Journals
Posted on February 14, 2019 It’s been a journey!
Kristy Engel
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It’s been a journey!

Between being deported in Bangladesh to a surprise visit to Thailand, meeting with new partners in Australia and finally a hospitalization in India…the last few months have been interesting, to say the least!

From deportation to marshmallow towers!
When I left for almost two months on the road, back in December, I had no idea how exciting the journey would be! Although, for those who know me, exciting travel seems to be the normal for me. It started with not being allowed to enter Bangladesh, due to restrictions for visas to US/UK citizens, and ended with a hospitalization for me in India. The things in the middle, though, were soul nurturing and left me excited about where God continues to lead me in ministry.

On New Years Eve, when I was unable to enter Bangladesh (outside of the immigration area in the airport), I wondered if the trip was doomed. What I learned, though, is that God’s plan is always better than mine and that I had opportunities to visit people and places that I would have otherwise missed. I ended up being deported to Thailand where I had an unexpected but wonderful week with colleagues in Chiang Mai. I heard about how ministry is developing there with our IM missionaries and shared in time with those same colleagues, hearing about joys, concerns and specific ministry objectives. It was awesome!

After leaving Thailand, I continued my travel to Brisbane, Australia where I met with missionaries serving under Global Interaction as well as volunteers that work in Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I had phenomenal conversations about how our work might be more collaborative and lead us into new ventures together, as well as preparing for future travel with a group of young people from Australia who are interested in visiting many of the ministries that IM has all over the world. The visit included a lot of visioning and I am sure I will return to Australia, soon.
NE India was the next place I visited. I met with several nursing schools who are looking to develop into Bachelor’s programs as well as hearing from hospital administrators and our partner organization in NE India, CBCNEI, about what is currently happening in their facilities and projects. What I learned, very quickly, was that everyone needs encouragement. Often when people met with me, they simply needed to hear that what they were visioning and what they were doing was good. I would ask that you continue to lift those partners, nursing schools and hospitals in your prayers.

Finally, by the end of the trip, I had the most unexpected hospitalization for typhoid. It’s the first time I’ve been diagnosed with typhoid and have a current vaccine against typhoid so it was definitely a shock. High fevers, nausea and some other symptoms all made it real, though. I spent a couple of days in one of our partner hospitals and I would like to publicly say that I had wonderful and attentive care. Although they would have liked me to stay longer, I also knew I had some obligations back home and so extended my stay by only one day, arriving in Atlanta on the day of the Super Bowl.

I continue to plan for events this spring and summer and even look forward to some new and amazing ventures in the coming year. I thank all of you, so much, for your continued prayers and support. I honestly could not do this work without it.
 

 

Training in NE India

One of the highlights of my trip to NE India was having the opportunity to train both students and staff in my new Community Based Response to Health (CBRH) materials. It includes some conflict resolution strategies, developing solid teams, learning about international standards and power dynamics. It was a joy to share this training!

Meeting with churches in Indiana/Kentucky

In March, I will be attending the ABW meeting for Indiana/Kentucky region. I will also have the chance to visit a few churches and individuals. I hope to see you there!
 

 

New Podcast on Feb. 14!

On February 14, 2019, I will launch my new podcast. I’m excited to share conversations with people I meet around the world and dig into what it means to have healthy missions. You can find my podcast at the link below or by searching for Love simply. Simply love. Conversations with Kristy in the app you use to listen:
Podcast Link