Busy in Nampa

Training
We have now finished two thirds of our training here in Nampa. The first phase was candidacy where we learned about who MAF was, where they serve, and their different ministries. Then we took some classes on handling stress in the field. The bible study we did was centered on these verses (which I think apply to any christian, not just missionaries):

Deuteronomy 31:6 " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you"

Ephesians 4:1-6     "...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Romans 8:35-39     "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine of nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, For your sake we face death all day long: we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

Colossians 3:15-17     "Let  the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

As you can see, a strong emphasis is placed on unity and strength in the love of God.

Specific Assignment
Thursday, we received a call from our program director in Africa. We talked for about 20 minutes on Skype discussing some details on the different ministries in Africa and came to a conclusion on our specific placement in Africa. We have been assigned to the (West) Democratic Republic of Congo, in the city of Kinshasa! At first this made us a little nervous, but after talking with those who have been living there and seeing their faces light up, we are excited and can't wait to go! Our language school will be in Quebec City, Canada and starts next September (2012). Here we go!

In Other News This Week
This past Friday was our 5th wedding anniversary.We went for lunch at the Olive Garden (thanks Mark and Debby for the gift card) and then we treated ourselves to an hour long massage. It was wonderful! I thank God for the wonderful relationship we have, and that only by the grace of God we are united and excited about the opportunity to go Africa to share the Gospel, minister to those in need, and do much humanitarian work.

This Monday begins our Ministry Partnership training. We met for a bit on Thursday with our newly assigned ministry partnership coach, Darryl Cedergren. He served as a Pilot/Mechanic in Venezuela for a number of years and then came back to the states to work at the headquarters. The seminar will last for about two weeks and will cover the biblical basis for fundraising and how MAF wants us to approach our ministry.

Thank you for all the prayers, thoughts and cards. We (Tasha, Myself, and the other candidates.... well, no longer candidates, MAF PRE-FIELD STAFF!!!!) truly appreciate them.

In Christ,
Kevin and Tasha Spann