To Each His Own

When I was in middle school and high school my favorite time of year was track season. I enjoyed running but I loved the days when the weather was nice. As you looked over the track and field you saw people everywhere in groups working on their events. The high jumpers were taking their turns and chatting while they waited, the sprinters were flying around one side of the track while the hurdlers were jumping on the other. Every corner of the grounds had something going on and when the weather was nice most everyone was in good spirits. When it got really close to summer there'd be other teams around practicing and sometimes the marching band getting started for the next season. I still love spring and being in places where there's lots of activity and energy through a crowd.

Today was one of those days that reminded me of spring. Every morning this week we've had services designed to encourage and build up all of the missionaries. As the service was coming to a close I looked around and just took in the sights around me. Some were chatting and laughing in the back, happy to see friends for the first time in years. Some were singing. Some were praying. Some were crying. So much was going on in that one room. People were unloading burdens, reconnecting, having quiet time, lost in praise...you get the picture. My heart swelled with peace being in the midst of all of the activity and energy racing through this incredible crowd of people. What an amazing place to be!

~Tona

Missionary Renewal

We've begun our last week here in Springfield. This week is Missionary Renewal. All of the missionaries who are on furlough have joined us this week. It's an exciting time. We 're haing out with friends from Colombia, friends from language school and the new friends we've made over the past two weeks. Alex and Maggie have the opportunity to spend time with friends they haven't seen in three years. It's been a lot of fun!

Our schedule is a little different this week as the focus leans much more towards encouragement instead of informational. In the morning we have services and the afternoons we have regional studies, focusing on the challenges and needs in Latin America. We have a little bit of free time in the evenings to get to know the other missionaries better.

On Thursday we will have our commissioning service. We're very excited for that step as we complete our time here in Springfield and leave here prepared to go to the field - as soon as we finish raising our funds!

Today we were blessed by Convoy of Hope. They had an open house so we could see the warehouses where they keep all of the supplies for the relief efforts they send out. They gave us food and gifts and had raffles for lots of great prizes. We had a great time!

~Tona

Missionary Training Ends

Wow, what a crazy two weeks this has been! There are a couple of updates to tell you about. I've posted a picture or two below, but below the headings are links to full photo albums.

Alex and Maggie Survived Mu Kappa!

Full photo album ~ click here

Mu Kappa is a survival camp they were at Sunday through Thursday. They went with the bare minimum - a few outfits, a pillow and a bar of soap. They spent five days with the most basic of tools. Unfortunately this happens to be one of the hottest weeks of the year - the heat index sitting around 105* every day, which made their trip extra miserable. This camp isn't necessarily about having a great time, though. The point is to prepare them for whatever they might face on the field and to show them that they have a lot of strength and skills necessary to take care of themselves but also to learn to work with others. There was no bathroom, just a palette with a hole below it. The river served as their shower. They slept in hammocks hung between trees with a small tarp to protect them from rain.

When they first left I expected them to have an adventure, but the heat really stirred things up. On Tuesday night we were taken out to the camp for parent's night. When we arrived both kids were drenched in sweat. The minute Maggie saw me her lip started to quiver and she was on the verge of tears or crying the whole night. She told me she was having a very hard time at night. We were put through the same process they had been through - getting through border guards, customs agents, etc. We were able to visit their camp and see just how incredibly primitive it was. There was a nice service with the whole group and Bwana Chad, the MK director, talked about how each kid is a missionary with a purpose for where they're going. We prayed as families and then suddenly it was time for us to leave. This is when things got really tough. Maggie began sobbing, begging us not to go. To make matters worse, her leader was sick and had to leave that night, too. Fortunately there are a couple of the older girls at camp who took her under their wing and helped her get back to camp, although she told me she ended up getting sick that particular night because she was so upset.


In the end, they survived. And actually, although being at camp was very tough, they were rescued a couple of times because of the heat index. They were able to leave camp and go to a movie and a waterpark the last two days when the heat was too dangerous to be out all day. The final treat was a trip to Branson to see a Chinese acrobat show, which they both said was amazing!

Alex and Maggie Graduated From the MK Program

Full Photo Album ~ Click here

After arriving home from Mu Kappa camp on Thursday afternoon they had a chance to grab lunch and shower before getting ready for the MK Graduation. They went on stage with the whole Bootcamp group and received a few items upon graduation. First, they received a trophy for their achievement. They also received an honor bead. All through the program they earn beads to mark what they've accomplished like eating strange foods, airplane rides, crawling through the cave, etc. The blue bead is the coveted bead that they earn for doing everything. Finally, they received a swiss army knife with ISMK engraved on it. (You should have seen Alex's face light up when they announced they'd be receiving it!)

