Over the Pond

So, this is it. I'm leaving North America in a week. As most of you most diligent readers know, I'll be heading to Tanzania as a student missionary working with ADRA. I'm going to try to post creative writing-esque blogs every now and then so definitely don't stop coming here to check once in awhile. But for the most part, I'll now be using this blog primarily and would love to receive comments from my faithful followers. Have a great year in whatever you'll be doing, my friends! I'll try to keep up with your blogs and adventures as well.

SM dedication vespers

I didn't think I would enjoy tonight's vespers, but I really did.  After countless hours of filling out forms, talking to people from the SM office, and sitting through orientation class, we got to enjoy a dedication vespers tailored just for us.  Except for a rather disorganized practice before vespers started and many of us participants wishing we could just walk to the front from the center aisle instead of the side to shake Rebeca's hand and get our candles, the whole evening went pretty well.  Just as vespers started, I realized that I should tell my mum to watch the stream online, so I texted her to let her know what was going on.  She was glad I did and enjoyed watching the vespers.  And, despite thinking that this vespers wasn't going to make an impact on me, it actually did.  It was a really nice service and I finally feel like I'm ready to go off to serve.  Now, if I could just find out if I've been accepted at the place I want to go, I could start getting excited...

SM screening

Apparently I have become so used to giving interviews that I can anticipate upcoming questions when I'm the one being interviewed.  I had my SM screening today with Andrew Dormus, the assistant chaplain.  First I commented on his large Canadian flag hanging in his office and he told me that he had just put it up and then said that he was born in Canada, but hasn't really been back since he was 12.  Then we got into the screening.  Most of it was stuff that was on the application, and I remembered many of my answers from that, so it worked out well.  And then I talked so much for some questions that I happened to answer the next question or two within my answer for the first one.  "Wow, you're just knocking these down in record time," Andrew said.  After the last question he told me that it was the fastest SM screening he has done so far.  So I guess doing all those interviews for Accent articles this past year has helped my being-interviewed skills as well.  I'm not sure if that's a skill I'll need to have in my lifetime, but I guess it can't hurt.

Later I met my parents who just arrived this afternoon for Bryn's senior violin recital tomorrow.  The three of us took a quick trip to Soddy Daisy to visit my sister-in-law and niece and nephew.  Then we drove back and now I'm quite ready for some sleep.  Yes, I did stay awake all night to write my research paper and I think I'm writing-ed out for this semester, which is too bad because I have 10 more pages to write for Literary Journalism and I have to finish my Adv. Creative Writing story, too.  Somehow I'll make it through.  I hope.

Retreat review

Here's a cautionary word of advice: If you're ever invited (entreated, cajoled, forced) to play the BafaBafa game, just say no.  It's a ridiculous waste of time.  After playing the part of an Alphan for half an hour, I followed Chris' example and sat down to just watch the rest of my touchy, laughy, happy-go-lucky "society."  I was happy that no one seemed to notice or mind me sitting out.  After making sure I wasn't going to get in trouble for not being involved, I kept reading "The Bronze Bow," which I had wisely brought to the afternoon session.

I'd tell you about the rest of the weekend, but it wasn't much better.  I'll spare you the details.  So, in conclusion, just know that I survived the SM retreat and made it back to SAU in one piece.

PS - Robbie mentioned something interesting at Friday night supper.  I started reading the weekend schedule out loud.  At the top of the program it said, "Student Missions Exit Retreat."  Right after I read those words, Robbie said, "Why is it that Adventists are always retreating?  Shouldn't we be advancing instead?"  Profound?  I kind of thought so.

SM retreat

In an hour I'll be leaving for the annual SM retreat.  I'm not really super excited about the idea cause I have a lot of stuff that I could be doing this afternoon.  But oh well.  It's only tonight and tomorrow and we come back tomorrow night.  Anyway, have a good Friday night and Sabbath.  I'll tell you more about the retreat when I get back.

Frustrated

I really want to go on a rant on here. But I don't think I will because I don't want certain people to see it and possibly not let me go overseas next year. I don't think that certain people will ever read this blog, but just to be on the safe side, I will refrain. Let's just say I am frustrated with a certain class that is zero credits, but that I am required to take. I know other people are as well. OK, rant over.

In other news, Hockey Canada posted a really great commercial on their Facebook page this afternoon. I saw the post and watched the video and fell in love. You can watch it here.

Student missions

Remember this post? Well I do. It's been in my back of my brain since I wrote it in early January. In the first paragraph of that post I promised all of you, my faithful blog readers, that I would write more about how I was inspired and motivated by two things: (1) listening to Paul Howe's testimony from GYC, and (2) hearing Mr. George's (Tim's dad) sermon. Both talks had a distinct emphasis on missions. Well, in today's post I will finally fulfill my promise. The following paragraphs have been taken directly from the journal entry I wrote today for the student mission orientation class.

"The weekend after Christmas break, instead of going to vespers I stayed home and listened to a sermon online from the recent GYC conference. Paul Howe, the older brother of the Howe's I know here at Southern, spoke about how God led him and his wife to work at Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. I was really moved by his sermon and my wish to go as an SM again deepened after hearing his testimony. The next morning, I went to the Village Chapel church in McDonald, Tenn. where my friend Timothy George's parents did the church service. They are career missionaries in Palawan, Philippines and have been doing mission work there since the late 90s. Tim's dad's sermon was really powerful and after the service I was even more convinced that I needed to be doing mission work this coming year.

The next day I went onto the Adventist Volunteers Web site again, like I'd been doing since last May. While browsing the new listings posted there, I saw one that looked remarkably similar to the ADRA position I had been looking at last fall, which had been taken off the site sometime around October. I clicked on it and found that it was the same position, just updated for this next school year. I was ecstatic and signed in to update my already-filled-out application right away. (I contemplated going as an SM during last summer, but eventually decided not to so I could make money for my last year of college instead.)

I didn't actually finish the application and send it off to the GC until last week during spring break. But now that my application is completed and sent in I feel, more and more, that the ADRA position is exactly where God wants me to be next school year. I do have other places, related to the field of communication, picked out as second and third choices, but it seems like God could be leading me to Tanzania next year."

Sorry for anything in the quoted material that doesn't really make sense. It was all written very stream-of-consciousness, which is how I usually end up writing journal entries. Anyway, so there's the blog post that I've been meaning to write for awhile. I put it off because I just never felt like I had finalized my decision until this past Tuesday when I went in to the Student Missions office and talked to the director about going as an SM and joining the SM orientation class. Tonight was my first night going to the class and, while I wasn't terribly impressed with the quality of the two-hour lecture, it was exciting to sit there and realize that this is actually happening. I did actually send in an application. I did actually talk to the campus director of Student Missions. And I am actually in the orientation class, which makes me think that things are looking like I might just be going as an SM once again. This excites me and also kind of scares me. The last time I was an SM was four years ago when I spent three and a half months playing with and taking care of kids. That's easy. Anyone can do that. Am I ready for nine months of writing and editing, doing real journalistic work for a prominent Adventist organization?

Guatemala SM

Exactly four years ago today I left for Guatemala where I worked as a volunteer at an orphanage. I can't believe how much has changed since that day when my parents and Bryn drove me down to the Seattle airport for the two red-eye flights to Guatemala City. At that point in time I was completely confused about a career goal, which had a confusing affect on other areas of my life too. (I won't go into detail on that whole career goal thing since most of you have read my Adv. Creative Writing article and know the story.) The three months I lived in Guatemala taking care of almost thirty babies and children less than five-years-old was the most difficult and trying thing I've ever done. It was also the most rewarding. I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.