Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/736680
had been incredibly painful, so Elliott was ready to hear what others were thinking about the topic. The conference transformed Elliott's understanding of the weight and responsibility of God's mission. "He invites us to participate, but God is always on mission, and through all the successes and failures, He is moving the mission forward." "Going to that conference gave me a whole new lens by which to view ministry. The power and responsibility of mission is God's and God's alone," Elliott shared. "He invites us to participate, but God is always on mission, and through all the successes and failures, He is moving the mission forward." His new perspective colored the counseling he received throughout seminary and how he mentally and spiritually processed his coursework. It also prompted a special semester of Training and Mentoring with resident missiologist, Dr. Scott Klingsmith, to apply this whole paradigm to real ministries. What once felt like a burden to Elliott now brought him joy. Throughout seminary, Elliott had the privilege of being mentored by George Blake, his pre-field instructor. The mentoring relationship allowed George time to watch Elliott process this new paradigm. At the end of their official mentoring relationship, George asked Elliott to join the staff of MTI. Elliott and Lindsay's dream of teaching at MTI became a reality. They started full time in the Debriefing and Renewal program the day before Elliott graduated from Denver Seminary. JOINING THE JOYFUL PARADE Now Elliott and Lindsay walk missionaries from around the world through this redemptive paradigm: The success of God's mission doesn't depend on the missionaries; they just have the privilege of participating in it. The Debriefing and Renewal sessions are a blend of teaching, small- group facilitation, and pastoral care. Each day of the weeklong experience focuses on one valuable concept: the affirmation of the missionary's paradoxical life—that it's okay to say life on the field is "the best of times and the worst of times." Throughout the week, they also focus on stress, transition, grief, soul care, and the value of good goodbyes. 18 FALL 2016 TAKE IT FROM HERE La_Corivo/iStock Mission Emanuel czekma13/iStock