The move

Well, the move is bigger than anticipated. I will not be moving into this great apt closer to all of my life. Instead, I, ummm, well, I uh, I am moving to . . .





Africa.


Yup, found out yesterday. I don't have all the answers by any stretch and will fill you in as I get more info but this is what I know, my FAQ if you will (thanks for that idea, Carrie!).


Amy's Africa FAQ

1. WHAT?!!?
I know, I've said this numerous times myself. I've always had a part of my heart desiring to serve God in ministry overseas, I just never expected that it would be in Africa. I don't know anything about Africa really. Serious. Nothing.

2. Um, then why are you going?
Valid question that I have asked myself more than once. Two main reasons. Amazing position and more importantly, God said to Go.

3. So what's this 'amazing position' of which you speak?
Thanks for asking, friends and neighbors. I will be working with Christian Reformed World Relief Committee - CRWRC - (from my church denomination). I'm going to be what they call a bridger and it couldn't be a more perfect job for me. I will be working with the home office here in the States to help them better prepare the volunteers that will be coming to Kenya. I will work with the partner organizations where the volunteers will be places upon their arrival. I will also work with the volunteers upon their arrival for some final orientation and then follow-up with the partner organizations once the volunteers leave. It's a hope that this hwill help eliminate some cultural problems that have been happening over the last couple of years.

4. You say you're going with your church denomination, does this gig pay or do you have to raise your own financial support?
Funny you should ask. CRWRC is providing a match for what I raise. I will need to raise 10-15k. They are providing fabo training (3 months prior to arrival at my destination along with housing me with a local family until I figure things out there) and other things. If you would like to be a part of my support team, just let me know and I'll get you the details.

5. You keep saying Africa but you can't honestly be going to live everywhere, it's a big continent, not like, oh, say Austrailia.
You are right. I will be based out of Nairobi, Kenya and should arrive there around September.

6. When do you leave then?
I will leave in late June or early July to start three weeks of training at Echo ( I think this is the correct site) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I then head to Senegal and Mali before heading over to Kenya. It is a 12-month assignment from the time I leave for training.

5. Are you excited or scared?
I want to jump for joy and throw up all at the same time. It's awesome in so many different ways but terrifying, too. It's a long way from everything and everyone that I know and love and yet, what I believe I'm supposed to do now.

6. Where will you lay your pretty little head to sleep until you desert us all?
I have confirmed that I can stay in my current apt. until the end of April when my lease ends. After that I have at least one friend who will let me dwell in her basement for a wee bit. The place I was going to move into will refund most of my deposit if they can rent the place out by the end of the month. Yea! (They are showing it tonight!)

7. Didn't you just start a new job? What about that?
I have been in my current position almost three weeks as of today. I took this job for a few reasons: like the people, the job and there's the large factor that no other job had been offered to me in my year-and-a-half of searching. The Africa conversation began in Nov. and just didn't seem to me to be solidifying at all. When I accepted this position I made no commitment, verbal or written, as to how long I would stay.

8. Wait a minute. Are you an addict? What are you going to do about all that fabo scrapbooking stuff that you sell?
You are right. I love to scrapbook and I hope to get a whole lot done prior to my departure. I will also be trying to sell my stock and will make one final huge order. I will be ordering several digital packages for the Storybook for myself to do while I'm in Africa. That will be the easiest way to make those albums. I may need to make one upon my return for the memorabilia, we'll see.

9. What will we do without your amazing, although lately quite spotty, blog entries?
Never fear, I will have regular acess and a digital camera.


I know that there are more questions and more things to tell, but I'm at work and really must do some work now.

Sometimes I just have to say to myself, "Africa? Really, God? Wow. OK."