Letter for IMPACT ,
Firstly I would like to give thanks to God and his many Blessings he ’ s bestowed upon my life . I am currently a Volunteer teacher in the Republic of the Marshall Islands , the capital city of Majuro . I don ’ t expect you know where it is either , I didn ’ t . It is a very small county deep in the Pacific Ocean near the Micronesian island sets . It has been a very interesting experience thus far .
I arrived on January 1st 2013 , so I haven ’ t been here very long and still very new in a different country . March 1 is Nuclear Remembrance Day a national holiday , with schools , and most government entities having this past Friday off . It was a much-needed extra day of activities and rest for me . I like the saying : “ Work Hard , Play Harder ” and often use when I ’ m either exhausted from a good time or need to really start getting some work done . But this weekend was much needed ; it gave me an opportunity to get some things done .
This letter is to share an experience I think many of us can relate to in some way , shape or form being a believer . And if nothing else than uplift and or glorify the kingdom of God . Now , in many ways I know I am Christian , and proud of it , but often put the disclaimer that “ I may not an old-school kind of Christian ”. Now to me that makes a lot of sense , and some of the rules of the church never really interested me either . But understandably it works for many people , and no negatives towards it , just not for me .
This weekend I found myself doing some evangelical work ; I ’ ve always poked fun at those church ladies in the parks , catching people . But at the same time , I ’ ve always appreciated , and respected those soldiers for the work they believed in . I honestly like those individuals more than the ones who stay in the walls of the church . While just simply hanging with a few of the other volunteers , and workers from throughout the RMI ; somehow we got on the conversation of where my attitude , and or confidence comes from , or something along those lines . I thought about what I wanted to say , without telling all my business , and or giving too much away about myself . I think my first response was ‘ because I ’ m blessed ” then she said , “ Courtney are you religious ?” My response was absolutely ; I am a Christian , believer in God .
Then she looked at me , and seemed surprised or really curious . I asked if she was religious in any way , and she giggled and said no , not really . I said okay , and was more than willing to leave it at that . But she wanted to continue talking and asking questions like how do you know God is real ? Why do you have to go to church ? The people I know who are in church aren ’ t very good people etc . etc . I didn ’ t feel attacked , or ashamed , and continued
16 IMPACTtheMagazine . com