an emotional week 2

One of our training facilitators here said that Wednesday and Thursday of this past week would be the "hump days" of our time down here in the DR, and indeed they were. After 3 days of discussion of the nature of change, and community development principles and methods, our (already fried) brains were finally put into application mode. We were given an exercise designed to make us think about how to create a 10 year development plan for a typical (hypothetical) community with a host of issues--sanitation, education, spiritual, health, etc. Needless to say, the task was overwhelming, and the weight of the emotional and intellectual effort required to complete it took quite a toll on me. I found myself thinking of every poor community I had ever worked in, and the real people in those places that I know and love. This led to a small emotional breakdown, as I could not separate the intellectual aspects of the exercise from the realities that I know exist in the world. I was grateful to have supportive and prayerful friends surrounding me to affirm me during that difficult time, and help me process how this reaction to the assignment may relate to what I will face in my upcoming work in Nicaragua.

I also want to share honestly that as April begins today and I see my May 2nd departure closing in, I can say with confidence that my grieving process has begun. Yes, I am excited and eager to begin the work God has called me to in Nicaragua, but I have begun to face the realities of leaving many familiar things and people, and that reflection has led to some grief and sadness in my heart. I hope that you will join me in prayer for this aspect of my journey, that God would walk alongside me, teaching and growing and comforting me through it.