So...I didn't even know that I sponsored Valary...because I didn't really...or at least, I didn't know that I did. Years before I ever even grew into a person who would EVER consider making myself uncomfortable enough to spend 2 weeks in a 3rd world country (despite the time I spent "vacationing" on a trip to China with my dad in high school - an experience that left me so sad to have been introduced to the world outside of America in a foreign land so dusty and void of smiles), I went to church one Sunday and sat with a full congregation while a couple named Judy and Steve Cochran spoke about the school they ran in Kenya. Most of their students were orphaned or had lost at least one parent to AIDS. We watched a slide show with pictures of Christ's Gift Academy and the beautiful children they schooled each day. I was thrown by all the little girls who had hair as short as the boys due to the parasite risk long hair brought when bathing in Lake Victoria...the same water they washed their clothes in and drank from as well. My discomfort only grew when they showed the pictures of the narrow dirt road, filled with dangerously deep potholes, that lead to and from the small fishing village of Mbita. I clearly remember thinking to myself, "how do the volunteers endure the 8 hour plus ride over all of those roads that are only wide enough for one 'car' (though two often face each other in a chicken like game of driving survival) only to end up surrounded by such massive poverty? How do they MAKE themselves do that?" The thought actually 'haunted' me (my thought now is that haunting feeling is often God preparing you - breaking you in for something yet to come that you're not yet ready for and can't even imagine) and I remember bringing it up again to my then boyfriend, asking him if he thought he could ever put himself in such an uncomfortable situation. I think he mumbled a "hell no" but then followed it with an offhand remark about having picked up 'Sponsorship' cards after church that day that he needed to fill in.
     Fast forward to several months later when he again remarked that he had never received any confirmation about the children he was sponsoring in Africa. It wasn't even a conversation...just a remark.
     Fast forward again to a break up which lead to a great deal of soul searching on my part. Not long after, my best friend, Sierra, called after church one Sunday to say that she had found it! Found what? I was confused but my lackluster response didn't faze her. It never does.  "The project you needed to focus on...the next step in the soul searching process! They announced today at church, which you would know if you had been there, that they need a group of teachers to go work at that school in Africa. The one that those people come from to talk to us about every once in a while. Do you know what I'm talking about? I think you should go! At least find out about it." I promised I would.
     I called to inquire the next day. The girl said she thought there were no more spaces because they were taking a specific number of teachers and each of those would be paired up with one of the grade levels at the school. She was pretty sure all the spots were filled but she took my number and said she'd look into it. Honestly, I felt a little disappointed but equally relieved. I had done what I promised Sierra I would do and now I was off the hook...until she called back.
     "The person who was going to work with the youngest children, 4 and 5 year olds mostly - some 6, had to back out. What is your background in education?" she asked.  At that time I had taught kindergarten for 4 years, 1st grade for one and was finishing up a year as a Head Start Child Development teacher (4 year olds). The fit was perfect and I was on my way to Valary...though I still didn't know it.