Within the past couple of months, it has been made clear that I am called into international Christian missions work. This is definitely not the path that most Northwestern students take, and definitely not one I thought I would be doing when I first came into Northwestern as a freshman only a few years ago. Even still, there is a lot to consider: am I going straight into missions after graduation? Should I go to graduate school first? If so, where should I go and what should I study? Do I even know ethically sound, theologically solid missions organizations? With graduation looming around the corner, I am coming into study abroad with a lot on my mind. I am hoping that this step away from the normal Northwestern life and my usual circle of friends will help in discerning possibilities of my future. I won’t have the same group of friends who have walked with me through the past couple years of my life. I won’t have my usual church to lean on. Perhaps the change in pace will help me to gather my thoughts and think things through in a new way. South Africa will still be a blast: eating new foods, meeting new friends, hiking Table Mountain, etc. But I think I’m coming in with a lot more hopes of clarity and growth than most of my peers. I’m looking forward to having deep and meaningful conversation with them as we explore the beautiful country of South Africa together. I think I’m ready to do this.
A touching reflection on your experience in South Africa and the impact it
Obviously had on you. You are taking up a challenging experience, but if you feel
called to do it follow your heart. My sister worked in a library setting
in Montreal and felt compelled to go to Nigeria with the Canadian United
Service Organization which is like The Peace Corps. While it was not missionary
work per se, she was “on a mission” to help develop teacher training and curriculum in
fledgling Nigerian schools. She did this in her early forties while most of her
Colleagues were in their twenties. She said it was the experience of a lifetime.
Good luck! Jane Gralen (Emily Morris’s grandmother)