I remember thinking that I hadn’t completely covered everything on that list and coupled with a few other things - I made the decision to return. I can’t remember off the top of my head those reasons, but I think they have been met. Some not extremely well (like learning another language), but I’m content with the progress I have made on the reasons. The progress I have made has given me a great start to continue it in my next season of life. Much more so than when I first began my service!
My reflections have shown me just how amazing God is in His planning. YWAM was about learning who God said I was and created me to be. NEXT was deepening that knowledge and becoming more comfortable in my role as the “real” me. L’Arche was about exercising my passion and recognizing despite my youth, I do know what I am doing. I became more comfortable expressing thanks for the willingness to help, but I was not a newbie! :)
School was an opportunity for me to bring everything I had learned together and utilize that through my job at the hospital. Peace Corps has been an opportunity to recognize what I know about myself and to be confident in that knowledge despite completely different surroundings even if it may not completely be my area of “expertise”. Of course, this is extremely condensed and simplified as well as only what God has shown me about how He has brought me to where I am, but I think it provides a great glimpse.
The result of all this has prepared me for the next season of my life. I’m not entirely sure what that is at the moment, but I’m excited! I’m looking into jobs in the social services sector, which I was thinking I was not completely qualified for until a volunteer friend of mine set me straight. She helped me revise my resume to include the keywords they would be looking for and to my surprise - my experiences included all of them! Here I was thinking I would need to justify my answers!
Even if I do end up having to explain how what I did falls into it, I feel like this PC experience has shown me that even though most of my knowledge falls into one specific category - I can be confident in what I know and how it translates to the jobs/roles I am applying for. I am much more apt to doubt what other people are telling me about myself rather than doubting myself.
Strength and spirit. While some may have described me as a strong person before this experience, I have become much more strong. I will not take as much dissension against me as I have in the past. I am much more willing to speak up my mind on things. My first reaction is no longer questioning myself, but rather questioning others. Well, those who don’t really know me! I’m excited to see how God will use His strength in me for the future!
I think with strength comes spirit and vice versa. It is hard to have a zest for life if you have no strength. If you have no strength, it is hard to have anything for life. I have grown in both as God has been speaking to me. I can hardly believe it’s been almost 2 years since I joined! It’s been a lot of downs with family members deaths, my site mate moving, and half our group gone. There have been a few ups, but otherwise it’s mostly been even keel.
Through it all, God has been my Sustainer.
P.S. Mahima is my Nepali name. It means “glory”.