By Love

When I was quite young, I remember establishing "terms of service" with God.  These terms included the following:
1.  Don't make me a missionary
2.  Don't send me to Africa.

In my young mind these were the two most frightening and unpleasant things I could imagine.

Of course, in keeping with the humor of God, several years later I found myself in Africa serving as a  short-term missionary with Seeds of Hope International Partnerships.  I had the privilege of meeting Zambian families while installing water filters in their homes.  I met wonderful students while assisting teachers during hygiene and sanitation trainings in schools.  I played with children and held orphans.  I saw teams of Zambians, Americans and people from many lands serving together, working to establish social justice and equity through practical and spiritual means.

 God effectively broke my heart for the people of Zambia, and the continent of Africa.

From my time in Zambia, I knew that God was moving my heart to work with children.  After transferring from a local community college, I received my Bachelors from UCSB in 2013, and completed my Masters and Teaching Credential in July of this year.  I faced the classic crisis of young adulthood: what will I do with my life?

During my undergrad years, I had heard Dennis Wadley of Bridges of Hope speak at a CRU Weekly meeting.  I remember being moved by his heart for the orphans of South Africa.  I spoke with him afterwards, and I later spoke with Susan Wadley over the phone about opportunities to serve with Bridges.  At the time I had applied to the rigorous credentialing program at UCSB. I told them that I would be open to serving when I had completed the program.  One and a half years later, I graduated.  The essential questions, as we humanities teachers would term it, then became: what will I do? Where am I called?  What about finances?  The practical voices of the world told me that a career wouldn't wait.
So I applied for teaching jobs, and waited.
And waited.
Interviews.
Job offers.
Rejecting them in favor of others.
And finally, being rejected by the district to which I had made myself available.  A closed door.

And an open door.  I asked for clarity, and through a series of circumstances God made it clear to me that He was calling me to take a risk this year.

Without my asking, circumstances divinely aligned for monthly provision and survival, with the help of dear friends.  I was able to go through Professional Development with an incredible team of educators from Santa Barbara Junior High School, and began a "first year" of teaching on a short contract with the Junior High, teaching 5 classes for the majority of the 1st quarter for a teacher on maternity leave.  I learned and grew during my time at SBJHS, and my experiences there have shaped my theories of teaching and learning.  The community at SBJHS is incredible, and leaving was one of the most difficult things I have done in the past few years.

But the positive response of colleagues and friends towards my upcoming journey and position on staff with Bridges of Hope has been an immense blessing.

Working with Bridges will give me the opportunity to use my passion for teaching, learning and students, and my heart for orphans simultaneously.  I will be teaching several humanities classes (including English), a health class, an "orientation" class, and a discipleship class for students ranging between 9th and 11th grade. I will be assisting the after-school program directors in planning clubs and activities for our students, and I will be providing tutoring in all subjects in the evenings.  I will be discipling girls grades 8-11 one on one, loving and empowering them to change their communities and equipping them to disciple others.  I am so excited to have the opportunity to serve with Bridges.  I look forward to learning to love like Jesus in a country so torn by injustice, exploitation, and greed.

Bridges of Hope was founded in 2002 by Dennis and Susan Wadley of Santa Barbara, CA.  The Academy in South Africa provides a home and education for vulnerable children and orphans of the Philippi township (outside Cape Town).  For more information on Bridges of Hope, and information on how you can become involved, please check out the following link:    www.bridgesworldwide.org

My "terms of service" with God were destroyed long ago--not by violence, but by love.  And it is this love that compels me to follow His heart to South Africa to serve those for whom His heart breaks.

“They were afraid because they were so few. And such fear could not be cast out, but by love”.

                                                    -Cry, The Beloved Country