#MercyMonday
Hi friends and followers!My hope is that I will continue updating this blog long after my travels to Kenya, so I will be throwing in some posts about my life, current events, etc. to mix things up a bit from time to time if that is alright. Today has been slow - we met our professors, Dr. Midega and Prof. Khan, and they discussed basic guidelines for our projects (like that we may stay in hotels near our field sites, maybe in Uganda! SO COOL), gave us more readings, and told us to come back on Wednesday for a meeting with the other mentors and a wonderful lady named Matilda who has volunteered to come help us. That means today and tomorrow are lazy days yet again, but I'm trying to appreciate the slow time because I know once this project picks up speed, I'll miss the relaxation. I recently signed up for the Dynamic Catholic Summer of Mercy email program and I wanted to share that with you today. Yesterday's post was about religion as well, but this is too good not to share so bear with me. 
Pope Francis has declared this year a "Year of Mercy" which to me, is like an invitation to be more generous than you thought you could, to reserve judgement better than you thought you could, to push yourself farther than you ever thought you were able to, to extend kindness and bite your tongue, and to practice living your faith through your life in a way that you never thought you were capable of doing.
I'm guilty, guilty, guilty of not always doing the right thing, or not always saying the nicest things about people, or not always giving without complaint, or sharing what I have. But, I'm only human. The struggle is real, folks, but so is God.
I had my Summer Welcome for Mizzou (yay!!!) the Tuesday-Wednesday before I departed for Africa and had the opportunity to stay at the Christian Campus House each night. I am so very excited to be living there this school year, to be a part of such a wonderful community, and to live with my sweet roommate who has been one of greatest friends growing up, Lacy. Lance, the director, said something that really stuck with me that goes right along with this #MercyMonday talk. We were talking about different opportunities and clubs and jobs in college (Greek sororities in particularly) and he said if that's where God is calling you to minister, take it. On the outside, some organizations have a bad rep - whether it's media portrayals, someone's bad experience, or just general stereotyping - but just because you're a member doesn't mean you have to change who you are. He reassured me that I could be a light to that organization, the only touch of Jesus they'll get, and that could be MY call to minister. Wow, crazy right? 
Needless to say, everything happens for a reason. God wanted me to be here in Mbita Point, Kenya to "feed the hungry" and "give drink to the thirsty" more than he wanted me to be a Missouri State FFA Officer. He needed me here more than he needed me at Wilson's Music on Mondays and Thursdays, or at home with my baby cats. So many people have asked if I'm on a mission trip or if I say I'm going overseas, they assume it's for a mission-related activity. And no, I'm not. This is a working job, I am not volunteering or doing mission work. But that doesn't mean I'm not ministering to the people through my role as a research intern. By going through this Summer of Mercy program, I hope that I'm able to see how God impacts others in a multitude of ways and that I am not confined to showing mercy in just one way. Like Lance said if that's where God is calling you to minister, take it...and I couldn't be more at peace with my decision to "take it" to Kenya.