I Can Hear Mexico Calling
Following the call as a YAGM through the ELCA
The time is quickly approaching for me to move to Mexico. More specifically, the moment is quickly approaching in which I will step outside of my comfort zone, outside of my city and country, and into the open arms of our neighbors in Mexico. I eagerly and anxiously await this moment. I am full of anticipation. I've been reflecting a lot on how I feel about this next adventure, about uprooting myself from the life that I've built here, about what I need in order to feel ready for this next season of life. The more I think about it, the more these couple weeks before departure remind me of Advent. They remind me of this spiritual season of preparation and anticipation for changes and transformations that I cannot possibly fathom. Realizations like this remind me that I cannot possibly feel prepared. Any kind of preparedness would be an illusion. All I can do is make myself ready to be malleable, make myself ready to let go of the comforts of control, and make myself ready to act from a heart of service first and foremost. I cannot prepare because I don't know what to prepare for. I am walking into the unknown. I don't know the details of my living situation, the names of my host family, the logistics of my job placements, or even the flight information getting from Chicago to Mexico City. All I know is that I have a group of people waiting for me, welcoming me into their home, their workplace, and their mission. This is a huge exercise in trust. The picture of the rainbow at the top of the page is one that I took after my first day of classes in Costa Rica. I was a wreck! I was afraid and regretting my choice to study abroad. I walked out of the academic building and saw this rainbow. Lots of people were out looking at it and I asked if this was common. They said, "Oh yeah, this happens all the time!" But that was the only time I saw a rainbow in Costa Rica. That rainbow reminded me that God is real, that God is ever-present and without borders. It reminded me that God would provide. It's with that rainbow that I walk into this year of service, trusting that God with work through me, provide for me, and transform me.
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AuthorMy name is Kathryn Ophardt. I am spending this year in Mexico City as a Young Adult for Global Mission with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. During this year of service, I'll be working with the non-profit, Casa Refugiados. Archives
October 2018
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