career vs. mission: understanding what I’m doing with my life

I’m leaving in 2 days.

In 2 days I will be traveling to Akron, Pennsylvania. I will be there for 18 days for training + some extra time and then traveling to Beirut, Lebanon. From there, I will be settling into a Program & Educational Activities Assistant role with MCC’s national partner Popular Aid for Relief and Development (who look super cool!!).

Packing is hard.

Since the beginning of my program at Humber College, I have been searching for an internship (although I would laugh with classmates about procrastinating about job searching – I lied, sorry guys). I was very nervous about finding a placement, which is required to graduate from our program. I had heard about Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program, but I had dismissed the thought, wanting a ‘real job’. As it turns out, it is awfully hard to find a ‘real job’ when the only thing you have ever been is a full-time student.

Through a series of coincidences (and looking back, divine luck), I applied and was accepted to SALT. I had my eyes set on the position in Beirut, which seemed to fit perfectly with what I have been studying this past year at Humber. I was delighted to be offered the role, but then given about a week to decide, which at the time, felt like the fastest week of my life.

I’ve known of MCC my entire life. My grandparents and parents both speak very highly of the organization, and I knew that I could find no better organization to serve under. They are well respected for their work, attitude, and their emphasis on peace-building is unique and speaks to me.

Career vs Mission

I didn’t plan, or really, didn't want to, be in a ‘missional’ type role coming out of Humber. Mission tends to refer to a calling or vocational role to go out into the world and share the Good News about Christ. Not that I didn't want to be employed by an agency that had similar values to mine, but I dreamed of the elusive paycheck, as all new graduates do. Further, the goal of my program was to provide employable skills, and I was looking forward to putting those into use. However, I was convinced by many peers and mentors that perhaps I should think more closely about SALT.

SALT is described as a “year-long, cross-cultural service experience”. The three goals of the program are to experience personal, professional and spiritual growth; help foster international goodwill and understanding; and finally gain personal experience with, and commitment to, the global church. And I am excited for all these things, I am!

However, there are also many reasons why this is a very smart career move for me! Here are a few:

• Proof of the ability to live abroad long-term is often necessary to be hired by an international NGO, this is something I lack on my resume.
• Hands on experience with a national organization.
• Language lessons! My French/Spanish attempts have not been great, so I’m setting the bar high for Arabic, but I remain positive.
• Working in an area of the world that is very ‘employable’ right now, especially for relief and emergency work.
• Short of the donation I have to raise, there will be little personal cost to myself (to put it bluntly, I get more out of it than I put in).

Packing is easier with friends.

To summarize, I have struggled feeling guilty about doing a God-centered, God-focused program (and fundraising for it) while also knowing that this could possibly be the program that launches my career.

When I spoke with a pastor recently and brought up my concerns to him – as well as my uncertainty about fundraising for a ‘smart’ career move - he asked me for a definition of the word ‘mission’. I fumbled for an answer, and he encouraged me to think of my life as a whole. There doesn’t need to be my ‘career’ in one box and ‘mission’ in another. They can overlap and not detract value from each other. This was encouraging and something I still consider often, and something I’m sure I will continue to think about.

That being said, this is the link to my registry. I’m grateful for those that have given already to me, as well as the generous support from Humber College. I have little less than two thousand to raise, which I will hopefully find over the next year.