First, I should probably flesh out EXACTLY what is going on here. To those of you who are still a bit clueless, I have been given an opportunity through Covenant this summer to go on a ten-week internship in Mbarara, Uganda. The main purpose of this internship is to learn more about missionary life, so two other interns and I will be hosted by two missionary families, the Hollenbecks and the Boyetts, who will mentor us. The plan is to spend the first week living with a Ugandan family for cultural acquisition and then spend the rest of the time in placements of our choice. I will probably be working in a school alongside/helping a Ugandan teacher in the classroom to learn more about education in a culture other than my own. But, no matter what I am assigned to do, I will be working with children, who are basically my favorite people in life.
I am really excited about this opportunity--but really scared at the same time. However, I suppose that is the place where God loves for His people to be. The only overseas experience I have had was a ten-day trip to Ukraine, which is slightly different from an internship in Uganda. I am about to spend 2 1/2 months in a country--on a continent--that I have no experience with whatsoever. Though we will be doing a lot of preparation work to learn about the culture, I will still be diving in headfirst.
On the flipside, this is definitely a call from God. Several events over the last few years have made me feel a pull to become a missionary overseas (as a teacher, because my major is elementary education, after all). However, before I actually try it, I want to get my feet wet to see if this is really a life call or just an exciting thought. Spending a summer completely immersed in a different culture may help with this.
So what is the status of the actual trip? Originally, the trip was supposed to include a group of eleven or so, all but three of whom (the other two interns and me) would be staying for only four weeks. However, there was a bump in the road and the trip had to be revised so that the four-weekers will actually be going to the capital city of Kampala while the three interns (that's me!) go to Mbarara on our own. As far as trip cost, I have raised $1,675 of the necessary $4,200, which is actually very cheap for a 2 1/2 month stay. I still have to get yellow fever and typhoid shots. I also need to go thrift-store shopping for cheap longer-than-the-knee length skirts, because that is the proper attire for women in Mbarara and I don't want to be mistaken for a prostitute.
The prayer needs at present are:
- That God will keep the road clear for the trip to happen.
- Adequate mental and spiritual preparation for those who are going and those who will be hosting us.
- That the funds will be provided by April 1st.
I will be updating this blog soon with what God is teaching me during this unique preparation time.
65 more days to go! Well, that is if I did my math correctly...
No comments:
Post a Comment