my team

i just got home from my first meeting with the students i am leading down to mexico this spring break. it was a fairly short meeting where we went over a lot of 'housekeeping' and handing out papers and other necessary tasks.

part of the time was also spent telling them a quick version of my 'story'.
"my mom is from the midwest and my dad is from englad...blah blah blah....makes for interesting family gatherings....blah blah blah...went to a christian university...blah blah blah...majored in art...blah blah blah...once got stuck by myself in moscow for two days...blah blah blah." all basic facts that they will probably never remember.

and eventually it will be each of their turns to tell the group some facts about what has shaped them into the person they are right now. and that's what i'm excited about. not about the little facts but about getting to know these 8 young adults and how they have been shaped and where they are in their lives right now. and how i know that i am going to make at least some small impact on their lives and be a part of their journey. just knowing that some years down the road each and every one of them will most likely look back on the semester they spent with me and the week they will spend building houses in mexico and know that the experience had some influence on shaping them into the people that they have become is exciting to me.

when i stopped teaching the main reason i was reluctant to leave was because i thought i was no longer going to be able to have that sort of positive impact in young peoples' lives. but i guess God knows what he's doing. i know i'm where i'm supposed to be right now.

(if this post contains several instances of questionable grammar, which i'm pretty sure it does, i offer my sincerest apologies. i attribute it to a wicked sinus headache.)