Rocky Mountain High

Emily and Me :)

I'm home again! After a good 4 weeks of traveling over the last month-ish I have to admit that I'm glad to be home. However, I had a great time visiting family and friends!! This post I dedicate to my friend Emily, who I visited in Colorado. She and I were roommates in college for a year, and it was great to spend time with her and her husband, Ryan! So here's a little about what we were up to during my visit...

Being so close to the Rocky Mountains we had to take advantage and go exploring! So one day we took the 4-wheel drive truck up to a place called Rollins Pass. The roads were super duper bumpy and there were huge mud puddles, so of course we drove through them!! :) We found some gorgeous lakes and the scenery was just stunning. The temperature was a lot cooler, too! We went from the 90's at the house to in the 50's on the mountains. It was a lovely little relief! On the way up we saw a German restaurant called Westfalen Hof and decided to go back and eat there for supper on the way home. We did have a little hiccup though...the bumpy roads jiggled the truck's air filter right off! So we had to get that taken care of before we kept on, but it all worked out. I was excited to eat German food, and was even more excited when I found out that the staff was actually from Germany! Our server was actually from Switzerland, but he spoke German. I got a delicious pork meal, the name of which I can't remember, but I did go ahead and try to say it when I ordered! It was a fun time :)

We also took a drive up to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park another day. It's just gorgeous in the Rockies!! I loved being in the mountains again...felt like home in a way. The Rockies are different from the Andes, but they're still big beautiful mountains! We saw some elk that were grazing, so that was cool.

Other activities included swimming, shooting an air soft pellet hand gun, eating deer steak (yum!), watching “Brave,” and going to IKEA (I had major sensory overload in there! Craziness!). All in all it was a great time!! I'm working on convincing them to visit me in Germany... Any others are welcome to join!

The 10^th of August, the day I'm supposed to be arriving in Germany, is in two weeks from yesterday. What?!?! How did this happen?! I'm telling you, time is a slippery sneaky thing! It hasn't quite hit me yet...I think it might feel like a brick wall when it does... Good news, though! As of today I'm at 59% of funding! Yahoo! Praising the Lord for this progress and thanking all of you who have partnered with me in this way! Last night I had the pleasure of sharing with a group of friends, and that went well, I think. I'm thankful for the encouragers, prayers, and givers! So many amazing people that I know! As I mentioned, there are just 2 weeks left until I'm supposed to be boarding a plane, but I'm still 31% away from being able to do that. That equates to about $540/month that I still need to raise to get to 90%, and $720/month to get to 100%. Would you be willing to partner with me financially? If so, you can donate online following the link that is on the sidebar (there is a PayPal fee deducted for every transaction, FYI), or you can print the pledge form by following the link to the right, filling it out, and sending it to TeachBeyond. You can also contact me if you have any questions!

Thanks friends!

Psalm 95:3-4

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

Sunny CA

Some of the Tabor clan

Sitting here in my grandma's living room in So. Cal. The sun is out, the breeze is nice. Ahhh. I'm so glad that I was able to come out here for a week to see family and friends before heading off into the great wide yonder. On Saturday we had a cook out at my aunt's house, ate lots of food, saw uncles, aunts, cousins...some of them anyway! There are so many of us that it takes a lot for us to be all together all at once! Been enjoying getting to spend time with my brother John (and his girlfriend!)...and I enjoyed the free iced caramel latte he made me at his work! Thanks, John Boy! :) Wish my sister Hannah could be here, too. I also miss my grandpa. He passed away back in February, and it's been a rough road for family dealing with the loss. But we're so grateful for the life he lived and for the life he's living now in the presence of the Lord. Just this morning I was reading in 1 Thessalonians about having hope for those who go before us...they fall asleep, but are raised in Christ. What a wonderful encouragement and gift!

Talking at the church, LCF

Yesterday I was able to go visit a church that my family has been connected to for a while, and was happy when they asked me to share about going to Germany with them during the service. I was blessed by their encouragement, prayers, interest, and generosity. Came at just the right time! God knows these things...His timing is so good.

