newcityjim's Xanga

http://limawards.blogspot.com/

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:29:02 GMT

This is the new blog that we've decided to use. It's just an easier tool for me to use. I hope it works for everyone. I'll try to make it easily accesible and remember-able.

http://limawards.blogspot.com/

Thanks All,

Jim

We're Done

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:12:04 GMT

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are finished with Pre-Field Training in New York City. It's hard to believe, quite honestly. We literally arrived here in New York on Sunday, July 1st and it is now Tuesday, July 31st. We just finished this afternoon and people have already started flying home to get back into the life of a support raising missionary.

It's crazy to think that we've just spent an intense time with people who I didn't know a month ago, but now feel incredibly close to and...most of them I will not see again until heaven, probably. It was a difficult farewell today. They are all incredibly sweet people who blessed our lives in many ways.

Our desire is to stay in touch via email or skype or Vonage or something as best we can so as to be a source of encouragement to one another as we head to our fields and get on our fields of service. We consider them very dear to us.

Just so you know, we are leaving tomorrow (Wed) to travel to Vermont for a few days to relax and wind down from this very intense month of training. Then, we travel to Philly where Jim is preaching at Pilgrim Church in Manayunk/Roxborough this coming Sunday. They are a wonderful supporting church and we always enjoy our time there with them.

Then, we'll be spending time with our family in Christ at Springton Lake Church for several days before heading to Jim's parents in MD and then home to see Chico (our cat).

All for now...blessings on you all!

Jim for all

We're Done

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:11:25 GMT

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Then, we'll be spending time with our family in Christ at Springton Lake Church for several days before heading to Jim's parents in MD and then home to see Chico (our cat).

All for now...blessings on you all!

Jim for all

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 01:21:18 GMT

It's hard to believe, but...we're now one week away from leaving New York and being done with Pre-Field Training. We've been living and working here for three and a half weeks and there's only one week left!

It's been so tough at times, but so good...even in the tough times. The Lord Jesus is really good at teaching us in the middle of those times. He's good at bringing out the benefits of those times. He's just...good!

Spanish

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 01:57:17 GMT

For this past week, we had a husband and wife team leading all of us missionary types in learning what it will take to learn, and the significance of learning, a new language. Before this week I had heard that Dwight and Barbara were great at what they do and are very helpful to everyone who learns underneath them. So, I was looking forward to this time.

What I didn't realize was that one of the best parts of the week was being able to see and hear the passion that God has given them for loving people by learning their language the way they know it. There is a definite way in which you can passionately learn a new language, in our case Spanish, so that you present yourself to the people to whom you are reaching out as a learner and lover of their culture.

By taking the time to diligently and wholeheartedly learn how Peruvians communicate, Sara and I and the kids will have the opportunity to express Christ's love to them in a very practical, tangible and "put your money where your mouth is" way. (Excuse the pun, it was unintended.)

We, also, clearly saw, this past week, how this process will take hard work...very hard work. We look forward to this process, but we also know that it will not be easy. But, if it means that we can clearly express the love of Christ to the Peruvians in Lima, then my motivation is moved to a higher place.

....on a steep learning curve...

Jim for Sara, Caroline, Chloe and Eli

Linguistics

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:45:30 GMT

Can you say the word above? It refers to the study of language, I believe. It's kind of what we're doing this week at PFT, or Pre-Field Training. It's amazing. I didn't realize there was so much to 'learning about learning' a new language. But there is!

This week has been an incredible challenge to really see how hard it's going to be to learn a new language...and it's been an amazing encouragement to see how this new adventure will be a key tool for God to help us grow in to use in Lima.

The days this week are really long and tiring. The kids are looking forward to Saturday...our one day off.

Though there are eye-opening times where Jesus shows us our desperate need to be saved and changed from the inside out, He also encourages us immensely with His non-stop overwhelming love for us and our children! It's an intense time and a good time.

Blessings on you all,

Jim for all

More Pics for Fun

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:52:01 GMT

At the Apollo Theater in Harlem! How cool and fun...

Some Subway Music for your pleasure...you can see Caroline's ponytail and green shirt in the left part of the pic.

Social Life

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 10:03:31 GMT

Yes, it's true, we even have a little bit of social life here during pre-field training...

Friday night one of the interns who is here helping with child care for pre-field training babysat for us so that Sara and I could go out on a date. It was fun just to sit down in a relaxed way and just enjoy each other's company in that setting.

Then, on Saturday night (last night) we had an open house for any of the missionaries here at pre-field training to come, hang out and get to know each other a little better. We had fun (again!) with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today, it's back to Nueva Vida to worship in spanish and love on the children in children's ministry time (which is during the sermon).

More pictures coming soon!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:59:28 GMT

Apparently, Eli has been working in Queens for some time now but didn't tell us...

This is our humble abode, just FYI...Union Seminary (which you won't find on a map because it's really a part of Columbia University; which you will find on a map of Manhattan) It's basically at the intersection of 120th Street and Broadway.

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Yesterday, Tuesday the 10th, we spent the whole afternoon and part of the night to travel all over Manhattan, Harlem and Queens to do a team dynamics exercise. It was fun, tiring and adventurous to say the least. We started at 2pm and went until 8pm (officially; our team actually ended up going 'til 10pm and one family stayed overnight at our apartment...it was fun)

Nueva Vida

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:24:23 GMT

Hey All,

Yesterday we went to our "home church" here in New York, Nueva Vida. Since it was our first time we weren't sure what to expect, but we did have a good idea of the worship experience: it was one and a half hours of solid music and/or prayer! It was awesome! Outside of the fact that it was tiring since we didn't understand most of what was said (can't wait to actually learn spanish).

Then, we left just at sermon time to go help with the children's ministry...which just so happened to be mostly in english but also in a little bit of spanish, too. It was fun. Kids are kids.

We left home for church at 10am and got home from church (with a mid-afternoon lunch) at 5:30pm...it was a day!