A couple weeks ago I had the fantastic opportunity to walk the Camino, a famous pilgrimmege in Spain. And so while I was trekking along from little village to village, I was able to check my email along the way. About a week in I got an email from MCC (Mennonite Central Committee...a large community development organization out of US/Cda...they're big into peacemaking efforts) saying they had a volunteer position for me in Zambia. It was interesting timing considering I had another week to go, with lots of quiet time on my hands to ponder, weigh the pros/cons of this, and talk to God. My dad reminded me that the last time I was on a major trip I was presented with a huge (life changing) decision. God seems to know that I need to be out of my routine, my daily life, to see from an outside perspective, what path to take. It was fairly clear...God has given me an opportunity, I'll take it!

So what does this means? I haven't got all the details yet, and probably won't really know everything until I'm halfway through the assignment! But it looks like I'll be leaving beginning of Sept 7th, for a full year. In the southern province of Zambia (not too far from the famous Victoria Falls) called Choma. There's an ART (antiretroviral therapy) clinic (for HIV/AIDS patients) running through a hospital (funded by the Brethren in Christ church). They would like me to help look at increasing their pediatric enrollment in the ART program, as well as look at mother-to-child transmission. I think I'll be the only MCC person at this location, and the location itself seems to be quite isolated, so it will be a big opportunity for me to get to know the local people and hopefully local language!

God had been teaching our Vancouver Simple church the value of waiting on the Lord, and I have to say the anticipation the waiting has created is huge!

Of course there is an open invitation to have any and all of you come visit! I will miss Simple Church, but thanks to the (occasional) wireless connection they promise me, I should still be able to stay in (occasional) contact!