I'll be here in CA for the next few days, and will be heading to Colorado on Friday to spend a few days with a good friend of mine there. So grateful for this time of visiting, but am getting a little stressed about everything that needs to be done! Please pray for peace and strength to get everything done that I need to do, and that I fully enjoy these precious times with dear ones. Also please pray for traveling mercies for myself and for my family. They will be going up to Canada on Saturday to see my dad's family. I am not making that trip this time, since I was up there in January, but I will miss seeing that side of my family this time around. My Grandpa Peters has been having some heart troubles and blood pressure issues, so I ask that you also keep him in your prayers.

In regards to finances I am (unofficially) at about 49%. Praise the Lord for His good gifts! Just to remind you, though, I am not able to leave until I am at least at 90%, so if you are interested or know of anyone who might be interested in partnering with me financially, please let me know! My email is mpeters@teachbeyond.org. My ideal departure date is around August 8, so there are just a few weeks left! Questions, comments, suggestions...send them my way!!

Thank you so much for reading this blog, for sharing this journey with me! You are loved and appreciated!

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Getting Out of the Boat

I like Peter. He was just a guy, ya know? A sort of “open mouth, insert foot” kind of guy. I bet he was thinking something like that when he saw Jesus walking across the water to the boat the disciples were in and said, “Lord, if it's you tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). After he said it I can imagine him biting his tongue and thinking, “Why the heck did I just say that?!” I mean, getting out of a boat into turbulent waters to walk to this guy who is standing on top of the water telling you to go over to him is a bit crazy, right? And scary! But Peter had to put his money where his mouth was, so he got out of the boat and started walking on the water towards Jesus, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'” Fortunately for Peter, Jesus immediately reached out and saved him from drowning. Then Jesus told him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got back in the boat the wind died down and everyone worshiped Jesus.

Maybe your boat looks more like this ;)

I've been thinking about this account a lot recently. We all have a boat...maybe a yacht, maybe a leaky canoe...but that boat sure feels good when we're out in the water and there's a lot of wind and waves. I feel comfortable in my house, with my family, things I know, people I know, places I know, safety. It's a good place to be, right? Well, I think the Lord gives good things to His children, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the familiar and comfortable. But sometimes He wants us to take a risk...sometimes He calls us to get out of the boat and walk on water. That's the first big step; actually getting out of the boat. So there you are, standing on water, perhaps a little wobbly, but you made the decision to obey and have taken a leap of faith. You keep your eyes on Jesus and start walking towards him, amazed at how you are not sinking. And then the word “sinking” becomes a little clearer in your mind and you start wondering what's going on around you...you see the waves, you feel the wind buffeting your clothes, the water splashes you, and maybe there's a great white shark swimming around you in circles (eek!!). You take your eyes off of Jesus and all of a sudden you aren't floating anymore, but sinking in despair and fear. That great white is thinking he's going to have a tasty snack! You cry out to Jesus to save you...and He does! Jesus didn't tell Peter, “You know, I'm kind of disappointed that you looked away so I'm going to let you keep sinking until the last possible moment and make you wonder if I'm going to save you.” No, he immediately reached out and took Peter's hand.

Making a decision to be a missionary in Germany was definitely a getting out of the boat decision for me. And now it's a matter of keeping my eyes on Jesus. There are so many things to distract me, to pull me down. I'll admit that sometimes those waves look pretty intimidating, and I start to feel the water rising around me. I'm so grateful that Jesus is there to grab my hand and pull me up as soon as I cry out to Him to save me. I have a feeling that I'll be doing a fair bit of crying out to Jesus over the next couple years, but what a beautiful gift to have such a Savior. While I pray that my faith will be strengthened and that I would look away less and less, even when I do start to sink and have to be saved I end up in the same state as the disciples on the boat were...worship.

