I have always loved the word “Disciple.” When I was a child, I thought it was a label for the really cool people who got to follow Jesus around each day. As I got older, the Lord became synonymous with “Mentoring,” and I treasured the years I was poured into by youth leaders, pastors, older friends, authors, and deep peer relationships. In recent years, I have seen how Jesus intentionally disciples each of us with tenderness, truth, grace, and joy, and it has been a beautiful season of encountering God.

When I first heard about Mission Encounters International’s (MEI) Discipleship Encounter program, I was excited! I thought it would be amazing to have 3 months to be so intentionally discipled, yet, I couldn’t see how to make it work with our work, house, life, marriage, kids, school, schedule. Then, as we began to pursue joining with MEI as staff, we were told the DE program was a must for us, so we were going to find a way to make it work.

At first, I was only able to focus on the details of how to raise the money, get to Honduras, and prepare life for leaving, but when my family and I arrived, and we began to live out the DE in Helene, I found myself overjoyed. I kept saying, “Who gets to do this?” and “How can we be so blessed to have this time in training?” Over and over again, as we would study, discuss, and live life alongside Larry, Sheila, Ted, and others, we were working out the very practical information we were digesting, and thus being transformed bit by bit. It was just such a treat for my 30-something season of life to have my WORK be to read, study, discuss, write, and live out the wisdom being so freely given to my family and me.

• The books were deep.
• The conversations were authentic.
• The work was relevant.

The discipleship hasn’t stopped since completing the program either. The relationships we have formed continue to be a source of grace and truth for my family and me. The teachings we learned continue to bear fruit in our daily lives. The lessons about Jesus, teaming, leadership, emotional health, long-term sustainability on the mission field, conflict-resolution, and authentic community are only being reinforced as we continue to serve here in Honduras. However, even if we were back in the States, that precious time of deep discipling would be working itself out there as well!

Mission Encounters International lives what they preach, and it was a privilege to have those weeks of being poured in to before we began our time on the field. Regardless of needing this time for our work as missionaries, those months will remain an anchor point in my life, and I know the Lord will continue to draw from it for many years to come. Thank you, MEI, for that precious time!