Africa Update

Arh! I feel like everything is at a standstill (I know it's not, it just feels that way)! I've done everything I possible can on my checklist. I'm waiting for my next round of vaccinations. I'm waiting for all my forms to get to the office to get my medical and police clearance. I'm waiting to send out a reminder email about my fundraiser. I'm waiting to prepare a slideshow for the fundraiser and I'm waiting to officially begin my fundraising because I'm still waiting to hear about my assignment.

Perhaps God's trying to teach me something about waiting, what do you think??? :)

They're working on it as fast as they can, I know that. The lady in charge of short term assignments has been in Africa, so it's been difficult to work on it. They know time is short, and actually, I've been really pleased with how they've kept me informed, and I know that they are pretty much scrambling to find something for me.

One little complication is that they are trying to find another person for me to go with - the long term missionaries are requesting - for a variety of reasons - that no short termer comes to them on their own, that they at least have a partner. Now this is a pretty big answer to prayer, cause overly-dependent-on-other-people-for-interaction extroverted Hillary was getting a wee tad worried about not having a lot of peer interaction while I was gone. I know the long term missionaries would be there, but I was cautious about how much I wanted to rely on them 0 they've got their own families and lives, after all (though I know they'd be very welcoming and helpful, too). So in one sense, I'm really relieved to know that there will be another short termer wherever I am.

But that creates... shall we say, two opportunities for prayer? :) One is that now they have to find someone who wants to go on the same timeline as I do to the same place (doing the same thing? I'm not sure about that one). So, logistically, it's harder, hence a bit of the delay. So if you're the praying type, I'd love it if you'd pray that something comes together soon!

And the second opportunity for prayer is that, well, the unknown is always pretty scary. Immediately I wonder, what will this person be like? Will we get along? What if we don't? What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them? (which is kind of ridiculous, because very rarely do I meet someone I don't like!) But of course, I worry. I'll be in the middle of nowhere, paired with a total stranger, most likely living and working closely in a really intense environment for seven months. So I'm trusting that God is leading them to the right partner for me and that soon I'll have another lifelong friend and fabulous girlfriend to share my experience in Africa with.

So basically, that's where things are at. I'm waiting. Thank you, God, for the waiting time??? Haha!

Here's hoping a jubilant post is coming very soon in which I can tell you just what I'll be doing in six weeks time.

Oh yes, my friends. SIX WEEKS!!! Crikey!