July 22, 2009

The Journey Continues

So our application journey with Mission Aviation Fellowship continues. Our references were extremely efficient and helpful in returning their answers to MAF quickly! We are so thankful and appreciative of godly, close, and caring friendships. We are unnofficially officially onto the next step in the process which includes three different types of evaluations: technical, psychological, and medical. Once those have been completed, everything is reviewed again, I believe, and then we move onto candidacy if the Lord directs.

We are planning to complete the technical and psychological evaluations during the first two weeks of August. So our family will be taking a little road trip and spending some time at the MAF base in the US. Even though Rob is really the only one who needs to go down for the technical evaluation, I am excited to take the family and experience this part together. It turns out they were able to arrange to have both of our psychological tests done during the trip down for the technical evaluation.

I really sense God preparing our hearts as we continue to move forward in this direction. Despite always feeling as though we would raise our family here, where we are, I now am feeling more and more detached. In fact, at times I have felt I am not even living in "my" house with "my" things. I don't know if this makes any sense. But it is starting to become more and more difficult envisioning the future right here in the town we live in now. It is so strange, because I have always been such a stationary person. I have never had the desire to move around, or even leave familiarity. When I moved away from the town I grew up in, many people were surprised; however, I think I surprised myself most of all. What was I doing? I had always said I would never move away! Not too long after that, I met my future husband, we were married, and now our third child is on the way and we are thinking we are perfectly willing to move anywhere in the world God sends us. How did I go from being such a home-body to some sort of adventurer?

I can only give credit where it's due, and that's to Christ. Nothing in and of myself has the ability to make such adjustments in thinking and attitude. I am thrilled (sometimes terrified) to see how God is going to continue to mold and shape Rob and me wherever we end up, and that includes remaining right where we are if that is His will for our family.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, I am so excited for your family! After reading your thoughts on Missions Fest you've really grown and trusted more. Keep being faithful. What do the psychological tests look like?

The Barbers said...

Hi Kristy, I wish I knew what the psychological evaluation looked like. I'm sure it's not just looking at some inkblots though :)
This is just another step that we're praying through and leaving to God to work out. We have already seen Him work out details and that has been so encouraging and confirming to us that He is in this process.

Thank you for your encouragement in being faithful. Stay in His Word.

Michael Eckert said...

adventures with Gad are good. I feel like I know just what you are saying here.

Anonymous said...

Amen. We are praying for you!!!!

Rose said...

Hi Karina and Rob. Enjoyed reading your latest information. We are praying for you regularly. We shall miss you a lot if you go, but we also know that if this is the Lord's will for you He will open the doors and you will go on. It is exciting not knowing what the Lord has in the future for you and your little family. We love you much.... Nana.