A Journal Entry from January 5, 2010

A couple of crazy things happened at Youth In Action last week along these lines. I was talking to David and telling how much I love the work in Africa that I have been getting to do. The next day he told me that he told Melissa about our conversation and that when I talked about Africa I seemed to come alive with passion. He said, "I don’t know what you’ll end up doing, but whatever it is will have something to do with that."  It was encouraging for me to hear someone else affirm that truth.

Right before Christmas I also had an interesting lunch with Merritt. I cannot quite remember it well enough for an adequate retelling, but it definitely made me think. She gave words to some of the tension I have been feeling. Both in the area of adoption and of mission work, there is this tension of feeling like a white person with the intentions of swooping in and saving the day. Taking African children out of their culture through adoption for example. Would it be more effective to meet children where they are? To come and live in their community and care for them where they live. Isn’t that what I believe is the most effective way to minister in Memphis? To go live in the place where you want to minister to people. I just haven’t found that reason and purpose yet, I just feel my heart drawn to the continent of Africa. My thoughts on all of this are so jumbled right now. I’m just sticking with the plan of writing all of it out, messy as it may be, and trusting you to lay out all of the puzzle pieces.  Thank you!