My Journey Begins Here

Here I am, the first installment of many more to come. Here I will do my best to document my journey as a YAV. I hope yall enjoy. I'd love some encouragement through comments and e-mails. Let me know you're reading! I won't accuse anyone of stalking, I posted this blog publicly for a reason. :-)

Anyway, I am getting very excited and nervous to leave for Guatemala. I decided to apply for this program after close to a year of searching for a way to volunteer abroad after I graduated. I knew I needed to get some wiggles out before I searched for a teaching job. I wasn't sure where I wanted to live in the U.S., and really I just wanted to explore a little bit more before resting for a while. I searched high and low for a progam via internet, word of mouth, etc. Most programs I found cost quite a bit of money, but I wasn't really sure where that money would be going. I spent an entire weekend applying to the Peace Corps, but the program didn't sit right with me. Two years is a huge commitment when you are not given a choice as to what you will be doing and where.

When my mother directed me toward the YAV program, I was skeptical at first. I had steered away from church-affiliated programs because I didn't want to be a "missionary." The stigma that follows that title sends shivers down my spine. I believe that a lot of harm has been done in the world in the name of God. I know that there are plenty of missionaries doing fabulous things, but as a 21-year-old liberal-minded New Yorker, I was not keen on adopting that title. However, after a little research into the YAV program, I saw that it was different. For one, my title would be "volunteer" not "missionary." In addition, the focus of the program was not to "save" the world. Instead the focus was a mutual exchange between people and cultures. Many of the sites had opportunities to work for social justice in a variety of ways which is where my interests were developing in New York. And I would have the opportunity to develop and live out my faith in a new community.

After being accepted into the program, I was asked to choose two international sites I would like to interview with. I immediately chose Ghana as my first option. I studied abroad in Ghana in Spring 2006 and have had a love affair with the culture ever since, constantly seeking out reminders of Ghana in the United States. (Pieces of Ghana are everywhere, btw. You just need to look around at your fabrics, your food, etc.) My second choice was between Kenya and Guatemala. Guatemala would be a wonderful opportunity to work on my Spanish and learn more about Latin American culture. However, Kenya would be another African country to explore. Before I could choose my second choice, however, I was informed that Ghana would not be an option this next year. BAHHHHH. Ugh. That was a blow since I had already begun counting on being there, imagining the joy I would feel returning to my love's hot humid arms. So now my choices were easy: Kenya and Guatemala. Though, my heart was now set on Kenya.

The Placement Event occurred in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of April. I didn't know what to expect there except that I would be interviewing for my two site choices. I tried to enter with an open mind, convincing myself that I would be happy at either Kenya or Guatemala. However, over the Placement Event weekend, my heart seemed to scream a different story. My new friends I had met in Louisville and I talked about our choices non-stop. Most of us had our hearts set on one of the two choices. I prayed about my options and couldn't find any reason why God would not want me to go to Kenya. I had experience in Africa. I had a strong desire to go back. There were many teaching opportunities there (my major). That was definitely where I was supposed to go. Though, when I opened up my letter of invitation to my international site, the words did not say "We are pleased to offer you a spot in our "Kenya" site." Oh no. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. I had already begun imagining myself in Kenya. It felt like a personal attack. Did the Kenya coordinator not like me? That's silly because she really didn't even know me. But, it still felt that way. On top of all of this, it was now certain that I would be living on a different continent from Drew, my boyfriend, for an entire year. He was given a Fulbright Grant to Ghana. Overall, my future was becoming more real. And I only had limited control over my path.

After getting over the initial shock of not being placed where I expected, I began to gain a lot of excitement about the opportunities that are ahead of me in Guatemala. I am not in charge here, God is. I know I will be taken care of while in Guatemala and look forward to what is in store for me. I don't know much about what I will be doing there yet, but I do know I will be living with a host family and hopefully loving life. Living with a host family will be a very important experience for me. My family has hosted 5 exchange students, so I am interested in being on the other side as the person being hosted. I hope those experiences will help me in forming relationships with my host family. I look forward to everything I will gain from this opportunity, things I couldn't even imagine right now. On top of all of this, I am very excited to improve my Spanish; it has always been a life goal of mine to become fluent. I had no idea that I would be able to reach this goal this early in my life!

As I learn more and begin my journey, I will write. Until then, hasta luego!

p.s. I am looking for inexpensive Spanish lessons in New York over the summer. If anyone has any information on that kind of thing, let me know. Fortunately, I have 5 weeks of one-on-one Spanish tutoring when I arrive in Guatemala, BEFORE I even move in with my family. But, I'd like to get a head start. My high school Spanish is not going to cut it!