Summer of love (and Amish)

I just spent the last week in Goshen, IN at a friend's wedding and I must say that I have fallen in love with the mid-west. I used to often think why anyone would ever want to live anywhere other than California (I guess I'm a bit of a snob). But after spending some time in the beautiful Amish countryside, I would be happy to set up residence in the lovely state of Indiana. (If only it wasn't so far away from the ocean!!)



Here is a picture of Liz and I:

Pike's Peak

Yesterday a few of us had the opportunity to drive (yes drive, not hike) to the top of Pike's Peak. It was an amazing drive that took about 1 hour to get to the top, but it was a beautiful trip, full of breathtaking vistas of snowcapped mountains, crystal clear lakes and luscious valleys. Once we got to the top we were hit with thin air, 30 degree temperatures and strong winds to match. It was definitely a change from the 80 degree sunny weather in Palmer Lake.







Standing atop such a high mountain looking down at the miniscule town from where I just came, I was struck by the vastness of the world. I felt so small standing on top of Pike's peak, a seemingly enormous mountain, yet it is just a small dot on a map of the world. What an amazing God we serve who has created a world so big, so grand that it is unfathomable to the human mind, and yet He cares for each individual nation, each individual city, and each individual soul. There I was, on top of that huge mountain, enjoying God's amazing creation and I felt certain that He made it just for me. Just for me to enjoy it at that very moment. Just for me to look out on those beautiful mountains, decorated so delicately with snow. Just for me to feel the cold bite of the wind to remind me that I am alive. To remind me that God is strong and powerful, yet He cares. Cares so deeply for each created thing. Each tree, each bird, each child. He reminded me why I go, and why I live.

It is because He loves.

Colorado

I am currently here in Palmer Lake, Colorado for 3 weeks attending Missions Training International. Aside from adjusting to the dry air and high elevation I am having a great time. It is amazing how after only 1 week of being here I feel like I have connected deeply with many of the other participants. There are about 30 people here, including children, participating in the training session. So far we have discussed issues regarding integrating cross-culturally, conflict management styles, maintaining spiritual vitality and managing stress. I feel like I am learning a lot of skills to help me on the mission field, but mostly I am learning a lot about myself. All of the sessions have focused greatly on arriving at a greater self-awareness, acknowledging that the things we know about ourselves we can change, but the things we don't know can control us.

Please pray for me as I continue the next two weeks of this training. Pray for my tired body and mind as I often feel exhausted after each session as my mind and emotions get worked to the core. Pray also for the tight community that is forming here at MTI. Pray that we would be encouraging to one another as we walk this journey together.

Thank you so much for all of your continued prayers and support. Each day I discover more and more that missions is such a team effort and I greatly appreciate you teaming with me in this process.


God Bless!!


Here's a picture of me on the top of a big rock that I climbed in the Garden of the Gods. ( for those of you who know about rock climbing ratings, it was a 5-8. I was pretty proud of myself)

a little calm before.....

Wow! I can't believe that it has come to this already! I am shocked to find myself in the month of May, looking forward to all that is coming this summer.

Last weekend I said goodbye to my job and life in Santa Rosa, CA. In one crazy weekend I gave my car away, sold my bike and loaded the remainder of my possessions into my parent's car and headed for Mariposa.

Where I find myself now is staring straight at a calendar full of traveling and preparation for the next three months. Beginning next week, I will travel to Colorado for a 3-week training conference with Mission Training International. I will be participating in a pre-departure program designed to help develop practical skills and attitudes that will take me through the challenging and rewarding process of being interwoven with another culture on the mission field.

Then I will be back in California for a week and will then head to Indiana for 5 days to visit with a friend and be a bridesmaid in her wedding. After the wedding I will head straight down to Costa Rica to spend the entire month of July studying Spanish.

That will bring me to the end of my summer of training. At that point, I hope to be able to relocate to the DR at the beginning of August. However, if all of my support has not been raised at that time, I will have to wait until it all comes in.

I have currently raised all the support needed in one-time gifts to cover the costs of MTI and language school training. However, I am only about 50% funded in monthly support. Monthly support includes rent, gas, bills, food and other daily living expenses while I am living in the DR. I need to raise 100% of my monthly support, about $1500/month, before I am able to relocate to the DR, as it would be unwise to move somewhere and have no way to pay the bills.

I ask that you would join with me in prayer as I wait on the Lord for my support to come in. I am confident of this call that God has put on my life so I know that He will provide all the means necessary to see it come to pass. Please pray that I would be patient and wait for the Lord's timing, knowing that this is His plan and His timing will be perfect. I ask that you would also prayerfully consider what part you might play in supporting me over the next few years as I am serving in the Dominican Republic.

Support can be sent to the following address:

Students International
P.O. Box 2733
Visalia, CA 93279-2733

Please be sure to indicate that it is for Katie Lombard, and also indicate what type of support is being committed (ie: prayer support, one-time gift, or monthly commitment). Also, if you have not received a picture prayer card, please let me know and I will get one out in the mail for you.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I am so excited for all that is in store for me in the next few months of preparation.

Difficulty, Suffering, and Hope

I've recently read the book "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. It's a great book. I recommend it. Especially the last chapter. I think I've read it at least 5 times now. I just keep going over and over it, dwelling on the things he says. Here are a few snippets from that last chapter. Hopefully they'll do something for you too.

"...the most powerful things happen when the church surrenders its desire to convert people and convince them to join. It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display.... To be this kind of person - the kind who selflessly serves - takes everything a person has. It is difficult. It is demanding. And we often find ourselves going against the flow of those around us.... It is going out of our way to be more generous and disciplined and loving and free. It is refusing to escape and become numb to and check out of this broken, fractured world.... Ultimately our gift to the world around us is hope. Not blind hope that pretends everything is fine and refuses to acknowledge how things are. But the kind of hope that comes from staring pain and suffering right in the eyes and refusing to believe that this is all there is."

Update (Finally.....)

Now that I've been back in the States for about 5 months now, I figured that I should update this. I apologize to those of you who have been checking my blog regularly, waiting on the edge of your seat for an update. :-)

As many of you know, I've been living with my best friend Marissa Oswald in Santa Rosa for the last few months. It has been a wonderfuly blessing living with her. I work full-time as a preschool teacher at a school in Rohnert Park. It is alot of fun, but very tiring.

I will start soon to begin raising support to return to the Dominican Republic for full-time ministry. This summer I will attend a missions training conference as well as a month of intensive language school before moving to the DR in August.

I appreciate your prayers during this time as I am working to save money and begin fundraising. Pray that I would trust God with my finances as I begin to raise support. Also, please pray for me during this time of preparation and waiting before I return back to the mission field. I know that God has some special things in store for me right now, even though I feel so impatient to get back to the DR. Please pray that God would be using me even now to further his work both here and abroad. Pray that He would be speaking to me and preparing me for what is next in my life as I am preparing to go into full time ministry.

I would love to keep you all updated during this process and will be doing so both my email, my blog and by snail mail. If
you were not on my mailing list before or have changed your contact information, please shoot me a quick email (lombard.katie@gmail.com) with your mailing address.

Thanks so much for all your continued support!

Con mucho amor,
Katie

p.s. here is a little family photo taken this Christmas:

Last Day

After almost 8 months of working at the school in Mata Gorda, the last day came. It was a sad, sad day, but I truly felt the impact that I had on the kids as during the morning orientation each of the kids stood up and said some sort of a fairwell message to me.



I don't think that I can write anysort of closing message to sum up my trip, I'm not quite ready for that yet. But I can say that God did an amazing work in me while I was there, and I am excited to see what He will continue to do as I return.