March

It has now been over a month since I posted. Not a particularly auspicious start to what I fully intend will be a faithfully updated blog. Unfortunately, the nature of “getting behind” is that the further behind one is, the more there is on which to catch up, and thus the more overwhelming a task it is. I will, therefore, keep this post more or less to the point of updating you on where I am in the process of preparing to go to Uganda.

There are a few of things that stand out from the month of March: some encouraging, some daunting, some both. This first one was both. I found out that I have been accepted into Duquesne University’s Master’s Program in Rhetoric and Philosophy of Communication. (Did I warn you that you are reading the blog of former philosophy major, amateur philologist, and nerd?) I am very excited at the prospect of going back to school and studying something as fascinating as rhetoric. Seriously! Rhetoric!?! How cool would that be? Duquesne’s Communication department is my top choice for graduate studies and also the first program to inform me of their decision. That is the encouraging part.

The more daunting part of this development is my decision to defer admission. Obviously, I cannot attend graduate school in Pittsburgh while serving in Karamoja, Uganda. Saying “Yes,” to one thing is always saying, “No,” to something else…at least for the time being. The slightly scary thing is that, by deferring, I said “No,” to something that is safe, relatively familiar, and fairly certain in order to say “Yes,” to going to Uganda—something that is still indefinite (contingent on funds), totally foreign to me, and less safe than my grandmother would like. My plan, Lord willing, is to go to Duquesne in the fall following my return to the states in 2016. Nevertheless, it was a sobering realization that if, for some reason, I am unable to go to Uganda, I have no immediate backup plan in place. Although somewhat dramatic and not entirely appropriate, Mike Curb Congregation’s song “Burning Bridges,” played in my head as I sent in my official letter of deferral.

And how is fundraising going? As of February 15, I stand at $2,050 out of $14,000. Now, as I am sure you are aware, February 15 was some time ago—about a month and a half, in fact. Within the past month and half, I know that several more people have given and/or pledged to give. However, due to when I receive updates from the OPC, I do not know what the current total is. I expect to find out within the next week what the total from March is and will pass that information along. Again, this is something that is both encouraging and daunting: daunting because $14,000 sounds like a lot of money to this camp intern; encouraging because people have already given and given generously.

I will close with a brief account of one last development that I found particularly encouraging. At the beginning of March, I spent a week co-leading a backpacking trip for Malone University students over their spring break. When I rejoined the world of showers and cell phone reception, I discovered that I had a voicemail from a family friend who wanted to discuss my plans to go to Uganda and how she and her family could support me. After a round of telephone tag, we finally connected. We talked about her daughter, who is going to Cyprus on a short term missions trip, about my plans and funding for Uganda, and about the work I will be doing there. As a homeschooling mother of six, she understands what I will be doing—working with the school and helping to tutor some of the missionary’s kids—in some ways, better than I do. At the time, I was feeling more overwhelmed than excited by “Operation Go To Uganda,” but talking with her remind me why I am going in the first place—because there is work to be done, and I can serve.