HELLO ANYONE WHO IS READING THIS!!
So, as many, if not all of you know I am currently in New Windsor, Maryland for my Brethren Volunteer Service orientation. I have been here since the 16th of September and will continue to reside here (with a visit to D.C. in the middle) until the 5th of October!
Thus far orientation has consisted of ice breakers (woot woot!), feeding 27ish people on a budget of $28 per meal (yeah, figure that out), attending sessions where we discuss issues such as conflict and living in different enviornments, and simply just getting to know one another.
There are 25 volunteers in my orientation group; 14 from the United States and 11 from Germany. I absolutely LOVE having "The Germans" here! I have not had the opportunity to leave the country yet, but just meeting them and getting to know where they come from and how their culture varies from our own has added fuel to the flame, so to speak.
As with any similar situation, there are always barriers with the communication between "The Americans" and "The Germans" but I think God has blessed me with an increased understanding and patience when I am talking with any of my new, foreign friends. Don't get me wrong, they are much better at speaking english than they give themselves credit for, but there are still limits.
All in all I have greatly enjoyed getting to know the members of my orientation so far and I am really looking forward to the next two weeks; if they are anything like this week than they are sure to move very quickly! A curse as well as a blessing!
I'm not sure if I would like to share where I will be going yet due to the fact that nothing has been finalized, BUT I will be meeting with my orientation leader as well as the director of BVS on Sunday to discuss and plan to speak with my potential site!
As expected, many people (MANY) have asked me where I will be going over the last few months and of course I had to respond with a vague and unsatisfying answer, but ultimately, I think that this lack of control and a plan has blessed me. I often try to control many things, things that in my mind seem controllable, but in reality are not, and I believe that God has been teaching me how to let go and let Him work and this BVS process is just another thing He is asking me to give to Him. I'm not nervous at all for this next year. I realize that there will be times when I just want to be home, sitting on the couch and pigging out of food I didn't have to stategically buy with what little money I have, and there will also be times when I really don't want to have to worry about or help others, but I KNOW that this year is going to be a mightly blessing in my life. I am going to learn more than I could ever imagine and I'm going to grow is many aspects.
My hope and prayer is that I continue to listen to my Lord's voice; to ignore my own selfish desires and instead follow His mighty and yes, His unusual and difficult plan. I do not want my love for Christ to be muffled any longer by my desire to be "normal" or fulfill my own desires. I want to live my faith.
And so I am on this journey. A journey of self discovery, perhaps? A journey to take "me" out of the center of my life and instead place my perfect King there.
Please pray that God continues to bless me with this peace, patience, and love and pray that I would be a beacon into the lives of my fellow BVSers as well as those in which I will be serving over the next year.
GOD BLESS YOU LOVELY PEOPLE!
