My journey to become a Missioner began last August in Peru. My friend Jeanine was telling me about her life as a Missioner. She mentioned that I should look into it. At the time I thought nothing of it but over the next few months that invitation continue to nag at me. One day I decided that I was going to walk through whatever door God opened. So I applied for an application in November and was approved to apply for a position. After I received the application it sat on my desk for a couple of months. I walked by it all the time but was not sure I was ready for such a big adventure. Needless to say, I applied in late January. After some emails and a phone interview I went to New York for an interview in March. In June I was invited to serve in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
I am very excited to serve with the Maryknoll community in Brazil. You can read more about Maryknoll Lay Missioners at http://www.mklaymissioners.org/. I am most excited to use my degree in Communication to help teach leadership skills, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills to those in need of tools to stop the cycle of poverty.
I will leave Portland for orientation in New York on September 23rd. I will be back for Christmas and then after the first of the year I will go to Brazil. Until then I plan to continue working, spend quality time with friends and family, and enjoy some sun (hopefully). It has been a busy couple of months. I have sold almost everything I own (except my car which I will sell soon). My sister Patsy, her husband Curt, and son Liam have graciously let me live with them until I leave. This has helped me pay off bills and start saving money for my life as a Missioner.
I will post more as I prepare to leave in the Fall. For now I just ask for your prayers as I prepare to embark on this adventure.
