jet-setting

so much has been happening in the past couple of weeks that I can hardly keep my head from spinning! i'll try to give a brief update. and maybe later tonight, I'll go into a little more depth about how my youth interim job has been going (by tonight i should know whether i'll be working for 2 more weeks or 2 more months!)

first of all, i've had a whirlwind application process with YouthWorks. Yesterday I had a phone interview for 2 hours, and it went so so well! I was nervous because the phone interviews I've had in the past were no more than 30 minutes, and I knew beforehand that this one was supposed to be 1-1.5 hours. But I felt like I was just chatting it up with this guy, for the most part--he made me feel comfortable and conversational. And it's good that I came out of it feeling so positive about the opportunity, because I am being considered for the position of site director, which requires a face-to-face interview! so I will be jet-setting to Minneapolis in two weeks :) for just the day--how very professional of me.

but more about this position--apparently this late in the year, it's pretty much the only job for summer hires that hasn't been filled. and so when they decided to schedule a phone interview with me after reviewing the first half of my application, they were basically just looking at me for this position. it's one that only college grads can fill, it pays more, and requires extra training. it sounds like a big responsibility, but a very rewarding ministry experience! i would be the lead staff at one of the 75 youthworks sites around the country (we find out placements later in april/early may). i would be the supervisor of a staff team. my duties would be managerial and leadership-oriented. i'd be in charge of budget, and act as the liaison with incoming groups. but i would also get to care for the staff team ("check-ups") and still have plenty of time to interact with the youth groups and participate with them in the service opportunities. the guy who interviewed me said he believed this to be the best position because you get to experience a little bit of each type of ministry (inner-city, kids, housing projects, sports camps, etc). i'm excited to have been considered qualified for this job--i can see very clearly that it will stretch me & challenge me in enormous ways, but i think God has this planned (if I get hired, of course) to prepare me for div school and for ministry, and to allow me to be a part of a huge faith experience for teenagers. basically, it seems pretty sweet all around.

speaking of div school, my latest news there is that i have been invited to a scholarship event at Boston University. It is two weeks away (the same week as my YouthWorks interview!) and I am very excited. This is basically the crucial missing piece for my decision for the fall. I absolutely loved everything about Emory, but Boston is offering me $8000 stipend a year--that's hard to turn down. So if BU seems comparable in areas of academia, community, and faith, and I feel that certain connection there as well, then I will probably end up there. But if I don't get that feeling, even $8000 a year isn't worth going to the wrong school for 3 years of your life. One way or the other I have a lot of praying to do.

okay, so, my pastor just walked in for Bible study--and it will be 2 weeks (or so) left for me as interim youth director! more on that later tonight (plenty to say!)