Ok, since I am already behind with this blog, I'm going to skip over the first part of last week. However, I will mention that I allowed for a few days of rest and slept A LOT...I did not realize how sleep deprived I had become during the few weeks prior to my departure (I know my friends with children are rolling their eyes right now and giving me no sympathy! :).
On Wednesday of last week, I received the opportunity to participate in two fantastic experiences: 1)I enjoyed a wonderful and insightful lunch conversation with Al Goff, a Project Manager for Global Aid Network and 2) I ate world-famous cheese fondue at Cafe du Soleil, Geneva's oldest restaurant (supposedly the restaurant has been around for 400 years!). I am going to start with the fondue since there is only one thing to say: it was magnificent, almost beyond words.
As for my other experience...a little background first: Geneva's population is estimated at around 450,000 people and more than half of the population is involved in some aspect of humanitarian aid. One of the reasons I wanted to spend time in France/Switzerland was to have the opportunity to meet and talk with folks at the UN, NGOs or other organizations of interest. So...I was very excited about my lunch meeting with Al.
As the humanitarian arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, Global Aid Network "is a multi-national network of ministries serving to demonstrate the love of God to hurting and needy people around the world through relief and development projects(www.gainusa.org)." Al has been working for the organization since the late 1990s and heads up many of GAIN's crisis response efforts. Prior to joining GAIN, Al served in the Navy and worked as a child services advocate for Medicaid in South Carolina.
Al shared many stories of his experiences in countries where the people have endured brutal natural disasters, trauma from war and tribal conflict, and devastation to family units. One of his most recent trips was to Myanmar to lead GAIN's disaster relief effort to help manage the after-effects of Cyclone Nargis. He told me powerful stories about his time there; the one that resonated with me the most was a story about a father who desperately tried to save himself and his four children by holding onto a palm tree as the cyclone made landfall. Tragically, the storm waters were too powerful and the father watched as each of his children were swept away. I tried, but I could not keep the tears from flowing as I listened to his stories. I am so humbled by the courage and perseverance of the human spirit, as well as the sacrificial service people like Al provide to the hurting and forgotten ones of the world.
As some of you know, I have recently been wrestling with questions about the long-term direction of my life. I am indebted to the clients I have been able to walk alongside and the colleagues who have challenged me to raise the bar for myself, as well as amazed me with their gifts as clinicians and advocates. I am thankful for the opportunities I have received during the last four years, but somewhere along the way I have lost my focus and maybe my passion, which scares me. The last few months have kept me extremely busy at work. However, as the constant work and activity has subsided on this journey, one question keeps coming up: "Who and what am I fighting for?"
When I returned back to the Imbrocks house after lunch at Cafe du Soleil, I decided to spend some time reading more about GAIN. On the GAIN website, this verse caught my eye: "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men" (1 Corinthians 12:4–6). I believe that there are hundreds of paths we can take to fulfill our "callings" and to serve God and others. I believe God gives us the freedom to choose our way, but I also think He equips each of us with gifts and talents that are unique to certain paths. At the end of this journey in Europe, I wonder if I will know that I have already been on the right road? Or will I come to the conclusion that it is time for a new map?
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