"There are no rules to this"

My Timeline
June 12: Training starts in Garden Valley, TX.
July 19: My cohorts and I fly to the Canary Islands to meet the Africa Mercy, where it will be undergoing some routine maintenance. Also, this is my brother's birthday. Happy birthday, David! :D
Early August: The Africa Mercy arrives in Douala ("Dwala").

"There are no rules to this," was Michele's apt and very timely reminder for me as we chatted over Skype a couple weeks ago, as a final check-in before the On-Boarding phase of training.

Michele is the communication team leader on the Africa Mercy, which means she is my new boss for the next year, and I'm feeling pretty happy about that. From our handful of conversations it's already apparent that she is a very intentional person, and one of many people familiar with the joys and struggles of life on board the Africa Mercy. It's great to have a person like that on your side.

"There are no rules to this" is so good to hear right now, because this first leg of the journey hasn't looked much like I imagined it would on April 6th when my phone buzzed and I read the email: "Congratulations! You have been accepted to serve on board the Africa Mercy!"

Skyping my host family from Benin (2014-2015)
to share the news

I thought I had an idea of what this implied, but the truth is it's hard to conjure up life experience relevant to living on a giant floating hospital when you've lived landlocked for approximately 96% of your life. And after being continuously employed for more than a year for the first time in my life, making this decision did not feel natural, and prompted me to ask myself questions that hadn't occurred to me three years ago when I made the decision to travel to Benin for a year, mainly...

"Is this what a quarter-life crisis feels like?"

I guess by definition I can't confirm or deny for myself whether this is a quarter-life crisis. But wouldn't that imply disliking my job? And feeling disconnected from the people around me? Those are not things that I feel. Quite the opposite actually. I love the people God has put in my life, and they love me (At least, I'm pretty sure...). I love my job and what REI stands for (just search #ForceOfNature to see what I'm talking about), and that has made the decision to leave, even for a "little while", a tough and multi-faceted one. If my friends and co-workers were even remotely crappy people, it might have made this transition a million times easier. So thanks a LOT guys... ;)

One last get-together with some awesome co-workers

"Will people really want to support me for a second year of volunteering?"
This fear has been totally blown out of the water. Thank you to each person that has made the decision to support me financially. It turns out I have not only met but exceeded my initial fundraising goal, and that is amazing. Funds that I do not use will go back towards Mercy Ships and their mission.

In case you didn't know this about me, I am a Christian, and this will come up regularly in this blog. A theme verse I carried with me in Benin was Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God."
Even if I accomplish nothing else through Mercy Ships in Cameroon, I see an opportunity to simply get to know God better. A verse that has been meaningful for me as I prepare for my departure on June 11 is Proverbs 4:7
"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding."
For my birthday a couple months back, a good friend gave me the book "All the Places to Go" by John Ortberg. It was especially timely as I was weighing this opportunity to go to Cameroon, but I would recommend it to anyone. Ortberg writes about the "open doors" we encounter in life, and about using sound discernment to do what is best. I want to share two quotes from that book:

"I [God] don't give you opened doors without supplying you with the courage and the strength and the power to go through them. When you have used up your little strength, draw on mine. So stop worrying about your ability. Stop making weakness an excuse for drawing back and turning away from this opportunity. Remember, it is the weak who can become strong. Remember that my strength is made perfect in your weakness!"

"What we want most is not what lies behind the door. What we want most is the one who opens it."

I'm excited to get into the rhythm of blogging again. It has not been a habit for me since Benin. The adventure is only beginning.

P.S. After a year of blogging in Benin, I have finally figured out how to add a "subscribe" bar to my blog. I know, I know, but please hold the applause... If you want to receive an email notification when I post here, enter your email in the box on the right side bar, and voilà!