I closed the oven door and scanned the countertops. A little bit of clean-up was needed before my interns would be joining me, but the food was made, the coffee was hot, and the table was set! R & L came a few minutes after the interns, and we sat down to share pancakes and bacon while listening to stories. Thursdays are our “practical ministry” day in the curriculum, and this week our teachers were R & L. They lived in Senegal, both in the capital and in a rural village. They used “storying” as a primary method for sharing the gospel and working towards discipleship. Each two-minute story is crafted to share key truths from God’s Word in an easily memorable, orally communicated story. We got to hear about how discipleship happened through hair braiding, sickness, faith, and dreams. This is my new job.

While not every day is as exciting as bacon, it has been a joy to learn alongside my interns. I finally have an excuse to practice my Swahili when giving them vocabulary practice ideas, and I’m enjoying articles that help me understand why my language-learning process has been such an arduous journey.

It has been a little weird sometimes, though.

My afternoons of planning my next session with the interns find me sitting in my chemistry lab, but not at “my” desk. I stick my headphones in and listen to some instrumental background music to tune out the chemistry being taught in the room instead of being the one doing the teaching. I walk through a cluster of students and don’t know a single name when usually, by now, I’d have at least where those 60 names sit in class memorized, hopefully slowly connecting the names to the faces during chai time.

The last class of the day ends, and my faithful AP Chem students I still get to teach come find me for questions, and a moment of normalcy returns. I set out my lesson plans for the next day: two piles.

1. Topic 2.2: Intramolecular Forces of Attraction
2. Teams: Purpose and Goals

They are worlds apart, and yet each will be part of tomorrow. I’ll start the morning with two and a half hours of small-group facilitation of learning. Sometimes we sit at the picnic table in the sun outside of the cafeteria. Other times we cozy up in my house for a more intimate setting if we’ll be listening to a sermon, or if it’s just plain cold outside. Next, I’ll transition back to the classroom where I’ll give my AP Chem lecture. If I’m lucky, my afternoon will hold a meeting about the sponsoring program, then I’ll get to go prepare for each of these areas again before students come back to the classroom for afterschool help… or afterschool “I forgot to do my homework” time.

Each intern I have the joy of mentoring has different gifts, passions, and experiences they bring to RVA that they are using to love students well. After our mornings together, they part ways and find themselves ticking tasks off someone else’s to-do list in academics, athletics, dorm life, spiritual life, or student wellness, all in small ways to support the overall RVA community.

One is already planning to stay when our year together in this program is done. Another began asking instantly about what a transition to long-term service at RVA could look like when she heard about everything RVA has to offer, and a third is toying with long-term ministry and wondering what God might be doing in her heart.

Today I got to talk about the purpose of basketball, and how to mentor more than just new skills. Last week I went on a picnic with another because at home, that is what Sundays are designed for. Monday, one of them shared in chapel. Friday, I got to play Catchphrase in Swahili with the one who has the same level of language skill I do. I’ve been able to revel in their joy of monkeys, fear of wall spiders, and delight in hunting for new lizards skittering around.

Each day brings a new adventure, but I know that when morning comes, I’ll walk into my chemistry classroom with two piles of lesson plans again. One will involve the intricacies of bonding two atoms together. The other will involve the intricacies of discovering how God might use the gifts, passions, and experiences He has given His children to serve Him.

They are worlds apart.

And somehow, they are both teaching.

I’m still figuring out what it means to do both, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to enjoy finding out.

Prayer Points

• I’m finding in my schedule some days are full to the max, others are just the right amount of empty for room to catch my breath! Would you pray I can find rhythm and routine in this new normal?
• My three main roles (AP Chem, Sponsor Coordinator, Intern Team Lead) are in three totally different worlds on campus. Please pray I can keep all my tasks straight as it is a challenge when none of the areas overlap with one another.
• Some days with the intern program, I feel well equipped to lead a discussion on what we’re doing- other days, I’m woefully under qualified! Please pray I would lean on God’s strength when the ladder days come, seeing him show up and provide what I need in those moments.