Why?

..These are only a few common I’ve been asked at least five times a week for the past 6 months. (I’m sure if you are part of FYM Africa, you know what I’m talking about.) I will try to answer these questions fully, truthfully, and the best to my ability for those who are really wondering…

Why Africa, you ask?

     First of all, I don’t think I was the one choosing where I would go, haha…this was all God’s crazy idea. There is a lot of different answers to this question, so try to stay with me. 1. Ever since I met Charlie and really starting growing in my faith he started talking to me about taking a gap year before college. In America, gap years are not common because the usual outcome involves the student never returning to school. And with my dad being a teacher and their opinion that you should go to a college of some sort right out of high school, I knew it would take a lot of convincing, and I was right. 2. I can’t explain it but I’ve always felt a strong compassion for the people of Africa. I don’t know why, but I have, ALWAYS… and I figured that if I ever decided to do my own mission work (apart from the church) it would be in Africa. It’s like music, nobody tells you what kind of music to like, you just like it.  3. I met a boy named Alex in Northern Ireland this past summer on a mission trip. He had just returned from a nine month trip himself and when I learned this about him we talked about it all the time. Now, that I look back on that summer I realize it was definitely God’s work to put us on the same team where Alex could just share stories with me about his experience for three entire weeks. I truly believe God really worked in that situation to get me to start thinking about Africa. 4. AIM had sent me a broucher type thing from a past mission trip I went on with them and after I met Alex I picked it up and looked at it.. I really like what AIM had to offer. It took a lot of praying, I had to REALLY make sure I knew this is what God wanted me to do, not just me wanting to go on some exciting adventure.

Why right after high school, you ask?

  
I figured that if I was going to do this, now would be a good time. When I have nothing tying me down. No career, no relationship, no children, no credit card debt (that was a joke..) I also think that if I go to school for four years and graduate I would be ready to go out and start my career, no go to another continent for a year. And the best reason of all is that I felt called to go now, God was telling me, “now, not four years from now, go, I need you right now.” And I am obeying my God, that’s it and that’s all it should be. 

Why pay all that money, you ask?

  
 They, meaning AIM, are a non-profit orginization and can not pay for us to come live in Africa. Also, the money is not an issue. It is not my money or your money, it is God’s money and He can use it in any way He wishes, that is to say if we let Him work through us to use it in anyway he wishes. It wouldn’t be right to tell God, “No, it’s just too expensive, I don’t have that kind of money.”