I Made It!

I got a call from Azusa Pacific University telling me that I’ve been accepted into the Masters of Social Work program. Not only that, but the call was made by the professor who reads through the applications before forwarding them onto the board for acceptance. She even made it a point to tell me how much she enjoyed reading my 10-page personal statement, saying that it was a pleasure to read about my personal & professional experiences (mostly in Cost Rica) and that my application essay was very well written. This was extremely encouraging news as I spent a lot of time on the essay and have had fears about starting grad school after such a 4-year break from undergraduate studies.

Acceptance into graduate school at APU means a few known factors and a bunch more unknowns.

What I know - That I will be attending classes and doing field work in the Azusa area for the next four years, which means that I will be moving up north. I also know that I’ll continue traveling and working with Alternative Missions, but will limit my hours per week (I’ll work between 7 – 10 hours a week for A.M.)

What I don’t know…yet – When or where I’ll be moving, what job I’ll be working to help pay for grad school and living expenses, how this job will work in conjunction with part-time field work during my 2^nd & 4^th years.

Why God likes risk takers…

I was only 22-years-old when I left my friends and family and moved to a foreign country, alone. And now, four years later, I feel the same amount of hesitancy mixed with surety about beginning graduate school and a new stage of life. Both transitions are marked by fear of the unknown as well as confidence in God. Yet, when I reflect on my experiences in Costa Rica I cannot help but admit the strong trust I have in God. He has been faithful to sustain me and that gives me confidence that He’ll be faithful to do it again.

Years ago, as an undergraduate at Azusa Pacific, I remember sitting in class, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus,” with Dr. Baloian. I’ll never forget the day we talked about the disciple, Peter. The gospels tell stories of Peter that make him sound like a wreck. He was constantly putting his foot in his mouth (Mt. 17:4-6) and suffered the consequences of his rash actions (ex – beginning to drown while attempting to walk on water toward Jesus, Mt. 14:30). And yet, Peter became the rock on which God chose to build His church (Mt. 16:18). Through all of his foot-in-mouth experiences, Peter experienced God in ways that no other disciple did. Plus, Peter walked on water.

On that particular day in class, I learned a lesson I’ll never forget – that God likes risk takers. For someone looking to plant a church or start a new business, Peter would be the last person considered for a high-profile job. There’s a good chance that a risk-taker like Peter could cause unrecoverable mistakes. And yet, that is exactly the sort of man that God chose. God likes risk takers.

This tells me something about God that I like and that I fear. God is actually pleased when I attempt something that could turn into a huge failure – like moving to Costa Rica to plant a new mission location or like attending graduate school to pursue missionary care. There is a lot of risk involved financially, emotionally and relationally. Yet Peter’s story leads me to believe that risking failure actually leads to greater chances of success and greater opportunity for God to show Himself strong (1 Cor. 1:25-29).

Lord, this is a crazy new transition. Show yourself mighty in the areas of my finances, emotions and relationships as step out in risk and in faith.