Language Training in Colorado

I'm at Mission Training International (MTI) in Palmer Lake, Colorado, and I just completed Day 3 of a two week Language Acquisition training program called PILAT. I'm not here to learn Thai, but to learn how to learn a new language. There are about 30 of us here with destinations all over the world, and we're learning phonetics, the anatomy of our mouths, and how to break out of our 44-sound box. I have already made sounds I've never been able to make, like trilling my R, as well as sounds I never knew existed. My ear is sharpening up as I listen to other languages, so I'm able to repeat words more accurately. We've done exercises on how to build language comprehension, and today I was speaking and following instructions in Mandarin Chinese! I am convinced that this training will help me learn Thai faster and speak it better. The other reason I'm here, is that I'll implement this program as soon as I arrive in Thailand for other staff and volunteers as they learn Thai and/or Burmese. It's exciting - and terribly intimidating - to take on this project!

With perfect timing, the President of MTI spoke to us about fear yesterday morning. Minutes after I admitted to myself and God that I was overwhelmed and terrified of everything that lies ahead in the very near future - health, safety, finances, and especially failure - Steve Sweatman shared that "Do not be afraid" is the command that appears most often in the Bible. His study showed that there's always a strong presenting emotion with fear (I can attest to that), and that God will always always meet someone in the middle of it. He offers a way out ("For I am with you and will rescue you"), and usually adds something like Joshua 1:9: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go". Steve challenged us to jump into these scriptures when we feel afraid, and to let God speak personally to us through them. It has certainly gotten me through the last couple days, and has made more room for my absolute excitement for this new adventure!