**WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR EARTH SHATTERING, IT IS SIMPLY QUITE INFORMATIVE ON WHERE MY LIFE IS HEADED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
Last time I blogged it was January 1 and I was thinking about how God makes everything new. I've learned in the last four months that the beginning of a new calendar year is not the only time that God makes things new. In a few weeks (on May 28 to be exact) I'll be embarking on another new adventure. What is it you may ask?
On May 28 I begin my journey to Taichung, Taiwan where I will be serving as the dorm assistant at Morrison Academy for at least two years. I don't actually take off on the jet plane for Taiwan on May 28, and in some ways I've already started this new adventure as I've prepared by buying lots of things to ship over and work out a bunch of paperwork, but May 28 is a landmark because on that day I head to Chicago, IL for training with Covenant World Mission. A lot of people have asked me if I need to raise support, since that's the logical thing for a missionary to have to do. The answer is: no! Praise the Lord, by God's grace I have found a missionary position in the part of the world I've longed to go to since high school where I do not have to raise money but instead receive a modest salary. The cool thing about this is that I still get to partner with Covenant World Mission, which is the mission I grew up in and love with all my heart. I am extremely blessed to be going into a situation where I will have support from my supervisors and Morrison Christian Academy itself, as well as the network of missionaries with Covenant World Mission. It's quite literally a dream come true!
As I prepare for this, my dream job, I can't say that all of the emotions I'm feeling are positive. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to get to Taichung, to meet the dorm parents who I will be supporting, to meet the kids who I get to care for, to learn to love a new culture, to learn a new language, to grow spiritually, to travel around Asia, to just embark on this adventure! But there are other emotions too, mostly fear over a lot of 'firsts'. For the first time I will be on a different continent from any of my family members and in a place where I know one person, my friend Shirley who lives in Taipei two hours away. For the first time I will be living in a country where I truly do not know the language and can't even sound things out because the script is different! For the first time I will need to find a church by myself without the connection of my parents. For the first time I will be living alone. There are other fears I have that are not connected to 'firsts'. My grandparents are getting along in years, and it both scares and saddens me to miss any time with them. My cousin is having a baby in September, and I won't be around to hold the little one and support the family in that time of transition. My church is getting a new senior pastor, and while I was on the search committee for the entire year I've been in Vista, I won't be here to participate in that transition either. I could go on and on, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I have a mixed bag of both positive and negative emotions at the thought of my next adventure.
I can't wait to get started. I'm trying my best to live in the now. I'm trying to re-instill in myself some healthy habits. Exercise? Yes, maybe I should try that again! Eating healthy? Hmm, that might be a good idea. More Prayer & Scripture reading? Why yes, I think that WOULD be a good idea! How about actually doing my laundry and putting it away? Or cleaning up after myself in general? Okay, this year has been a good break- I couldn't have asked for a better 'gap' year so to speak, but now it's drawing to a close. Pedal to the medal. Here I come world!
