A New Journey Begins

Mission Intern Update!

The planned site I was to be working at in Johannesburg ended up not working out, and at the last minute (the day before I was set to fly to NYC for training - I was already almost done packing, even!), I received a phone call telling me such. It came as a huge surprise to me - and certainly not a welcome one. I was informed my site would change, but that I would remain in South Africa. Instead, I would be working with an organization called SHADE (Sojourners: Health, Advocacy, Development, Education) alongside two other Mission Interns. We would will be roommates, travel and work together. Quite a change!

That was eight days ago, and I am already feeling significantly better about this change. It has certainly taken some adjustment for while it may not seem significant, this is indeed quite a change for me to take in. I am shifting from what would have been a role on pastoral staff serving Zimbabwean Refugees in the areas of community development and pastoral care, into a role that will mostly be fulfilled through an office.

My new position will be to work for SHADE as the "Health and Spirituality Facilitator for Satellite Projects in Mozambique, Lesotho, and Namibia." Quite a title, huh? I am not quite sure exactly what this will entail, but I do know our office base will be in Cape Town through January, at which time all of SHADE's offices are moving to Johannesburg, and so we will to. I also know this position will involve some traveling, including a conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in November and a visit to each of the satellite projects I will be working with.

I have been simultaneously grieving the loss of the position I was so excited about in Johannesburg, and growing in excitement over the great potential this new position with SHADE holds. While this process is not yet through, I am pleased to say that the overwhelming excitement is taking over, especially as I get to know the two girls with whom I will be living and working. We're very different, and oh-so-alike, all at the same time. I think it will prove for a lot of adventures and laughs in our time as roommates, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Before we know it, our training will conclude and on the 16th, we will arrive in Cape Town (though on different flights, as I had already booked a flight to Johannesburg).

I intend to keep updating this blog throughout the next three years as a missionary, effective immediately. Perhaps there will even be further updates from training in the next few days!