I have followed the work of International Justice Mission (IJM) for four years. In fact, the work they do, and the way that they do it, is one of the reasons I decided to get a degree in Social Work. Their efforts, their missionology, their dedication, their progress, their methods have always been above reproach and I've known for a long time that I wanted to learn from their expertise.
I graduate May 15 with a Master's in Social Work. It's impossible to express how relieved I am to be finishing. I have worked full time and gone to school full time for almost 4 years, three of which have been at a high-stress job, working with children who have a history of behavioral problems which have gotten them kicked out of multiple placements. It's been challenging, it's been stressful, but I'm almost done, just a few short weeks to go.
So, what next? Well, I'm not entirely sure. I've applied to volunteer as an "Aftercare Intern" with IJM for a year. I applied in January, had 5 interviews in February, and now I'm waiting. And waiting.
I'm a planner. I like to have everything that's coming up sorted out. I like to know what to expect and what others expect of me. I like to be prepared. So, last year, I decided i would apply for the "Aftercare Fellow" position to work somewhere in Southeast Asia. I didn't care where I was placed, I just knew I wanted to work with victims of human trafficking, and I wanted to learn from IJM's experience. I figured I would apply to go in January, after I graduated, giving myself plenty of time to rest from my ridiculous schedule and enjoy the wonderful friends I've learned to rely on here in Dallas. But that's not what happened.
In January, I was looking at IJM's website and I found out that they have an office in Cebu, Philippines. I had no idea. I was amazed and thrilled. Then I found out, about a week before the application was due, while I was on a trip to the east coast, that there was an Aftercare Fellow position open in Cebu in June. I had to apply. There was no other way around it.
For those of you who don't know, I lived and worked in Cebu, Philippines for two years. 2002-2004, I was at a Children's Home in Cebu, teaching and working with the kids and staff and the local church. They were some of the best years of my life and I've missed those children constantly since returning stateside. Ironically, the children's home that I worked out, now partners with IJM to place victims of trafficking in their residence!
So, I applied. I have an understanding of the language there (Cebuano), though I'm by no means fluent, and I love the people, and would be delighted to work there again. And I was interviewed, numerous times, and I waited. And waited. And I'm still waiting.
They offered me a position, sort of, if the position exists. What I mean is, the orginal Aftercare fellowship position is going to be filled by someone who has a slightly different skill set than I do. But, at the same time I was being interviewed, another emergency shelter for victims of trafficking that is sponsored by a church in California, experienced some difficulties with their staffing and their program, and they asked IJM to work with them to improve their program. Because of my experience working in residential care, IJM asked me if I would be interested in being a liasion between the two. My job would be to work with the staff at the shelter and model and teach methods of intervention and therapeutic relationship building types of skills.
Honestly, this position fits me so perfectly. My eventual long term goal is that I want to be a director at a home in Southeast Asia for women coming out of the sex trade. And to be able to work with IJM and what they have learned working with home and shelters for years, and implementing what I already know to this new program, well, it's thrilling.
The reason I'm waiting, is because the position still does not actually exist. IJM doesn't usually work directly with residental facilities. This facility asked them to, but there were alot of details and contracts that had to be worked out between them in order for it to be possible, and now there are details and ligistics within IJM that have to be ironed out in order for the position to be operable.
So, I'm waiting. Hopefully waiting. Waiting with more contentment that I've ever waiting for anything, which can only be the work of the Holy Spirit in me. Because it's only a few short months away, and if I am offered this position I will have to raise enough money to live on for a year while I'm there. But it just seems it is too perfect to be anything expect the work of the Lord. And, as such, he will provide all I need to help stabilize and heal the precious women and children who have been sold into the sex trade.
