My train screeched to a halt at Union Station in Chicago,
but I didn’t have any desire to get off it quite yet. The entire four hour
train ride from Grand Rapids I had been processing; thinking about the last
three months before launch and how it had all meshed together. It is now one big blur to me: my final days
in college in June, a trip to Haiti to visit the orphanage, training
camp in Atlanta, the opportunity to see my family in the Netherlands, rejoining my family
in Nigeria, and my final days at work and home before launch. God has blessed me so much, and
I am so thankful for these experiences I’ve had.
Today is the day!! September 4, 2012 will mark the start of a
new chapter in my life. At 21 years old, I will embark on new adventures, new
challenges, and new opportunities. No longer will I be punching the clock at my
job or tearing my hair out at school because I’m trying to figure out double
declining depreciation on a fixed asset in an advanced accounting class.
There’s no doubt that what I’m doing is unusual; I can’t count the number of
times I’ve been given funny looks when I share my upcoming plans with
strangers. Many people assume that I’ll go on to my master’s degree, look for a
full time job in what I’ve studied, and begin to raise a family.
However, I don’t want to do the usual or what people assume.
I don’t want to do what most people do after college. All that other stuff can
wait. I want to follow the plan that God has laid out for my life. I
want to grow. I want to be challenged. I want to be put in tough situations. I
want to be radical. I want my team to get raw and real with each other. I want
to grow close through that. The devil will try to hold me back, give me doubt,
and tell me that I can’t or I shouldn’t, but we serve a great God! A God that
cares, listens, and protects. A God that puts us in scenarios we can’t face
alone. With God’s strength we can face these situations; He will always be
right beside us.
I’m trading my bed for a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. I’m
trading my closet and bedroom for an internal frame backpack and daypack. I will be living
on a few dollars a day for food, potentially eating the same meal for a month
straight. I will probably face more than one dangerous situation throughout these next 11 months. Am I crazy? Probably.
But I’m so ready for this. SO READY! SO EXCITED! God has blessed
me; I want to be a blessing to others.
I am meeting some of my squad at a hotel near O’Hare airport
in Chicago this evening. I will meet the rest of my squad tomorrow evening including participants, squad leaders, squad coordinators, and squad coaches. Since I play the role of the finance guy/treasurer I will be trained on my responsibilities and duties for this role. We
will also have some sessions and review and will be on our way to Zimbabwe or
Botswana later this week. I don’t have these details yet, but when I do I will
pass them along to you. Thank you for your prayers and your support.
