7/4/17
Since I am doing a bunch of crazy things with my life now, I think it is only fair that I explain the story of the sequence of events that led to me temporarily leaving college for the ministry.
Since the first time I toured Ole Miss during my Sophomore year, I knew it was a front runner in my decision. The campus is beautiful, SEC football, and somewhere a little further from home. Seemed like a perfect fit for me, but I realized somewhere in the first three months of being there, it was not where God wanted me right at that time in my life. It was fun and I made lots of friends, but something wasn’t quite right… I wasn’t sure what…
As many of you know, South Africa is a place that holds my heart. I have done the past two Decembers there working with the Plett Beach Mission and am very involved there. While there in December last year, I learned that I may be able to intern for a year over in South Africa, so I naturally jumped at the opportunity.
Even though it was a big decision to make, the decision to leave Ole Miss occurred I’ve the course of two conversations. The first was a conversation with Charl Van Wyk, my mentor in South Africa. Per usual, Charl and I begin to plan my next trip before the current one was even over. This time though, he came out with a strong and different idea — he suggested that I should intern with him for a whole year! That idea literally ate at me overnight until I talked to my mom for the second conversation. I decided to just straight up ask her if it was OK to put college on hold to do this instead of “sugar-coating” it. To my surprise, she totally was on board and the wheels were in motion.
After those two conversations, my mind was set. I got home, called Ole Miss to let them know I wasn’t coming back for the spring term, moved out the next weekend and began working to save for my trip! Since then I have been interning at the church where I grew up (Johns Creek Baptist) and working to save money, which has been a humbling and unbelievably challenging thing to do. God is good, though. I’m hoping to have enough raised and saved to leave in August!
I hope everyone has a good Independence Day, God Bless the USA!
GB
Proud of you for seeking and following God’s hope for your life. Where in South Africa? I have a niece in Cape Town, serving through at least September.
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I’ll be in Johannesburg! I may be down in Capetown at some point, so if it’s before September, I’ll let you know and meet up with her!
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