of reaching the unreached with the greatest story ever told.
I have no definite plans as of now after I finish at BBTI. I have a few potential opportunities before me, but have not sensed a distinct calling to any yet. Pray that I would discern God's will in finding a place to serve.
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Thank You!
I feel like I owe so much to so many people. In the past year I have met so many wonderful people, who love the Lord, and are active in his service. Y'all have been an amazing inspiration to me, and I thank God for you. I have also gained a great appreciation for my family. I love all of you to the moon and back, and am honored to be part of the crazy Schrock clan.
A special thank you to all who contribute so much to my life, giving me wise counsel, pointing me to great resources, supporting me in prayer and encouragement, and being all around great friends. I consider myself a greatly blessed individual.
Oh, and Tennessee, thanks for the sweet tea. I shall miss it.
For the glory of Christ, and love of the Father,
Emanuel Schrock.