Alex Became A Teenager

Today is Alex's birthday. He's 13! It just seems impossible to believe that much time has passed since he was born, but it's true. I'm looking forward to his teen years. We've seen his relationship with God deepen greatly this year and his maturity grow in great amounts. I'm excited to see him transition from boy to man over these next few years. I would be lying, though, if I said it didn't make me a little sad to make this transition, but you can't keep them little forever...or so they tell me! I'm still slightly taller than him and although he's been stronger than me since he was about three, I count my height as the slightest edge. Soon he'll spike above me and his voice will deepen but I pray that he will never stop wanting to have open conversations with me and will always be willing to hug his mommy!

~Tona

So Blessed!

We love it when we are invited to speak at churches where you walk in the door and know from the first greeting that they love missions! Yesterday we were overwhelmed with the generosity of one such church. All of the new missionaries were invited to visit Park Crest Assembly of God in Springfield. From the minute we got out of the car we were showered with love. We were greeted several times as we walked through the doors. They had set up an area of donuts and juice for all of us, which was especially a blessing since the cafeteria where we are staying is closed for the weekend.

We started off with all of the missionary families - 42 of us (families) - on stage as the 9am service started. Pastor Ted, the senior pastor, told the congregation that we were all new missionaries and that they were excited to bless us. During the meet and greet time each of us was assigned to a Sunday School class where we could share our missions story. Corey and I were assigned to the Junior High class. Let me tell you, they were a great group of kids! They listened intently while we and two other missionary families shared about our countries. They asked questions and were very respectful. We were impressed with our group!

At the beginning of the second service we were seated in the balcony and enjoyed praise and worship and a short message from the pastor. When he was finished we were all paraded into the sanctuary. As you can see in the picture above, they had a lot in store for us! Every missionary was given a gift! They drew names for every gift and there were some incredible ones in there! There were gift certificates, luggage, telephones, digital cameras, video cameras, a projector, a monitor, printer, netbooks, a full laptop...lots of incredible gifts! Every child also received a gift but a few won bonus prizes - Nintendo DS systems! This congregation had put together amazing gifts for every family and child! It was incredible! I know I keep repeating myself, but this is something I have never seen anywhere else and we were blown away! Along with the gifts, every family was given a very nice display banner with our names on it that we will be able to use all along the way as we fundraise.

After the service we were treated to a fabulous lunch. It wasn't just the tangible things that were such a blessing - it was the love that every person we met poured over us. Thank you, Park Crest, for your heart for missions and your incredible generosity. We will never forget what you did for all of us!

~Tona

A Day To Relax!

It's been a week of all-day-long sessions, lots of information and not a lot of time to relax. It's been a great time - learning a lot about our countries and regions of the world, getting to know our directors better, meeting other new missionaries and really just having a different frame of mind this week. We've thouroughly enjoyed it.

Today, however, we had a day off! It's been in the 90s almost every day this week, so we could think of nothing more enjoyable to do than head to where the water is! We went with friends to a water park a little ways out of Springfield and had a wonderful time playing with the kids - who made me go on some water slides that completely freaked me out! There was a wave pool, lazy river and several different kinds of slides. We had so much fun, but also time to just lay in the sun and rest. You know it's a good day when all of the kids fall asleep on the way home because they've just expended so much energy!

It was so nice to have a day off. Tomorrow we get back to work. Alex and Maggie's will leave in the morning for Mukappa - camp for the next five days. It's a "Survivor" style camp where they have no bathrooms except for trees, they will bathe in the river and sleep in hammocks. They're not allowed to bring shampoo or deodorant along with pretty much anything else - at least they can take toothbrushes and toothpaste! It's sure to be a week of crazy adventure for them. Keep them in your prayers!

Corey and I are speaking along with the other missionaries at a local church in the morning, so with all the excitement that lies ahead, we're off to bed early tonight. God bless you!

~Tona

If I Sing A Song, Will You Sing Along?

It is a powerful feeling to be sitting in a room full of people who are passionate about living for God! Yesterday we were sitting in the campus chapel with all of the missionaries. One of the many tasks we have while we're here in training is to be part of a choir that sings during our commissioning service. This is mandatory - not an option. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Corey and I may have grumbled a little in the beginning about having to be part of a choir, but it's been amazing!

