Highs and Lows

Highs and Lows are a fond tradition for many people, and we all learn them in different environments.  I've heard them referred to as Roses and Thorns, Ups and Downs, and Peaks and Valleys.  During my few years in confirmation and as a junior guide, they were always an important part of small group time.  It was a great way to connect everyone together and share in our vulnerabilities.

This week has been full of a lot of high and lows for me.  My lows have been working through a lot of paperwork and make appointments to obtain a visa for the next year that cause me to worry about the craziest outcomes.  Today I had to say goodbye to my Hedgehog, Aoife (as pictured right, photo taken yesterday as we adventured in my backyard.  She was trying to hide in the grass), who has been a constant companion for the past year, terrible smell and waking me up at three in the morning with her running and all.  I don't know if I've cried this hard in a long time; made moving to the UK for the upcoming year feel all the more real suddenly.


But some important things I keep reminding myself that are Highs: Aoife will have a caring home with a woman who will understand her quirks and behavioral problems.  Last week, I got to spend all week with the sweetest little sister (She is nearly five!) in the world and have some great adventures before I say goodbye.  And lastly, I get to spend the next year with a group of amazing individuals in Manchester who I cannot wait to say hello to in person!

Sometimes the lows seem like they take up a lot of space in our hearts and make them heavy, but we remember the good times to bring us up again.

Words of encouregment are always welcome, and if you have questions on how to support me in this upcoming year of mission work, feel free to email me at mycahlynne@msn.com !

In Peace,
Mycah

Where One Chapter Ends, Another Begins

Dear friends and family,

            After four long and fun years at James Madison University, I have finished my degree with a Bachelors of Science in Biology!  I also received a minor in Anthropology and a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Biology.   My four years saw an ongoing research project with Dr. Bruce Wiggins (he and I are pictured right) in monitoring stream health quality through invertebrates (lots of little tiny bug larvae) after cattle have been fenced out and vegetation replanted around the water.  The summer before my senior year at JMU was spent at the same stream catching damselflies to look at their mating patterns.  Many of you know that throughout high school I was heavily involved in our theatre program, and during my time at JMU I stayed just as involved by working for our Preforming Arts Program backstage as a member of the Production Crew and a Stage Manager for Student Recitals.

School and life at JMU has kept me very busy these last four years, and now that I have graduated I plan on staying busy.  This past winter I applied to the Young Adults in Global Missions (YAGM) program through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and have been asked to go serve in the United Kingdom as a missionary through the Time for God (TfG) volunteer organization.  I accepted the offer and a placement site in Manchester, England; I am ecstatic to go live a year among a new people who will soon become friends!  My time spent there will be filled with assisting with the current church congregation and helping to grow the larger parish where I will be living.

The model for Global Missions in the ELCA is one of accompaniment, or walking together in a solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality.  While the UK might not seem like an obvious location for a missions program, with the frame of mind of accompaniment we can realize that you can accompany people anywhere and everywhere.  Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” and this has always stuck with me to be supportive of everyone, especially those who seem as though they need or deserve it least.

This sort of journey cannot be undertaken alone.  I will continue to need the loving support and guidance that everyone has given me for the last four years at JMU.  YAGM supports their missionaries by backing us financially with $7,000 of the $11,000 needed to cover the cost of one volunteer for our year of service, and in return asks us to fundraise the remaining $4,000 on our own.  If you you would like to support me financially, send me an email at mycahlynne@msn.com for more information; if you have any questions or words of encouragement, I would love to hear them!

In God’s Peace,

Mycah