Orientation

I am currently at orientation in Akron. It is beautiful here and I am really enjoying the people that I am meeting. It has been fun to get to know some of the other SALTers as well as the IVEPers (who are from many different countries and are coming to USA and Canada). and YAMENers (from any country to any country). It is good to have some people here who are from Africa (although not from Tanzania) to get a little taste of what is to come. I have so far learned that my Swahili book may be teaching me some things that would get me laughed at as well as a little bit about how we dress and act differently here that what they would do in Africa. The worship has also been a great experiance as we have a worship service/devotions every day with all of the SALTers, IVEPers and YAMEN. The sessions have been good and I think they will be very helpful for when I get there. I think that the most important things so far have been talking about realistic goals for our terms and how to support our spirituality on term when the churches we attend may not be what we are used to or what we understand. My favorite quotations from orientation so far are from the SALT coordinator (alhtough I think at least the second one is from somewhere else)

"the goal of humanity is to not be in God's way"

"we approach our lives [in north america] as a problem to be solved, not a mystery to be lived"

I have to admit the heat with the humidity in Akron is a little bit unpleasant...I feel sweaty and gross whenever I do anything outside. This is a bit concerning since I am about to head to Africa!

In conclusion I am having a wonderful time and am getting more and more excited for heading to Tanzania. I ask you to keep me in your prayers as I discover what God has in store for me in this journey.