God's Calling Me!

So I finally feel called in my life. I mean I'm always listening for God to tell me what to do with my life, or at least I've always felt I've been listening, but nothings ever been really clear to me. Today at chapel though, I felt really clearly what direction I should head.

It was really hard for me to decide what to do after high school because I didn't know what I wanted to study, or where. To be honest I don't have a clear reason for choosing to come to Providence, and I really like it here, but I sometimes question if I've made the right choice. I've always had an interest in drama and journalism, but I've also always had an interest in guiding kids (from the experience of volunteering at kids clubs and as camp counselor) and thought maybe I would be a teacher like my mom. Plus I'm a fan of the whole summer vacation deal. I wanted to do many other things too like a lawyer, doctor, astronaut, entrepreneur, and many others, so I've been having a hard time to narrow my path of interest. For as long as I can remember though, I always thought in the back of my head I would be a missionary. When I would think about what career path I wanted to follow, I would always think about whether or not it would be useful as a missionary. I've probably started thinking this way since grade 3, when we billeted a Philippino woman from YWAM, who had come to do her outreach to the native reserve beside my town. A couple years later my family ended up doing a YWAM outreach to an orphanage in The Philippines.

Today, in chapel, I felt clear as a bell that I was needed in Africa. My friends have always teased me that I'm going to be a missionary in Africa, but secretly I've always believed them. I'm a lifeguard, so I've been taking first aid courses for a few years now and it's always been interesting to me. This has played a role in helping me decided that I want to take nursing (something I've never really considered before) and work at an orphanage in Africa! I think God has always put that on my heart, but its such a radical idea it would be hard to follow; I haven't been taking it as a serious option. I can just imagine my extended family's and friend's reactions; they would think I'm crazy. But I can't follow them, I have to follow God, and what he's placed on my heart.