A Little Twist

A few days ago I received my tentative placement details from the organization I'm working with in Ghana.  There's a somewhat interesting twist - and I'll back up to explain.

When I first signed up for this, I had to select a type of work/project, like "agriculture", "teaching", or "medical".  I was very torn between orphanage work and teaching.  As many of you know, I was a teacher, I work in education, and have a master's degree in education policy.  On paper, it would just make sense for me to teach.  So that's what I signed up for.

BUT, this is supposed to be a different road.  That's part of what led me here: discomfort with the results of the very practical choices I've made in the past 8-ish years.  And so I kept feeling this pull to the nurturer in me, to do work that helps me see more of who I am, not work that falls in line with the degrees and experience I have.  I was tempted to email IVHQ and ask them to give me a teaching placement near or at an orphanage, or working with orphaned kids, or something.  But I never emailed - I guess I just went with the "let go" philosophy.  Anything I would do in Ghana would be different than anything I've ever done.  So I let it go.

Two days ago I got my placement details.  The title of the attached PDF was "The Yellow Program - Orphanage".  Well well well, isn't life funny?

I won't lay down all the nitty gritty just yet, in case things change after I get there, but as of now it looks like I'll be living/working at an orphanage.  The kids go to an affiliated school nearby during the day, so I may be working at the school as well.  We'll see, but it feels good to know something, even if it may change.

I'm not quite sure what all that proves - nothing I guess - but it's another tally in the "Life Is Funny That Way" column.  Six days until departure!