Sunday, July 1, 2007

ESFJ and INTP

This has been one insanely busy week full of wonderful learning, meeting awesome people from around the world, and lack of sleep. I love learning and have really missed certain parts of being in school because of all of the new things you get to learn. I definitely don't miss sitting in a hard chair for hours at a time and being on such a tight schedule all the time. All else is great!

I have learned so much about myself this week and about the things I will be going through over the next few months, and years actually. We had taken a few personality tests/profiles before we came here and were given the results this week. We took the Myers-Briggs, which I have taken 4 times now in the last 8 years. This was the first time, however, that someone sat down and thoroughly explained my ESFJ personality. Not only did this sweet and hilarious old lady explain it, but she also shared so many strengths of it as well as the challenging areas, all through a Biblical worldview. I loved learning that about myself! I felt like the things I struggle with are all normal with people who have similar personalities as me, and we have the struggles we have because of our personalities. No surprise, but it was so good and fun to hear!

(By the way, Kevin is an INTP personality, which is the EXACT opposite of mine. We were laughing because we were not surprised. The neat thing is that some exact opposites clash and some complement. Our personality types are the type that complement one another, which is why we work well together. They showed a chart to show which personality types match up for a good marriage. My personality matched with many other personality types, but Kevin's personality type works only well with one... MINE!)

We just recently started splitting up into small groups based on what we're doing overseas. I was supposed to go with all of the teachers but because I won't be teaching for very long now, they thought it might be best for me to go to the track labeled "Accompanying Spouse." I am the only woman in there without children, which is why most of the women in there are going as the spouse without a particular "job." There are a few older women whose children are grown up, but they too are not going to do a certain job. There are 12 of us women, and we have had some awesome discussions together about our expectations and how the things we do now will be the same except we will be trying to figure out how to do them in a foreign country where we don't speak the language. It goes much deeper than that, but nonetheless, it is a bit overwhelming to think of it all. I am so grateful for these other women and staff members who can share and be vulnerable, and I am forming new friendships with people I would otherwise be unlikely to know or even meet.

Johanna is one of those women, and I already feel a deep connection to her, even though she is thirty years older than me and an extreme introvert (as opposed to my incredibly high extrovert personality). It has been neat to talk with her and watch her really open up. We ate lunch together today, and her husband was ready to leave. She looked at him and told him she wasn't ready to go and wanted to stay but that he was welcome to go ahead. By the look on his face I don't think he has heard that too much from her in their married life. She and I talked for two hours and shared some great things. I would have never met her had it not been for the the leadership of the organization suggesting that I attend these other sessions, and now I have a great new friend!

Tomorrow is our first and only day off. I am looking forward to having some free time and trying to catch up on some much needed rest. We ran into a huge snag today in applying for our visas, and I was really discouraged about that. I have been holding things together pretty well this week. Of course half the lecture hall was crying when we were talking about saying goodbye and the ways to do that. I don't think too many women's eyes were dry! But I've been holding it together pretty much, and when I do get overwhelmed by the million things we still need to do and the details that still need to happen in order for us to leave on time, I couldn't imagine being in a better place surrounded by missionaries from all over the world who have been through this themselves many times and know how to encourage and PRAY.

So thank you God for surrounding us with your love through other brothers and sisters in Christ!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm an ESFJ too- cool! Isn't it fun reading and examining yourself? :-P

Anonymous said...

Kristen-
You proved your personality right here on your blog! Hahaha...found that quite funny.

Audrey said...

I am so glad that we are getting to know each other now! I'll miss you guys until we meet in Budapest months from now. Your ESFJ personality is fabulous, by the way. And thanks for the blog tips.

Andrew said...

Yikes! I am INTP, so that means I am only to find true love with an ESFJ? I must say, looking at picture of them on the net, I do fancy them. Strange eh?

You two seem ideally matched, and thanks for all the info!