May is the month that holds some special dates in our life.

Walter and I were married on May 21, 1989.

My Dad and his wife, Dinah were also married in May on the 15th of the month in 1982.  It would have been their 40th anniversary if Dad was still with us.

I graduated from Arcola Highschool in May, back in 1984.

And for the past two years, we have been part of NCEM's Candidate Orientation & Training of new missionaries in this month of May! We have just finished three intensive weeks of learning and building relationships as a mission family.  Covering topics such as NCEM History & Thought, Dependency, Spiritual Warfare, Fundraising, Cross-Cultural Ministry, First Nations Culture and Traditional Religion, Finances and some specific training in suicide prevention and intervention and teaching the Bible chronologically.

Whew!  Walter taught the first three topics.  We team-taught the fundraising sessions and then had the candidates practice their 1-minute and 7-minute spiels to present their ministries!

We also had sessions with our field supervisor couple and our member care coordinators.  We felt it was important for them to get to know those who will be providing supervision of their ministries and offer support and resources to thrive on the mission field.  

For fun, we played board games, NHL playoffs on the big screen and walk/jog fitness sessions!

It was like launching our own children as we presented them with gifts and congratulated them on finishing the training!  Did we prepare them adequately for their ministries?  Will they be equipped for all they will face in their futures?  Are they ready for reality?????

We had two families with kids in the age range of 5-10 years old.  They were troopers through hours of childcare each day.  God provided interns and camp staff from Big River Bible Camp to hang out with the 7 children. I enjoyed a morning with the kids and played some games like Connect 4, Blokus, Aggravation and Sorry during our free time!  MK's (missionary kids) are a precious part of the mission family and I pray they, too, will be prepared for their lives on the mission field.

And now...we are about done-in as we have finished three weeks involved in the training and a total of four weeks away from home.  Can't wait to sleep in my own bed and yet, I will miss the fellowship and privilege of getting to know these amazing newly graduated missionaries!

(The following are our newest recruits:  Sarah & Kent, Kari, Afifa, Jordan, Corrie and Isabel; missing are Nathan & Emily and Marcie)