Psalm 105:1-4

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Getting Oriented

Farm where we stayed in Iowa

It's amazing how much can be packed into a short period of time! On Saturday, June 23, I hitched a ride with a fellow TeachBeyond family from Arkansas to Minneapolis, Minnesota for TeachBeyond orientation. It was nice to get to know them better along the way. We stopped for the night in Iowa, and stayed with a family that lives on a farm that has been in the family for over a hundred years. They were very hospitable, and I enjoyed our short stay with them. On Sunday we arrived at Bethel University in Minneapolis where we all stayed for the week and had our meetings. We stayed in a dorm in suites, and it was great to get to meet all the lovely people who were there. I met probably about 100 new people! I'd been in contact with some of them already, especially staff, so it was nice to meet them in person after seeing their names on emails for so long. This year TeachBeyond has 87 new members, which is awesome!


Our president, George Durance, came to speak to us on Thursday, and spoke about how impactful Christian education is and has been and will be in mission work. The world craves good education, seeks it out...what an amazing opportunity and avenue to share Christ! TeachBeyond's ultimate goal is to bring people to Jesus, and as an organization has recognized the incredible effectiveness of transformational education in bringing this about. Schools around the world are asking for help from organizations like TeachBeyond, and the Lord has been opening doors for Christian workers to enter fields that have not always been accessible. Mr. Durance gave a great description of what MK education does for the Kingdom...by giving MKs (aka TCKs – Third Culture Kids) a quality education and building them up in their faith, we strengthen the infrastructure of the Kingdom. MKs have a unique set of experiences and skills that allow them to enter different cultures and relate to different peoples on a level that is not easily accomplished by those who do not have the same experiences and skills. God can use anyone, obviously, no matter what they are equipped with or who they are, but I believe that MKs can be a an amazingly effective force in missions. And let's face it, MKs aren't perfect people! They need encouragement, instruction, and to know that Jesus loves them, too. They struggle, just as everyone does, though some of their struggles are different. Being an MK myself, I am happy that I'll be able to relate to them in this way and share what I have learned over the years. So I'm very excited to have this opportunity to work with TeachBeyond at Black Forest Academy to help educate and prepare these kids for Kingdom work! May God be glorified in and through us!



TeachBeyond folks going to Kandern, Germany!

So just a bit more about orientation...we had loads of sessions about culture, TCKs, education, personality differences, calling, transition, finances, IT, etc etc. It was great to get this information and have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers. I think the part that I appreciated the most, though, was the relationship building. We were only together for a week, but we had this bonding experience, and I am so happy to be linked to such a great group of people! It will also be really great to see familiar faces when I arrive in Germany in August. So overall it was a great blessing!

Right now I'm in Alabama with my family and our great friends, the Scroggins. We've known them since I was about 2, and we love to see each other when possible. Spending time on the creek and just lounging around so far. It's just lovely :) On the plane ride over here from Minneapolis I sat next to a woman from Canada. We started talking, and then next thing I knew I was sharing the Gospel with her! That's the first time that has happened to me, and I know I could have done a much much better job, but I thank God for the opportunity and pray that He does the real work in bringing this woman to Him! So like I said, lots of stuff packed into a short period of time! 

Please continue to pray for me as I prepare to leave and develop partnerships in the ministry. Pray that God would prepare my heart and mind for the change and work ahead, that He would prepare my coworkers and the kids and their parents, that He would bring in the funds necessary to go, and that He would bring me closer to Him during the whole process. I'm grateful for your prayers! Here's a praise, too...I learned this week that the numbers I had for my support schedule were a bit off, so I am currently at 100% of start up costs, and 33% of monthly support! Praise Jesus!!! Let me know if you want to learn more about how to give financially. I'd love to hear from you anyway! Fyi, there is now a link on the sidebar to download and print the TeachBeyond pledge form. There is also the online option for giving, but know that there is a Paypal fee taken out for every transaction. Automatic withdrawal is available, as well, you just have to fill in that section of the pledge form. I am so grateful for your generosity and support!  

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.