It has all been coming together pretty well very quickly and yesterday as we sang through our song the presence of God was so strong. The truth of the matter is, this is a very emotionally charged time for a lot of reasons. We are fortunate to have been through this process before and know what's going to happen, know what it's like to live in another country, etc., but I remember feeling the way so many of the new missionaries are feeling - worried about the changes, stressed out by the uncertainties and the questions you don't have answers to, or even more the questions you don't know you need to ask. We've had four days of constant sessions, our brains being overloaded with information and those of us with kids are watching our kids have fun yet be exhausted and a little overwhelmed themselves. Put all that together and then put all of those emotions in a room of people feeling the exact same way and you've got a room of people who just want to get to work for God, but are feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of what lies ahead.

As we began to sing the song the first time through one of the soloist got choked up and couldn't finish her part. We made it through the song, did it again and the second time we got through it, by the end we were all praising God...forgetting that we were supposed to be practicing. From there the Spirit just moved through the crowd. What was just a routine practice became an intense prayer session and a time to encourage one another. We know from the last time we went through training that what many say is true - the connections we make during these few weeks are relationships that will become so important to us over the years. There are times when only another person in the same boat as you can understand the struggles you may be having or understand the victory of a small cultural accomplishment. A bond is formed here that we will carry with us as we all go throughout the world.

In perfect timing, last night we had a special guest for our service and again we found ourselves lingering over and hour past when we were supposed to end. We had a very powerful service with a beautiful prayer time and a wonderful time of refreshing and renewal. I personally felt such a lift after stressing out about our budget issues and all of the information we had been given.

On a praise report note, we have had $200 in new pledges come in, half way to what we need to raise by the end of next week! Keep it in your prayers, please! We know God has great things ahead! It's time for another choir practice and I, for one, can't wait to get there! Be blessed!

~Tona

p.s. The picture above cracks me up because one of our new missionaries is named Charlie Brown!

We Need Your Prayers and Help

Hello Friends,
As I write this I'm sitting in a college dorm room at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. We are in the midst of three weeks of Missionary Training.

Yesterday we met with our financial counselors and got an update on where we are in our fundraising. We have probably told you along the way that we want to be back on the field in January of 2010, but we found out yesterday that we are behind in reaching that goal.

We need to raise $400 in monthly support by the end of June to get back on track. We need your help! First and foremost we need your prayers that we will be able to raise this amount but also that our monthly fundraising will continue to increase throughout the rest of the year.

Second, please consider becoming a monthly financial partner with us. What does that mean? That means we're asking you to commit to donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100...any amount that is possible each month to get us to Colombia and keep us there. We know we are in tough economic times so if you feel like there is absolutely nothing you can do, please consider taking a step of faith and promising just $5 a month. We trust God will bless you for your sacrifice.

Again, most of all we need your prayers that we will be able to reach this deadline. If you'd like to become a financial partner, please send me a message (tona@kautzfamily.org) or call my cell phone - (810) 597-7629 and I will make sure we get it set up right away!

God bless you! Thank you for taking interest in our mission. We are anxious to get back to work reaching the youth and children of Colombia!

Blessings,
Tona Kautz

Global Pride

One of the most incredible things about being in a room with a bunch of missionaries is the incredible span of cultural experiences that are contained in one room. Yesterday, as the staff for all of the Missionary Kid programs were introduced, I was touched by each of the workers as they said their name and their background. The majority of the staff are missionary kids themselves who are now in college, so as they went down the line they stated their name and the country they were from. As I looked down the line at these seemingly "normal" American teenagers I realized that each one had amazing stories to tell of their life outside of what most would experience - the types of foods they were used to eating, the many languages spoken among them, how they interact with other people. Hearing them list off the countries they had lived in was almost overwhelming, realizing we had a true global presence gathered together in one place. It's an incredible blessing that they are willing to spend their summer pouring into the lives of other kids who are embarking on the same types of journeys. They are able to share an insight that few are able to give to each of the children in the program.

We were very happily surprised when we found out that one of the staff is one of our favorite Colombian MKs! Miss Alicia babysat Alex and Maggie often while we were in Colombia and is someone Maggie likes to model herself after. She even became a vegetarian for a day, inspired by Alicia...however, her love of meat overcame her and that faded fast! It was a nice comfort to see a very familiar face.

