RachelsAdventure.com

Hurry up and wait. 

This to seems to a common theme during this season of my life.   I hustle and hurry to get an application in and then sit and wait, and wait...  I'm living in this space between knowing my life is about to change in a big way AND not being sure what that change will bring.  Apparently this oldest-child-used-to-being-somewhat-in-control doesn't work so well in uncertainty!  Yet, even as I say that I realize I'm so excited and have appreciated this journey so much (even the uncertain times). 

As I've been telling people about possibly working in Mexico City I get three common responses:
1) Aren't you scared?  Mexico City isn't safe, right?
2) There are a lot of people there (like 25 million), isn't it super dirty?
3) Um, isn't that were Swine Flu started?

I don't have answers to all those questions, or at least not answers that can make people feel better... I know that Mexico City isn't the safest place on earth and I know that pollution is a big problem.  BUT it does look like Swine Flu is not an issue at this point.  I am borrowing this information from an email sent from a friend who works with a relief organization in Oaxaca, Mexico:

According to the Secretaría de Salud of México (Secretary of Health Institution), in a press conference on June 18 2009, while there have been thousands of cases of H1N1 influenza in the country, there are very few current cases at this time (for more information from the Mexico Secretary of Health, see the following article regarding the press conference - available only in Spanish -- click here). The Secretary of Health emphasizes the importance of continued prevention like frequent handwashing.

In addition, the US department of State lifted the travel alert to México as of May 15, 2009: "The Department of State wishes to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Mexico that on May 15 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its recommendation that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico.  As a result of the CDC's decision, the State Department's Travel Alert relating to the 2009-H1N1 influenza outbreak is no longer in effect." See the following website for more information -- click here.

So, it looks like I should have a Swine Flu, I mean, H1N1-free experience in Mexico City.  Of course, this also means that YOU have no excuses...come visit/serve with me!

Okay, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post (I think that's a blogging sin!). This whole no-internet-at-home thing is very hard on  this (apparently) internet-addicted girl!  The good news is this: I have so many exciting things to tell you.
 
So, I spent the past week at Winema Christian Camp as the missionary.  It was so much fun.  I had a really great time getting the 4th and 5th graders, and hopefully some of the staff, excited about missions.  I also had a great teaching partner, Adam, who's excitement for God's work in Africa was contagious.  At last count, the campers had given over $2000 to missions.  This money will help Adam get to Uganda, and me get to wherever God is preparing me to go.  If you want to read a little more about the week at Winema, check out the camp winema page.

I have also been continuing the hunt for the right mission agency/opportunity.  I've been praying about it a lot and, to be honest, was getting a little discouraged by the overwhelming number of possiblities.  Until yesterday.

Yesterday I had lunch with Steve and Kay Carpenter, they are missionaries in Mexico City where they are church planting and working with an International Christian School.  Kay started to tell me about an urgent opening they had for a 5th and 6th grade teacher and as she was telling me about the position I realized that this was the position for me.  It involves all of the things that I love to do...teach, work with kids, opportunity for short term team coordination AND the school pays me a small salary so that I can have an apartment (who wants to visit me in MEXICO?!).  I'll also get to partner with them in their church planting efforts evenings and weekends through homework and English clubs in the community.  There is only one thing that makes me pause and that is this: if I am accepted, this position would require me to be in Mexico by August 12th.  Whoa.

Here's where you come in (because you get to be part of this!): please pray.  I filled out the teaching application last night and will submit it today.  I'm so excited to think that I could be so close to my adventure...

I'll keep you updated.

Yay!  This morning I had the chance to spend an hour talking to one of the placement coordinators from one of the organizations I have applied to work with.  He had reviewed my application, had a couple of questions and

Here's what I learned from this conversation:
1)  The placement is field-led.  This means that, while the placement office here in the US helps decide where to send people, the real decision comes down to what the teams on the field need/want.
2)  Unless they fast track me (which is a possibility) I will be going to a training/final interview in Atlanta at the end of September and then (assuming I am accepted) I will go to a global training conference in Europe in January and head out from there.  Looks like I'll be looking for a Christmas season job!
3)  I have a "useful skill set", as the coordinator said, for many positions on the field so it will be important for me to be clear about what I want to do because I will probably have a lot of placement options.

I am so excited to be one step further down this path.  I'm heading to Wi-Ne-Ma camp this coming week where a friend (who is working with UKids.org and going to Uganda this summer) and I will be teaching 4th and 5th graders how to prepare for a mission trip.  Guess I better learn how to prepare for a mission trip.

It's funny to me how every little step in this process gets me even more excited...

Okay, I just want to start off this whole thing with the reality that I am NOT a blogger.  I have tried (and failed) to be a "real blogger" a couple of times but I don't seem to have the motivation to keep it up.  Alas, I realize that recent events in my life have made it necessary to revisit my love/hate relationship with blogging.  So, here I am.

This site is so exciting to create and yet it makes me incredibly nervous at the same time because I realize that its very existence means that I have: 1) given notice at a job that I love where I work with people whom I love and 2) will be leaving the country for a currently undetermined amount of time (probably 2 years) on an adventure to serve God.

I find myself walking around in an almost numb state in which it periodically hits me that this is all real...selling all my things...leaving my friends...missing the next two years with my family...and then come the tears (like at this moment.  I'm sitting at a 24 hour coffee shop with tears streaming down my face). 

Don't get me wrong, I am ridiculously excited...it just might take a little while for me to fully realize that this is really, truly happening.