For those of you who don’t know me personally, my name is Emily Olsen and I am a sophomore at the University of Alabama. I am pursuing a degree in Public Relations with a minor in Computer Science, with an emphasis in non-for-profits. But I am taking a year off.
I know, it’s a little pyscho.
You should hear what my Mom has to say about it, but the race was laid on my heart last December actually. It was the final night of the Dominican missions trip, (that I do through Rockford Christian High school!! Shout out to Keith and Karen Christianson!!), and a recent college graduate had just come home from the race. The way she had talked about it, I HAD to know all about it. I felt so excited for her, hearing about backpacking through countries for eleven months! I went ahead and looked into the program and found out that I wasn’t eligible for the “11 in 11” trip. But I was eligible for the four countries in nine months. I came back to school for spring semester and applied for the trip, I had assumed it was such a prestigious program that I wouldn’t get in. But to my disbelief, I did! But than reality came around and I was faced with some tough choices. My parents and I decided that it would be best to sit on the idea for the year and if I felt the same way the following December I could apply. But part of the compromise was that I would get to go on a short term missions trip with AIM, to get to know the organization and understand their unique approach they had to missions work. I then spent the month of July in Nepal. Which was awesome minus the emergency appendectomy. But my team was great, and the bed rest wasn’t too terrible with rooftop views of Kathmandu. (The key piece of information here is ALWAYS get the travel insurance!)
I think after my surgery in a foreign country people might have expected me to retire my passion for international missions, but to my parents surprise this past December I returned to the Dominican and applied for the Gap Year Program. I had a lot of doubt if I should be doing this: what about my future, I have to graduate a year later, what other non essential body parts can I loose in a foreign country, my friends!! what about my friends!!, and the list could go on and on. I easily stress out when it comes to my collegiate career and more importantly my future. I’ve also never pitched a tent before that seemed like a daunting task all on it’s own. But the truth of it is, I can’t take a year off of life when I have a full time job, or I’m married, or have kids. The common question is, “Emily why not wait until after graduation!” But heres the catch, Alabama has a PHENOMENAL placement program (90% of all Communication students, and 94% of all Public Relations students as of May 2017) within the communications school, and I would hate to miss out on a job offer as I understand those are hard to come by. Anyways I always heard that your twenties are some of the best years of your life, so why not kick off my 20th (the anticipated launch date is Sept. 6 and my birthday is Sept. 7) with the adventure of a lifetime spent evangelizing around the world?
As I start the process of preparing for this adventure I’ve started to become more intentional in creating a routine chunk of time to spend with Jesus, I bought a guitar so I can play for worship team while on the race (I’ve always wanted to learn so I figured there was no better time than the present, and I’ve also named her Wanda), I’m re-reading Crazy Love (by recommendation of my Dad), and I’m also trying to start working out because I am NOT ready for this cardio (also by recommendation of my Dad).
It’s been a long time coming, it’s a passion I have thats larger than myself, and I’m just so incredibly excited to see how God works in my team as we embark on this journey.