In our final session tonight we sat through 3 minute presentations by many of the missionaries here. It's an opportunity for everyone to practice their presentation and receive critiques, but as a member of the audience we are given a window into the areas all over the world that will soon be reached by new missionaries. It's a very inspiring time as we hear about the needs and the dreams to reach them. Again we realize that we are sitting in the middle of something very extraordinary and love that as we see these new friends in years to come we will learn more about cultures we didn't even know existed and miracles that God is doing throughout the world. These are exciting times!

~Tona

Toss In A Little Trauma...For Good Measure

We have survived the first day of Missionary Training...and it was only check-in! In all honesty, it was not that big of a deal for Corey and I, but Maggie and Alex got put through the ringer today! I should note that Maggie was already not feeling real well. She had been upset leaving Michigan so quickly after school ending and didn't want to leave her dog behind for three weeks. She ended up sick a good deal of the journey from Michigan to Missouri. Then when we arrived she was very nervous about going to "Bootcamp", the Missionary Kid program for middle schoolers and high schoolers. See, last time we went through this they were in the elementary program, which has lots of adventure but a little less challenge to it. Knowing bits and pieces of what is to come over the next three weeks made her very nervous that she wouldn't be up to it.

We spent the morning encouraging her that everything was going to be fine...then we arrived for check-in where one of the first items of action involved needles! Alex and Maggie had to have blood drawn and TB tests done. We had not even been on campus for 30 minutes before they were sitting nervously waiting their turn. Maggie has quite the history of extreme strength when faced with needles and impressive lungs, but being that she is older now we thought she'd deal much better this time. We were wrong.

I walked into the room with her and Corey stayed behind with Alex. When the nurse began explaining what she was going to do Maggie looked at me very calmly and said, "I need you to get daddy." I switched places with Corey, and it's a good thing I did. She knew she was going to fall apart. She began screaming and pulling her arm away. She was yelling at the nurses "Don't hurt me!" The poor nurses were feeling guilty but trying their best to keep her still. It became quite an ordeal until Corey could finally hold her in place for them to get it done. Alex followed and was fine until he saw Maggie screaming and then he got nervous. Fortunately he was able to keep calm and get through it but he told me Maggie had completely freaked him out.

So we survived the medical process (at least for that day...they have doctor appointments this week) and went on to MK Orientation. The notebook said this would be a meeting for the kids and parents to tell us what's going to be going on during camp...but as the MKs will learn in probably any country they go, things rarely go as planned. They told the "bootcampers" they were going to leave immediately, without their parents, and off they went. They were entered into a crazy bazaar. I will describe this as best as I can and maybe one of the kids can jump on here later and explain more. They said it was a dark room with only blacklights, people dressed as military hauling some of them off to jail, some people begging, some people trying to make them bow down and worship someone...absolute chaos. The point is to help them learn how to cope with culture shock. Given Maggie's already weakened emotional state I was very nervous knowing what she was going into, but both she and Alex left completely excited and happy so they made it through no problem.

As I write this today they are crawling through caves where they've been told there are snakes, bats and all other kinds of creatures that they will have to avoid to get through it. Again Maggie leaves nervous and Alex leaves stoked for the challenge. I have no doubt they will come back tonight proud of their accomplishments and at the end of these three weeks they will be so much stronger for all of the trauma they have been through! :)

Oh, in case you were worried about Corey and I...we're sitting through meetings just facing the challenge of staying awake! Haha...actually we're getting great information it's just not as fun to write about as what Alex and Maggie are up to!

~Tona

Crazy With A Side Order of Chaos

Can you believe 2009 is almost half-way over? We just passed the year mark since our return to the States. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since we said goodbye to such dear people and left behind a country that has become a second home to us!

This year has been wonderful, however. It's been the first time that Alex and Maggie have lived near grandparents and aunts and uncles. We've had lots of time to enjoy the company of friends and family while we travel through Michigan.

The school year has just come to a close. Alex and Maggie finished school on Friday. After a couple of weekends and weeknights of soccer tournaments, end of the school year field trips, recognition ceremonies - Maggie just finished her last year of elementary school - and goodbye parties, it's time to hit the road! There will be no lazy days of summer here...at least not yet!

As school came to a close on Friday we were busy packing our bags, closing up our house and getting ready to hit the road first thing on Saturday to head to Springfield, Missouri where we will spend the next three weeks in Missionary Training. I'll keep you updated as we go along so you can get a glimpse of what it's like to go through this process. I have to be honest, this is a much more fun adventure for Alex and Maggie than it is for Corey and I, but it's a time for us to get prepared for our time in Colombia and we are grateful to have this time with other missionaries and our leaders.

~Tona