When I found a job and settled here in Colorado Springs I made it a goal to keep in close contact with Engineering Ministries International and continue to learn about equipping and supporting developing ministries by volunteering on future trips. I had been considering volunteering for a trip in the fall but God opened the door sooner a few weeks ago when I heard about a need for a civil engineer on the trip to Zambia! I was given the time off in June and so I committed to being part of the team!
This trip is already fully funded for me so I am not seeking to fund-raise, but rather to share my excitement with friends and request that my community join me in prayer as I seek to serve, learn from, and impact a community very different from my own! God has provided for me in many ways over the years and it has really been a blessing to have a stable job and a rooted community this past year. Amidst my new home, I have been trying to practice and learn more about ordinary, daily, faithfulness through my time, relationships, and work. My local church community at New Life Downtown has become a life-giving and encouraging source for me as I have sought to become more involved and over the last few months welcome others into our small group and the community of friends I've found. I also started volunteering with Young Life last fall and have really enjoyed balancing relational ministry with all the tasks and projects I juggle at work. Keeping up with my friends and staff at EMI has been another source of encouragement for me and I see this upcoming trip as a more proactive way I can practice faithfulness to Christ with everything He has given me!
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| My roommate and I with a few friends exploring Iceland |
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| Backpacking in Colorado with friends from New Life Downtown |
This project is very similar in scope to the project I volunteered with in Trinidad and Tobago. EMI is partnering with Mobile Mission Maintenance in Ndola, Zambia where my understanding is that they currently have a vocational training center in place and recently received a generous offer from a donor to finance the construction of 1 or 2 dorms after the development of a long-term master plan. The ministry then contacted EMI to help develop a master plan for the site and to evaluate and design improvements for their water/wastewater and electrical systems in lieu of future facilities. I will be helping evaluate and design their water/wastewater system as well as get to do a structural walk through of their existing facilities and identify any concerns. The dates of the trip are June 1-12 with about 9 days spent in the country on site. This past year has flown by and I am very excited about the opportunity to partner with EMI again in a new country, with a new ministry, and alongside both new and old friends. (My co-intern Connor, from Spring 2016 is actually serving on our team as well as an electrical engineer!)
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| Last year's EMI team in Trinidad with our competed master plan for Victory Heights Bible Camp |
Our flight actually leaves at 11:59 PM on May 31st, which means the trip is only 10 days away now! I have no idea what God has in store, but I know He helped me find a bit of my niche in my love for what EMI is doing around the world in both equipping those with need as well as helping people learn to serve and glorify God through their skills and talents. I was just catching up with a friend who recently graduated, and commented on some of the discouragement I felt a few years ago at not knowing how to connect my love for design, missions, and community development. The transition from school into a rooted life filled with purpose, contentment and joy can be rocky as one steps forward into uncharted waters, but I am convinced that the Lord knows our hearts. He prepares us for experiences, challenges, and relationships ahead and leads us to places where we can best know Him and make Him known. I believe if the aspirations, hopes and gifts we've received in the past are truly from the Lord then He will eventually bring them to fruition--even if fulfillment looks very different than what we have thought! This has at least been true for my life. It has been amazing to navigate the tremendous mountain tops and valleys of the past 4 years only to find myself in a place that satisfies so much of the vision and hope I held as a college graduate and fills me with excitement for the years to come! Thanks for reading and please join me in prayer as I prepare for, travel, and serve in Zambia. :)
