Well we've had our hands on this application packet for about a week now. It is the first of several steps in getting us to PNG. Let me tell you that this thing is intense! I went through all the background checks with RPD and this one takes the cake! I think what really throws me is the moral and spiritual inventories that they demand of you.
So off we go, baring our souls to a large bureaucratic organization that will, through some unknown process, determine whether or not we are fit for service abroad! It's really a one-sided relationship at this point. We get to tell them our darkest secrets, and they get to sit behind their cubicles and check off our faults! After 4 plus years of government service, I am more convinced than ever that bureaucracies do not do relationships very well. And yet, Wycliffe has the not-so-envious task of using this large, bureaucratic structure to create relationships with folks like us, who go into the world to create relationships with other people, and tell them about the relationship that we have with the person of Jesus Christ!
So, if any of our readers have committed to praying for this work we are trying to do, please be praying that we will not be discouraged by the red tape we are sure to run into. There are many more hoops to jump through, and many of them are terribly inconvenient. But Wycliffe has been in this business for many many years, they have a good grasp on what it takes to be in overseas service. We intend to be ready according to their standards.
Caleb
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i'm definitely looking forward to reading more and more on this blog. i can honestly say i know EXACTLY how weird all this is to go through :). we're in the middle of a different application process (with the IMB) but it was definitely the most intense, most violating, most humiliating, and most humbling thing we've been through as a couple and individually. is it worth it in the end? oh yes! is it the most frustrating thing in the world? probably! if nothing else, it's brought to light more of what's really important in this world (which, unfortunately, is not my own comfort, which stinks, b/c i like my comforts!). you guys are in our prayers. let the excitement begin! can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteHi, you two,
ReplyDeleteI know the application process can feel daunting...and we've done a great deal in recent years to streamline things. In the end, it will be worth it, and I trust this "bureaucratic structure" called Wycliffe feels more familiar and welcoming as time goes on. Praying for you as you move through this process.
Bob Creson
President/CEO
Wycliffe Bible Translators USA
i can vouch for that. we just got through the application process back in the spring and it gets way better. it can be rough getting through it, but trust me when i say it is worth it and you'll soon begin to meet a whole lot of wycliffe folks who want to be your friend and help you throughout the process. hang in there!
ReplyDeletejustin randolph