Confessions of an Africa Addict Part 2*

* subject to change
click here for Part 1 (Disclaimer: it's a bit raw...)

A godly woman from my home church recently emailed and asked, "Anything particular we can be praying with you for now?" Her email made me realize how grateful I am for the wisdom and care of older, mature Christians. I really think one of the key components in developing a living, thriving faith in generations to come is mentor relationships. I am so grateful for people like the Masons; their presence in the church as well as in my life is invaluable.

Following is an excerpt from my email response.



Since coming to DC, my desire to work in Africa is only stronger (not in any way a negative reflection on my time here). I'm pursuing opportunities to, in the near future, spend 1 year + in Africa. I'm specifically feeling drawn to Central Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya) -- probably, in part, because I am most knowledgeable about the circumstances in these areas. If I had to label the target population I desire to work with, the biblical phrase that comes to mind is "the fatherless and the widow" -- this is where my heart lies. Currently I'm looking into opportunities to work with several different organizations, but I'm wide open to other options.

These past few months have been (and continue to be) a time of honing my focus, reevaluating, questioning (i.e. Do I really have what it takes to live/work in Africa for an extended period of time? Can I truly be of any help, or am simply seeking to satisfy personal desires?), and seeking the Lord.

A contact who recently returned from working Uganda and pursuing a dream to start her own NGO there wrote, "The funny thing about a dream is that it requires it be surrendered over and over again to something greater than ourselves because otherwise we will get in the way of it." I think there's a lot of wisdom in what she's saying. I want the dreams of my heart to be in line with God's heart and will for me and for Africa.

So...that's the latest greatest on my end. Nothing conclusive, really; still in process. (I suppose that will be the case until the day I die!)