It's been almost two years since I've been back from teaching at UMCN Junior Seminary in Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria, which also corresponds to nearly two years since I've blogged! I had decided multiple times that I was going to blog about random adventures I've had while living and teaching in Clinton, IA, but it never actually came to fruition until now.
After returning to the US after a year of living in Nigeria, it took some adjustments. I had become accustomed to being constantly bombarded with new experiences and anachronisms I attempted to integrate into my life and process. Living in Clinton provided a whole new set of challenges that seemed a whole lot less glamorous and exciting. Over time, I have come to frame these tests as adventures as well. As for new experiences, I've explored so many places right here in Iowa that I'd never seen before and learned much!
In February, I signed a 2-year contract to teach Chemistry at Escuela Americana in San Salvador, El Salvador starting in August 2011, and I am REALLY excited to start the next chapter of my life. However, since I believe life is an ongoing adventure no matter where one is living, I'm going to get started sharing and processing through this medium so that it's one less thing to adjust to when I move further south!
The title of this blog is "Adventuring with Purpose" because while I love new experiences and thrive in the context of adventure I want to lead my life with the purpose of serving and loving God and others. This is an ongoing desire that meets more success on some days than others. It is my hope that through this blog I'll be able to keep in mind that each adventure can be used to serve a higher purpose than just fun (because surely that will be had)! :)
