This year, I applied with Experience Mission to be part of one of their trips abroad, not yet certain where I wanted to go... simply knowing that I wanted to be a world traveller going into my endeavor to become a pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. During a couple of phone and video-chat interviews, I was able to learn more about their programs and arrive at the decision to apply for their 3-month Namibia trip in the summer of 2019. I was officially invited to be a member of their team on Wednesday, September 26th. I accepted my place on this team on Monday, October 8th, 2018.
I want to spend this coming summer in Namibia for two reasons. One is that I want to experience Christianity in the global South because I think that the center of Christianity is shifting from the West to the South. If I want to be a leader in the Church of the 21st century, I think that I need to know more about that. The second reason is that Namibia is the only country outside of Europe with a Lutheran majority, and I plan to go to seminary to become a pastor with the ELCA. Thank you for reading this blog and supporting me while I seek to be shaped into the world-citizen kind of pastor I hope to one day become.
On October 29th around 3pm, I began my first fundraising campaign for the first deposit of $500 that I needed to secure my place on the team. By noon on October 30th, less than 24 hours later, that goal was passed at $670.00. I cannot express how overwhelmed I have been this afternoon as I immediately set out to compose this blog and write these words, inviting my friends and family to be part of this journey with me. Thank you everyone who immediately jumped in and supported me. Cliché alert: I'm really quite humbled. Thank you, dear reader, for sharing this moment with me.
I hope to keep everyone posted here on fun events and other creative activities into which I will be delving to prepare for this trip. On the right, you can subscribe to get updates via email, but I will be exploring other ways to be social media savvy about this. There is also a contact form, if you have questions for me about where I'm going and why. Finally, if you wish to donate funds towards my mission, you can click the link "OFFER YOUR SUPPORT" just below my picture.
God bless.
With love,
Melody
