Hello everyone, and welcome to (dun dunun DUN!) my blog! Disclaimer... remember that kid who kept a journal, was SUPER excited to write in it for the first week, and then left it in a pile to be forgotten for years, only to get another journal for Christmas and think "Wow, this'll be great, I LOVE writing!", scribble in it like a miniature JK Rowling for a week or two (no, I am not comparing my writing skills to those of the great Hogwarts inventor herself), and then POOF, completely forget about it for another five years? Yeah... I have quite a few of those 2-page deep diary gems collecting dust under my bed. I guess you could call me a recently cured commitment-phobe when it comes to this method of story telling. My first blog attempt has one REALLY great post about my semester spent in South Africa... seriously it was an awesome post. It was so awesome that it was the only thing I wrote in five whole months, which left my family pretty bummed. But, FEAR NOT, for I can honestly say that this blog is something that will become a consistent part of my upcoming two and a half years, and any lull in updates will directly correlate to the amount of internet access at my disposal. Additional disclaimer... this post will not focus on useful Swahili phrases, I was just trying to be clever.
So, for a quick introduction, no, I am not JK Rowling, as we already cleared up. I am not here to paint beautiful pictures of fictional lands and adventurous characters with glasses and wands, although that would be pretty cool. Rather, I am here to invite you to share with me in a journey that will undoubtedly challenge my current beliefs, open my eyes wider than anatomically comfortable, and tear a realistic hole in my heart. Sorry for being so graphic.
In early December of this year (yes, four more months, it seems like forever), I will be departing to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for two years to serve as a teacher at Gonzaga Primary School. I will be working through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, an AWESOME organization that works to offer young men and women (like me! woo!) the opportunity to work full-time for peace and justice across the nation and globe (taken from the JVC mission statement). I will be working directly with the community of Mabibo, an area just outside of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Located right on the coast of East Africa, Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest city, and I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to become immersed in the culture of this amazing place. This means learning as MUCH Swahili as possible before I go (Jambo! Habari gani? Nzuri Sana!- Hello! How are you doing? Very well!), and slowly preparing myself for the departure by reducing the amount of technology I use, starting to say my "good-byes" early, and visiting old friends and family.
I cannot express how unbelievably excited I am for this opportunity. As a recent graduate of Providence College with a degree in Public and Community Service Studies (what the heck is that, you ask? I'll explain more later), I knew that I eventually would wind up in this field of work, but I never imagined finding an organization so committed to values that I find so important when considering service and social justice. I just got back from a two week summer orientation that brought the values of community, spirituality, simplicity, and social justice to life, and really helped me feel prepared (or, at least, as prepared as possible), for this experience. In my next post I'll explain more about the orientation experience, and a bit of a closer look at how on earth I got to this stage.
But, before I sign off for now, I'd like to explain why I chose the little quote on the top of this page (it doesn't look too fancy, I'm miserable at web design). I read it in a book entitled "This Our Exile" by James Martin, a Jesuit priest who did work in Kenyan refugee camps for two years (just north of Tanzania). This book was extremely beneficial to read in order to understand not only some of the challenges that go into adjusting to a new culture without aiming to change it, but also the Jesuit values of accompaniment for the poor, where relationship building is stressed above all else. I am a firm believer, as you will again and again learn, that all life is connected in some way. What we do impacts others, whether we know about it or not, and the gift of being conscious of our actions and aware of our relationships is how we can greater understand how precious all life is, through their connections to us. When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. When nations are crippled with war, those with no say or stake in that war feel its worst effects. When two friends argue, the third friend is damaged. When I make a decision, I do not want to forget about what that decision means for the grass. Hopefully, I can learn to tread lightly and confidently, acknowledging and respecting the life that I will encounter. I know it's a bit idealistic, I know I will fail often, but I am ready to try. I am ready to grow, and I am ready to realize the beauty and worth of the grass that is often forgotten.
Thanks for joining me for this!
Amani (Peace)
(see, I was able to throw some Swahili phrases in there after all!)
**To help sponsor me on this experience, you can help by donating to JVC! My fundraising page can be viewed at https://jesuitvolunteers.myetap.org/fundraiser/smts/individual.do?participationRef=3926.0.318180891
