Saturday, January 3, 2009

where it all began...

Share it Please
I feel as though I have been wanting to start this for a little while now, but due to my hectic schedule and wastlefulness of the free time I do have, it has been pushed off. So I am beginning it now and planned to stay as up-to-date as possible. I was wondering how I should start off this blog and I figured that people would probably like to know what led up to my decision to go on this trip and so here it is. I will start from the beginning or at least, somewhat of the beginning (And I will try to give you the short version.):
Two years ago, I was a freshman in college and there were two things that I began to have an undescribable passion for. Those two things were: the beginning of a homeless church and going to Malawi. Obviously this blog and this trip have to deal with the latter of the two. After I first began to have this passion for Malawi, everywhere I began to find stories and references to this small country. I began to learn more aboutu this country and printed off some Chichewa words and traditional dishes (that I never ended up making). I both thought and prayed about the possibility of going there. That spring break I went on a trip to Peru and didnt think going to Malawi that summer would be financially possible. After sorting some things out and growth, I thought that the summer after my sophomore year would be the right time to go. However, this is not the timing that He had in mind. Instead, I moved home for the summer in order to make money so that this would be less of a factor when the time came for me to go. I also began to wonder if this trip would ever become a reality. Towards the end of the summer, one Sunday, a couple serving in Madagascar spoke at church and talked of a program called HANDSon. This is where twenty-somethings served foro a semester and the cost was $2600 and the IMB covered the rest. I, immediately, thought to myself, that maybe this was for me, but there was no way because I have a four year plan of my own to finish school. I looked into it anyways and then realized that there werent any trips to Malawi so I thought maybe this wasnt the right time either. Then one day, when I randomly checked back to the website, I saw that there was now a trip to Malawi, and with this I became overwhelmed with emotions- excitement, anxiousness, nervousness, joy, and in awe I just sat there and pondered the reality. I knew that this was the timing that I had been waiting for the entire time and with that, I began the application process, and had references fill out and send in reference forms. At the beginning of October, I received notification I had been accepted to go. My dream, my passion, my call to be obedient is now becoming a reality.

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