Initial Announcement

It was a difficult decision for me to take the plunge and apply for the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program. When I was first invited to the discernment weekend, I was offered preliminary placements in the UK and the West Bank. From Thursday until Sunday, I talked with ELCA staff, global mission staff, and country directors, many of whom I had never met before and probably will never meet again. In each interview, the topic of my faith journey and depression (as well as how those two intertwined) came up and I had to learn to trust these people enough to be completely open and honest with them. It was a very vulnerable position to be in.

On early Sunday afternoon, our placements were announced. 79 young adults were assigned to 9 different countries around the world. In one of the biggest curve-balls in the history of my life, the Church called me to serve for a year in Madagascar.

The whole theme of my weekend was trust- trusting the ELCA, trusting God. Trust is a funny thing. It doesn't eliminate your fears; that’s the thing. Your fears don’t disappear when you decide to trust, but the decision to trust somehow gives you the courage to act despite your fear. Well, that’s what I’m hoping anyway.

Trust. It’s not something that comes naturally. It takes some work, some effort. Most of all, it takes some risk. There’s no way to safeguard your heart. I suppose the nature of trust is just that- it’s a leap of faith. It’s a risk. It’s just holding on to hope. And it’s being hurt when that trust is misplaced, but it’s also being rewarded beyond your wildest imagination.

In that spirit, I'M ACCEPTING THE CALL TO MADAGASCAR. Bring on the lemur jokes! 

More eloquent speech on my feelings to come. ;)