my thoughts

To those who read this, but do not know me well, I have a passion to work in Africa. three years ago I went to Mali, West Africa, with Drew University and the African Art Museum of NY, through my college, Shepherd, and with the lovely assistance of my prof. Rhonda Smith. While I was there I felt completely at home. The only problem I had was that everywhere I looked, the women were doing all the work to care for their family. So you might say, "ugh! Feminist!" But no, I'm not actually a feminist, but I am against women having to give up their dignity to feed their kids, while the men folk play chess. Now, there were some men working, and power to them, but mostly I saw women.
So, you might think that, that is where it all started, but not exactly. When I came home from Mali, I didn't know if I'd ever be going back to Africa. I had a heart for the developing countries and could see myself in Latin America just as soon as Africa. Also, I looked into seminaries to get a Master's degree in Christian Counseling and Discipleship, with a focus on Women and their families. While all that was happening, my new friend, at the time, Rachel, was preparing to go to Namibia and was studying Poli sci. at Shepherd. Talking to her about her passion really gave me the desire to study more about Africa. So then (and this might sound crazy), I went to West Virginia University for 2 years to get a SECOND Bachelor's degree, but in International Studies with a focus on Africa. During that time my passion grew, and even narrowed down to East Africa. Through the books I have been reading about Sudan, and Northern Uganda, and Rwanda, and the DRC, I have made a personal connection with those areas.
Well, in an effort to keep this post brief, I will divulge more history and anecdotes later...
until then, may God bless your week!