My Findings.

What a remarkable year this has been to date, and so much has culminated in the past 2 weeks. I will embellish further, but feel I might be writing a good deal, so here is an outline.

1) Nicaragua
2) Princeton Theological Seminary
3) What exactly does 'next step' mean ...

Nicaragua
What an experience. I honestly don't have words to fully describe and express how amazing this trip was. I'll include some photos, but my best of the trip are also found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/tenniscotty85/Nicaragua2008

I honestly didn't really enter into it with many expectations - generally how I like to roll on most things, since God's always got something interesting up His sleeve - other than it would be a good deal warmer than Pullman (true) and a heckuva lot of fun with all the people who went (also true). What I was blessed with was much greater than I could have imagined. A quick recap of what we were up to over our week was a modge podge of these things:
A) Helping out at an orphanage - cleaning, removing garbage
B) Helping to build bakery for the orphanage so that it has a stable income to support itself
C) Led an afternoon sports camp to play with kids in the Sandino neighborhood
D) Led a VBS at a church just down the street from the orphanage
E) Participated/learned from a local drama team that spreads the Gospel message through drama

What was most powerful to me was the reactions of the people we were serving with and working alongside. For the most part, the Nica's (Nicaraguans, local slang) we worked with have experienced American Missionaries before, and along with that the white hero stereotype of 'I'm bringing you knowledge and money, so listen up and hold out your hand' with some love coated thinly over the top, which happens all to often in my opinion. But our team was different for them - we came with ready hands and able feet, asking where to go and what to do. We were offering our services under their direction - I mean who knows what they need better than they do? We did construction with their direction - important because they have tools and skills accustomed to their resources, where we might be discouraged because we are spoiled with mechanics that make things easy, rather than using our brains to do some engineering. We learned how to spread the Gospel message unspoken, conveying through art and emotion the love God has for each person. We learned the games of the Nica children, and sang their songs - much better that they understand what they are singing than me try to teach them English they wouldn't be able to comprehend.

So there it is, a visit from the Psalms, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" How truly good and pleasant it is to see our Christian brothers and sisters, and serve them, encourage them, and empower them to press on and do what they do in Nicaragua. I often come to a controversial piece in my mind about short term missions, when if you ask a missionary what a short term mission is, they say 2-3 years. So what is a week long mission? It is a tease! It is a tease to us, who would love to stay longer. It is a tease to the orphans and children in the community, who want us to stay or take them with us. It is a tease to the few we are able to build relationships with, here one week and gone the next. Granted, it is a great way for people to meet people - to bridge the gap between what we hear about foreign affairs and actually meeting the people who live them. But here we refocus the vision of mission - coming to a community already established in Christ, we are a great cloud of witnesses, coming to run alongside and encourage our brothers and sisters in the race marked out for us. What can I possibly change by giving a week to the poor? What impact can I possibly have on a child whose hand I hold for one afternoon? But wait, when did this become about me? It is not about me, and God will use me as He pleases. I will go where you send me, and I will make the most of the time you have given me.

Walking the road between the orphanage and the local church for VBS. It's hard to fully grasp the two-thirds world staring you in the face, walking amidst real people and real poverty.

Working on anti-rust via lead paint on these beams. I may or may not have lost a few brain cells.

Diggin' ditches, something all buildings need. I guess. Look at these studs.

Maria - a favorite at the VBS. Great hugger. Most Nica's are though I guess.Hangin' with the guys. Nothin' like a t-rex in Nicaragua to get your juices flowing.

Princeton Theological Seminary
Alright, it's official. I've sent in my confirmation and housing deposit. Up next, PTS and New Jersey here I come. I guess moving to Pullman was my baby step in moving east. The last post I left on this blog expressed my confusion in where to be next year. The week prior to Nicaragua, I was in a whirlwind of unknowns and busyness, thinking I had stopped to think about my decisions and had conversations discussing it with a handful of people, but not until my 4-hr layover in SeaTac did I understand I hadn't really thought it through much at all. Each conversation I had was more of a defensive stating God could have me anywhere He wants me next year, saying each opportunity has it's own benefits that seem too good to pass up. But what is it I need? Where is it that I need to go? After a few interesting and humbling observations from analyzing my life, I believe it is in fact Princeton. So it's a good thing my mom picked up a key chain for me when she visited last year.

What DOES 'the next step' mean?
Life keeps changing. It's good I'm a fan of change or I would be completely fed up by now. But where does this internship and this new school lead me? How do you balance good long distance relationships with friends and family? This year has felt kind of like a filler in some ways for my home-based friendships, that this is a temporary and I'll be back in no time. But that isn't true, and why do I try to convince myself of that? Why do people have to be so amazing and so hard to keep in touch with? I LOVE so many of the people I've met this year as well, and how do I continue those well? And who knows who I have yet to meet next year ... people people people, why does this world have to be so amazing, and why did God have to make each person so unique and fantastic. We really need to get teleportation down, that would make life a whole heckuva lot easier. And cheaper.