This weekend was a very good one. Saturday we spent basically all day at the pool. I literally put sunscreen on 10 times, and by some miracle I didn't get burnt. Then Sunday we went back to the Gorilla Hotel to use their wireless I finally got to reply to everyone. I felt horrible, because I hadn't been able to reply to my mom for over a week, and she was very worried. Then the high light of our weekend... Going over to Katie, and Kostas’s home. They are the sweetest people I have ever met. And Kostas has had one of the most amazing, and inspirational lives. For starters he's been to over 100 countries. He's from Rhodes, Greece. He was always an atheist until he met some Christian volunteers and was so impressed that they weren't just Christians that were in their churches singing songs, but were actually living their religion. He talked about living up to the label that we bare. He then had a spiritual journey, and to this day is a strong Christian. (Funny side note, as soon as I told Katie I live in Utah she asked me if I was Mormon) Anyway, he worked on Mercy Ship for quite a few years then followed his girlfriend to Norway to study. He wanted to get into a school/program for country development which is harder to get in to than med school. So he simply wrote a letter to them saying that by accepting him it would be a great asset to the rest of his life. And he got accepted! He didn't know the language at all when he moved there and said at first he felt mentally retarded compared to everyone else. But he was very determined and he soon was top of his class. During this time he married and divorced his Norwegian girl friend. He then made his way up in the world with his career and family. He met the wonderful wife Katie, and had 2 children, and 1 on the way, and is now the director of World Vision Congo. Talking to him and listening to his advice made me feel a lot better about my currently unplanned life. In some way I am really stressed that I just took a year off of university, but he made me realize that this time here will shape me for the rest of my life-that my experiences here I couldn't get close to having in a classroom. Doing hard things here makes me get to know myself and find who I really am. In the next little bit I need to formulate a plan for the next few years, and right now all I can say is that what is the most important to me is following my dreams, I can't ever think that anything is ever unreachable. I need to do something I'm passionate about and makes me feel happy, and fulfilled. Right now I don't know whether that is hotel management, country development, interior design, nursing, or international relations, but I am quite sure the answer will come at the right tine, I also want to say to anyone who is thinking about volunteering that they will never regret it. I feel like this time in my life is to be enjoyed, and a time of learning and traveling. This is the perfect time to have these experiences and get out and see the world, and do things that are out of my comfort zone to help me grow as a person. There is no better way to get to know a country than by serving it's people. All in all I know I was led to this country and put in these situations for a reason, and I thank my Heavenly Father for that everyday.
**Kostas wanted to know if he could be our foster parents, and said we could come hang out whenever we wanted to!
No comments:
Post a Comment