March

March truly flew by, and I can’t imagine having packed anything else into it. At IJM, we hosted our annual benefit Gala, as well as had 2 team days where we worked on strategy, followed by our Quarterly Prayer Day (QPD). I emerged from the month feeling like I had officially “drank the IJM Kool-aid.” Although no kool-aid was actually involved, I am so fully bought into the vision of this organization, what they do, and how they do it. It is truly a privilege to spend this year serving as an intern.

The majority of my spare time in March was spent helping as much as I could with Holla Atcha Girls Weekend, as well as exploring my new home. I constantly joked that I working remotely as I helped with small things for Holla, as it was very difficult for me to not be as involved as I wish I could have.

Spring is slowly making its debut, and dandelions are popping up all over the place. Living in this cloudy country, I am appreciating the budding flowers more than ever before. Every day, on my walk to and from work, I walk along the river and pass a lovely duck pond surrounded by willow trees. I love that my work day is book ended by this peaceful sight. This season of newness, and at times loneliness, is cultivating an inner stillness and joy that I have never had before. At our very core, I believe we were meant to rejoice at the smallest things, and allow our hearts to sing praises to God. I am experiencing this in a new way now, and it is life giving.

On a less deep note, I have been scoping out the best picnic locations in Witham and London, and am ready for the summertime.

IJM Gala + Holla

As fate would have it, Holla 2017 and IJM’s benefit Gala fell on the same weekend. Although I knew this from the beginning of my job, it was still incredibly difficult to stomach missing out on Holla. While setting up for the Gala, I was a little emotional and nostalgic, pointing out silly things that I noticed (ex. IJM had the EXACT SAME tea light holders and table runners for Holla that IJM had for the Gala. I am certain that I unnecessarily told half the IJM staff that.) As excitement brewed for the Gala, my emotions felt more and more conflicted as I longed to be home. I felt that I was setting up at the right time, but for the wrong event. It was quite surreal being away, and I had to remind myself to be present where I was.

All that being said, I had the opportunity to serve as a table rep during the Gala, which was just loads of fun. My job for the evening was to talk to major donors about why I love IJM, and why I believe in what we do. As it turns out, being an extrovert is as much a personality trait, as it is a skill set, and I have loved learning how to utilize it through mingling and networking. To add to the fun of endorsing IJM for the evening, it was really cool to spend time with the other table representatives, who were mainly IJM alumni who had spent time in field offices or at the global office in DC. IJM feels like a giant family, and the alumni network is no exception. The Gala was a massive success, and it was a lovely evening. Personally, it was an important reminder that I am called to be present where I am, and although it’s not wrong to miss home, it doesn’t benefit to dwell on that which we cannot change, or what we might be missing out on.

Team Week and QPD

Team week and our Quarterly Prayer Day (QPD) were the following week. These days were spent sifting through all things IJM UK, and preparing for a new season at IJM. This week was really cool for me, because I finally got to meet our staff members from Scotland and Northern Ireland. In addition to this, the team days were essentially spent discussing problems, and presenting solutions. Because problem-solving is one of my favorite things to do… I ate it up. Although these days were particularly long, I was so thankful that the interns we were included in them, as I feel that I learned a lot from listening to our staff sift through the problems and new ideas.

QPD was just incredible. IJM is committed to encouraging spiritual growth in its employees, and treats prayer as a key component to both staff and organizational growth. We spent the day at a house out in the country, in prayer, worship, and learning a bit about Moses. We had times of encouragement, and just offering praises to God. It was a sweet time of refreshment, following two days of intense strategy planning. Did I mention that I had drank the IJM Kool-aid? :)

Returning to Hertford

The summer following my senior year of high school, and freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to serve alongside YoungLife in Hertford, England. I was so blessed by my time spent there and made several friends. So after 2 months spent in Essex, it only seemed fitting to pay Hertford a visit.

After a busy month at work, I took the train to Hertford to visit my friends. That weekend was restful for my soul in a way that is only from the Lord. It was fantastic coming back four years later and spending time with the girls who had once been in my small group. They are all 18 now, which was really just quite bizarre. Spending the weekend at the Hunters house, hanging with their amazing kids, and reuniting with old younglife friends and students was simply joyful. I came back from this weekend with a stillness in my heart.

Scotland

I finished March up with a trip to Edinburgh with the other IJM UK interns Annabeth and Erica. We did all the classic things to do in Edinburgh, including climbing Arthurs Seat, visiting the Edinburgh castle, and enjoying a choir performance in the cathedral. We also tried Haggis, which I do not plan on ever eating again… Edinburgh was where JK Rowling wrote the first few Harry Potter books, so I insisted on visiting the Elephant house, a grave yard, and a few other places that are said to have inspired Jo. We also did a tour of Mary King’s Close, which was fascinating. The trip was a much needed break, and some solid intern bonding time.