"I Never Thought I'd Meet Such Liberal Baptists"

And I'm on a wild journey of faith. 

But it's encouraging to hear a Methodist episcopalian say that.

So maybe I'm on an okay path. 

But no one has it figured out. 

So...I am on an okay path. 

I'm on my own path. 

And no one can take that away. 

Sailing: InternSHIP in Southeast Asia

I will not be sailing to Southeast Asia, praise the Lord. But I will be flying there in less than three weeks. Who would have thought?? This post is a little bit about this upcoming event in my life. 

First off, I just finished my first year of seminary. Crazy! It has been a wild ride. Along with beginning graduate school, I began the difficult journey of healing from various life events. While school has been a good challenge, learning about my self and taking time to heal has been a challenge, also, and neither of those stop for the other. You can say, in simple terms, it's been a rough year. I have done my best to be transparent with those close to me, but much of my pain and struggle has been beneath the surface. From the outside, I've seemed okay. On the inside, it's been hard. Praise God I have not been alone. 

Nevertheless, as I continue on in this journey, my path is directed overseas once again. You may know I have been to a few other countries (Philippines, India, etc.) so the fact that I am heading to another is no surprise. 

In this new journey I will be interning for two months.

I wish I could tell you everything I will be doing in these two months. As it happens, though, I cannot predict the future. Also, other countries don't function on the same frame of time as the U.S. Time is more relative and loose. 

I can tell you I will be engaging in relationships with university students. One of our main focuses is interfaith dialogue.

You may wonder why discussions about different faiths are important. Many people practice all sorts of different faiths, even under the same wing of beliefs. "The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e., "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels." (Google search). 

It is about functioning in terms of humility and peace with people who are different than me. It is about recognizing the multitude of different beliefs and promoting awareness and peace among them. 

This is vastly important in our ever-changing and growing global society. In order to interact well with people of different cultures and beliefs, interfaith dialogue is of top priority.

The main purpose of this internship is to learn and grow in ways I never have before, which I believe is an invaluable way to spend my time and my life. This internship relates to my desire to understand various Asian cultures and how they relate to the divine. Please learn and grow with me. I cannot do this alone. I need monetary support to help cover travel costs, vaccinations, supplies, and at-home fees and payments while I am away. I have the support of my work place and of my community. Please join in my adventure. 

What other ways am I growing and taking practical action steps toward my life goals? The picture above was taken in Evanston, IL this past March at the PANAAWTM Conference. PANAAWTM stands for Pacific Asian and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry. Wow, right?! This conference includes the top writers and researchers in the related field of Asian/Asian American women in theology and ministry. It is a community of women dedicated to each other and this field. It is not a simple one, which is why it requires such a niche group of support. Here I grew in understanding of my place in this world of study. I also gained invaluable connections for my future goals. I will continue to be a part of this community for a long as God wills. 

"...and then she flew," is my motto for this trip. Flying means going for the winds of the unknown, stretching out my wings of adventure and trusting that with every flap I will be guided closer to where I believe God has called me. 

https://www.gofundme.com/23c23qs

Check out the link to my GoFundMe and consider joining my journey. 

Blessings,

-Leah

Not Okay At Night

"It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing."

—The Sun Also Rises, E. Hemingway