First Steps: my support letter

I remember sitting in church in high school listening to a missionary from Papa New Guinea, and hoping, hoping, hoping God never wanted me to do anything remotely like that.

And now here I am writing you a letter to say come the end of August, I’m planning to go to Guatemala for a year with the Young Adult Volunteer program of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

So why the change of heart? Granted, this is far from becoming a full-time missionary, but it’s still way beyond what I ever would have imagined myself doing. But the ways in which God has been growing and challenging me the past few years have led me down a path I never could have chosen myself. He has asked me: How will you trust and obey me in situations where you are uncomfortable and feel out of place? How will you trust me for your future plans and dreams? How will you love me, and love your neighbor?

Why go to Guatemala? Call it interest, passion, calling, compassion? I can’t boil it down to a word, but I’m drawn there. In studies and travels I find myself returning to our neighbor to the south, Latin America. Since last May I’ve been working with the Latino immigrant community in East Oakland in both my job and volunteer work. My favorite part has been volunteer-tutoring a family from Guatemala. Almost every week I go to their house and trade them a bit of English teaching for an incredible chance to enter into their lives, learn a bit about their native language and culture Mayan K’iche’, and eat homemade tortillas.

So what is the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program? This year the YAV program will place volunteers in five international sites and ten sites domestically. I, along with five other volunteers will be placed in different communities throughout Guatemala, to live with a family and serve in a local church and community. My placement will be finalized in the coming weeks, though my work is likely to be continuously reshaped as I get to know the community better. Past volunteers have taught in local schools, worked with a non-profit that supports sexually abused children, worked at the Christian ecumenical organization CEDEPCA, led Bible studies, taught English…and the list goes on. Ultimately it’s about people. The work serves as a door to building relationships, to become more than an outsider looking in.

I know your time and resources are requested for many things. I want to ask if this is something you’d like to be a part of and support. Here are some ways you can think/pray about getting involved. (Feel free to ask me questions for more information about the program, my financial needs, or anything else!)

· Read the monthly newsletter I’ll be writing (link TBA). Pray.

· Donate a one-time or monthly gift. I am raising half my funding. I have $2500 to raise by July 15, and $10,000 total by time the program ends August 2009. Any amount is valuable and appreciated. If you’d like more information about the budget, why I’m raising funds, etc., just ask! Give a gift Online

· Keep in touch…easier said than done but I’d love to hear from you.