Staff Training in Montana

I never planned on walking along the highway picking up cigarette butts and other trash. I wasn't dressed for it. Cute shirt, black capri's and dress sandals seemed like the right outfit for a Tuesday night church service. I was expecting good music and a message. It seemed unconventional enough for them to meet on Tuesday evening rather than Sunday. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised they also did community service projects. This week they didn't even have a "real" service. We split into groups and some cleaned up the beach, others cleaned around the church building and others walked along the highway and picked up trash. After about 45 minutes we met back at the building, had grape juice and crackers and remembered the Father's sacrifice for us. That was the whole church service. 


The first week here in Montana has been busy, but fun. I have always been very task oriented, and want to finish all the homework before having fun. But I spent 3 years as an anti-social college student, and since then I have realized that all the homework doesn't need to be done today, and it's good to spend time with people too. The staff training program has about 30 students. Most of us are from the US, but some are from Africa, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Australia, Ukraine and of course Canada. I have enjoyed making new friends and learning about other countries.

In our free time, it's fun to go to the lake to do homework and of course swim – the water is really cold, but refreshing, since the temperature here has been in the 90s everyday. I have started trying to exercise every day, which is a great excuse to do the 1 mile walk to the dock and then go swimming. 

I'm learning lots too. We have class all morning Mon-Fri (even on July 4th!), and 1 afternoon each week and a couple evenings a week too. Some of the evening sessions are optional, but I am planning on going, because it all so good and might as well learn as much as I can while I'm here.

Last week's optional session was on how to plan and do staff training for a D-School. That is very relevant, because after the 6 weeks here in Montana, I will return to Idaho in time for the staff training and prep for our D-school. I know it will be my "final exam" as everyone will be asking "what did you learn about this at the staff training?"

After the 2 weeks of staff training, I'll really get to apply what I've been learning here because that's when our D-school starts. I feel like I have only just begun to learn what I need to know to be a leader, but I'm already excited about staffing the school and being able to invest in the lives of other young adults, see them grow in their relationship with the Father, and then go to India.

I don't know what we'll be learning in the next 5 weeks, but already they have already taught us the most important thing about being a leader, which is to set an example that is worth following, by being a learner, and follower of the Father. So the main priority in life is my personal relationship with Him, and out of that will come everything else – like what to do when it's my turn to lead a meeting, etc.