I find this a little weird writing about stuff in my life
that anyone can read. I mean I'm used to writing letters where I know who I'm
writing to so I can be silly or sarcastic and I know they'll understand it even
if it's on paper. I guess what I'm trying to say is bear with me in these next
few months as I get excited about my trip and eventually go on it and that I find it
weird to be writing to no one and everyone at the same time. Throughout these
months I plan to answer two questions with each post (so I can acutely have
something to talk about) but once I'm in South Africa I'll probably foprget the questions and just tell you what's happening. So, question 1...
1. What is worrying you the most about this trip?
Well, there is always fear of the unknown so that’s a minor
worry right now, e.g. what will it be like, who will be on my team and other
factors like that that I'm in the dark about. Another worry is the danger of the country, many people have warned me about the crime rates of South Africa but I trust that God will keep me safe or teach me something when I'm in danger. A more major concern is money;
with only 75 days until $1400 is due for the missions trip little pockets of
doubt are beginning to pop up in my mind about if I will be able to raise
enough. I'm always amazing at the generosity of people. I know that I'll have support and have had support. But
I also feel like this is going to be a lot more work than the past mission
trips. I'm not complaining, I'm willing to put in the work to be able to go,
but it's a lot of money to raise. You see the $7000 is the cost I have to pay
the organization, it doesn't include my flight to and from New York (where I'll
be flying out of and into before and after the trip) vaccinations and other
things that I'll need to take with me. So that's a...well not really a worry
but more of a concern. Needless to say a lot of prayer is going into and has
gone into this trip. I know that if God wants me on this trip , which I feel he
truly does, the money will come.
2. Why this trip?
I knew that I wanted to take a year off before jumping back
into school. I also knew that in this year off I wanted to go on a long term
mission trip so I started looking around. First I looked at the well-known
organizations, such as YWAM and OM, but none of them really fit. Either they
would start before I turned 18, which is the required age for most long term
missions, the date wouldn't work or I wouldn't like the program. I then started
Googling mission trips and I came across a few great organizations, one of them
being Experience Missions. Slowly after reading into the organizations and
getting more info I had it narrowed down to Experience Missions and one other
trip. After praying about it for a while I felt that Experience Missions was
the trip the I was being called to, I then applied and after an interview I
was accepted. So to answer the question I choose this trip because it fit with
what I wanted to do, I didn't just want to go into 'the field' each day and
come out I wanted to be immersed in the culture and this program lets me do
that.
Okay, two questions down! I'll be sure to continue to answer
questions and update you on my progress in the coming months before I leave for
South Africa. If you have any specific question just comment below and I will
try to answer them.
