So what IS your job?

It's always difficult to answer when people ask me what I do for a living. If I say I'm a missionary, that conjures up all sorts of images, namely of me living in a hut in Africa somewhere. If I say I'm a counselor on a college campus, I imagine having a couch in my nonexistent office for students to come sort out their lives and talk about their future. The truth is, I wear a lot of hats in my job working for a college ministry. As soon as I nail down a job description in my mind, another responsibility comes along that totally shakes my description! I constantly have moments where I'm thinking, "Is this my job? Wow, it's crazy!"

Just this week, I was at a local Italian restaurant in Uppsala trying to secure a location for our movie-themed party for our Swedish friends. We decided to throw a huge party towards the end of our time here so our Swedish friends could meet the rest of our group, as well as the long-term team here in Uppsala. As we've been meeting Swedes the past few weeks, we've been inviting them to come party with us! So there I am in the resturant, talking with the owner, booking a party venue in a country I've only lived in for three weeks, trying to communicate with a man who speaks a language I don't even speak! All in the hopes that this party and others we have would provide opportunities for our Swedish friends to be exposed to other Believers and hopefully see the gospel living and active amongst our group of American Believers. So this week I wore the "party planner" hat...

(I dressed up as Alice in Wonderland for our movie party)

It got me thinking, though, what other roles our staff and I have found ourselves in these last few weeks. This week, Steph and Reece and their community team headed up a wonderful breakfast for our project. Cooking for twenty people in America is definately a challenge, but imagine the creativity and flexibility that is required in a foreign country! I've never used my math skills so much to convert to litres and such then when I'm cooking here!

These are just a few examples of the somewhat unexpected "hats" I find myself wearing on staff overseas. Of course, I still get to spend the majority of my 

 meeting Swedes and asking them what they think about spiritual things and especially God. I've also enjoyed getting to know the girls I disciple each week a bit better. Mindy, Emily and Georgina are great and it's been so encouraging to watch them encounter the Lord in Sweden through conversations they've had with Swedes, as well as in their personal times with God. These women are learning a lot about themselves and how God sees them this summer!

(from left to right: me, Georgina, Emily & Mindy)