n & l, minus 6 months

.....It's been six months (almost seven) since my second stint in latvia/norway began. i've been thinking about that a lot lately. i'm visiting my parents now--which means i'm seeing a lot of people i haven't seen since my first time in n&l. i realize, as i talk about these places, that the longer i'm in the states, the more i think i would really love to be back overseas, but for a year, or maybe a few years or even a lot of years.

I had no idea what I wanted to do for the months after I graduated from Wheaton--I didn't have a job or anywhere I needed to be. I just knew I needed to do something different and sensed that I was outgrowing the part-time job I had had for years. Three years before, I had heard about this trip a friend-of-a-friend (Justin) had gone on to Japan. The idea had sort of stayed lodged in my head as something I might do someday. Also, my friend Grace had gone on this ministry trip to Europe--which I had this vague recollection of her saying it was great. I also really wanted to go to Africa. Finally, my friend Joann had offhandedly suggested I should look into a summer trip with the Navs. So...I decided to apply for all of these ideas: a NAVS trip, the same trip Grace took to Europe, an Africa trip and the organization Justin went with. Each of these, I reasoned, would get me out of the States, would be an opportunity to really get into another culture and be part of people's lives across the world.

It quickly happened (as I had a hunch) that Justin had gone with the Navigators--so Justin and Joann's ideas were the same. So--I was narrowed to three: the Navigators, Africa and Grace's trip. Well, this said, I contacted Grace to ask her about her trip and then applied for a ministry in Africa. It turns out that Grace's trip was also with the Navigators (imagine that!). So I applied for Grace's trip...two options. Well, finally, it got to spring, and I was getting pretty excited about Africa. Being in a third-world country for awhile seemed like a really good thing--perspective stretching, building relationships, actually getting my hands dirty for a few months.

But, come April, the Africa team got in touch with me. They had, it turns out, received tons of applicants who all wanted to spend some time in Africa. Instead, they suggested, I should look into this trip that their daughter was leading, to Europe. Well, as you may be guessing, by now, their daughter was Grace's friend, employed by the Navigators... leading the very Europe trip I was thinking of. What are the odds?

The moral of this story? All roads lead to Norway... It's so crazy--I ended up somewhere I never planned to go and now I can't seem to get it out of my blood. I never planned on living overseas, never planned on getting a heart for the world. But I guess we don't really plan these things, do we?