Pre Field Orientation

Ragnar just returned from taking some of the PFO (Pre Field Orientation) candidates to the nearest airport. The last 3½ days in the classroom were notable. Knowing that next time, we would be the ones doing the Seminar, caused us to try to be very alert, attempting to take in as many details as possible.

One of our new responsibilities here is the Associate Program - people who go out with NTM for 6 months - 4 years, to help in a support ministry. This is like a mini "Missions Training" Course. It was a great Refresher Course for us, and a good beginning for our involvement in this commitment.

Classes were a wide variety from the History and Vision of NTM, Health Classes, Ways to Keep in Touch and Traveling Tips to Entering another World. One evening of skits from Senegal, Indonesia, the Philippines and PNG brought lots of laughter, but also showed life as it really is in various countries.

The ice breaker our first evening was a fun way to get to know each other. You tossed a big plastic soccer ball with questions written on each white octagon to someone across the room. After they caught the ball, they had to answer the question that their right thumb was on.
Some of our questions and answers -
What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten? Balut (a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell)
How many countries have you visited? - 26
Have you ever seen a snake - tell us your story. - When our airstip was being constructed in our tribal village a snake was killed, and we were told that was the cause of all of my headaches.

Since the PFO finished at supper time last night, we were able to have all of the candidates in our home in the evening. There were 5 from the Netherlands and 2 from England. One couple is going to Indonesia and the others to PNG. What a fun bunch! An incredible start to this segment of our new ministry.