This is my last post for the
year, so I think it should be a reflective post. This year began, as most years do, in
January. In January, I was sort of a
lost person looking for something to do with my life. I had it narrowed down to two things. The first was to become a teacher, while the
second was to go to seminary and become a pastor. So I started being a substitute teacher.
In February, a friend sent me a
link to look into becoming a missionary.
With the knowledge that I had no control in a middle school classroom, I
applied for the missionary position, a program of Generation Transformation. A few days after sending in my application, I
started substituting in an elementary school, I was good at that.
In March I was called for an
interview, and I packed my bags and went to Oklahoma City. For the rest of the month, I spent as much
time as I could with my nephews as well as with my Grandma who was recovering
from a stroke.
In April my Grandmother’s health
took a turn for the worse and we laid her to rest beside my grandfather who had
died just months before I was born. I
also received the news that I had been accepted to the US-2 missionary
program. I spent many days doing recess
duty and implementing already written lesson plans. I enjoyed those days, especially the when
evenings were full of me playing cars with my nephews.
During May school ended and the
swimming pool opened. While waiting to
find out where I would be placed as a missionary, I watched soccer, and swam
with my nephews at the local public pool.
In June I was finally informed
that my placement would be in Davis, California. I found this out just hours before attending
the Missouri Annual Conference. At that
event I heard Bishop Thomas Bickerton talk about his own calling, and decided
that my calling was to be a clergy member in the United Methodist Church. During vacation bible school that month I
thought about how much would miss my church family but that I would be going
where God had called me to go.
In July I went on a mission trip
as a youth leader to Oklahoma. After
that trip I will never be able to hear the song, “Awesome God” without memories
of dancing in the parking lot on a hot morning while a van load of teenagers
watched. I then traveled to New York
City to begin missionary training. At
the God Box and then Stony Point, New York, I learned what it would take to be
in ministry with.
On August 12, two amazing events
happened. Flint Isaac, the fourth son of
my friend, was born and I was commissioned as a missionary of the United
Methodist Church. I packed up my life in
and in a few short days my Dad and I were off driving to Davis,
California. After the two and a half day
drive my dad took a plane back to Missouri, and then I found myself in Davis
trying to be a missionary with the campus ministry of the Cal Aggie Christian
Association.
In September, school at the
University of California, Davis started, and the staff of the CA House rallied
for success of the ministry. I
officially joined the US Masters Swimming program through Davis Aquatic
Masters. This required me to learn how
to swim properly.
In October I turned 27, learned
to swim the fly, backstroke, and breast stroke in addition to the freestyle
crawl. I was also a participant and
worker in our fundraiser.
November began my search for a
seminary with an event called Exploration 2013.
In Denver, Colorado, I visited Iliff Theological Seminary. I pretty much fell in love with it that
day.
In December I learned to make my
own biscuits and gravy, since no one out here eats this for breakfast. I watched as “MLS Cup dreams came true in
Sporting Blue.” I spent most of the rest
of the time counting down the days until I can visit home, which is tomorrow,
so have a merry Christmas, I will post more next year.
