Today, my Mali team had class from about 9-5 all day with cooking in between. (We were graded on cooking and being back to class on time!) We are doing the classroom portion of the class now. When we get to Mali (in one month) we will then be doing some major hands-on projects amongst the culture, through observation and other things. I'm actually excited for this. Many people who ask me about this trip think its just another missions trip. But in fact, it's all about experience. It is all about learning about the ways other cultures think, why they do what they do and discovering more about the culture's values without making easy judgments on what they do. It's very interesting and I am enjoying where this class is leading us already.
After this week of class I will go back home (on Mon) and then Wednesday I am meeting with Warren Day, the Regional Director, from Africa Inland Mission. I am so excited. I've been looking into possible mission organization opportunities for the future. I actually found out about AIM through one of our textbooks in a class I took in the Spring Semester of 2009. I looked it up and it has stuck with me since. After that I found out my Swaziland Leader this past summer knows Warren and it was kind of a cool thing to me. I'm not sure what I am going to do yet. I have a couple possibilities to go with after graduation in 2011. Either I could work and start fundraising to go somewhere short-term (at first) with AIM (like one year), and eventually lead to long-term. Or I could do their TIMO program, which is a 2 year foundation for ministry. A small team of 8-10 people amongst an experienced missionary leader goes to an area of Africa that is considered "unreached peoples". They do intensive language learning, homework, book reading inside of different units during those 2 years (i.e. spiritual warfare). That's a major commitment though. Another option I'm considering is going back to school right away that next fall and getting my Medical Assistant Degree (1 yr) to have some medical experience under my belt I can use overseas. I feel if I dont do it now, I never will. I honestly cannot get myself to say I want to do Nursing and go back for another 3 years. I don't have the motivation or passion for that. It would also be nice to have an MA degree b/c I could work for a while and save up before I went overseas, and if I came back I could always get a job again...again that is relying on security when I should rely on our Heavenly God.
The other thing that has been on my mind lately is children. African children. They grabbed my heart in Swaziland and my heart is bursting with more joy to just hold one of them again, and maybe someday be a mother to one. I have been having consistent dreams, night after night, about children, about Africa, about being a mother. God has never spoken to me through dreams, that I can remember anyways. It's as clear as daylight. He continues to give this passion to me when I pray about it. But I have to remember to continually let HIM be my true passion, and out of that relationship flows a passion to be a tool for His broken world. They brighten up my heart, and I can't think of any other thing in my future then to work at an orphanage or take care of children left on the street over there. I can't even describe it anymore...it's intense. I just have to wait now, and continue praying.
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