Abroad

During the last week I've finally started taking steps toward my semester abroad next spring. It's required for my semester, and I've known this for a while now, but somehow now that I'm starting this process it seems more real to me.

I'm going to Africa. I don't know where yet, but I feel drawn to it, and I know that's where God wants me to go, which is probably the most intimidating place possible. Funny how God works like that. I have a catalog of a few different programs, and the ones that stick out most to me are studying post-genocide reconciliation and rebuilding in Rwanda, development and the community in Uganda, or post-conflict reconciliation in Uganda. I'm leaning very strongly towards the reconciliation ones for some reason I can't really pinpoint. The development trip sounds like it would be more intellectually stimulating, development really interests me, and it's undoubtedly training that would allow me to really make a big difference in the future. The peace building ones seem like big blanks to me; past getting there I have very little idea what I would actually be doing, and I think that may account for the allure of the development trip; it's a little more concrete. I also worry that one of the reasons I like the thought of the Rwanda trip especially is because of pride; it sounds so impressive to say "I'm going to study post-genocide reconciliation and rebuilding in Rwanda". I mean, really. Say that in your head once or twice. I've been praying that God would grant me humility in this process and that He would give me the clarity to go where He wants me to go.

It's rather intimidating to think that less than 12 months from now I'm going to be getting on a plane to go to Africa for 4 months. But that's life, isn't it?