First Day Volunteering (kind of a long entry)

Today was my first day volunteering at a local organization called Confidential Care for Women. I loved my first day! Couldn't finish my orientation material since different things came up, but they were things that will happen probably every time. So I'm going to go back in 2 days and finish up (hopefully). Everyone I told that I was studying to become a Midwife were very interested and actually very impressed. One of my co-workers was so impressed she came and asked me some details and shared a couple of stories with me a little later on.
A woman I met today was intrigued because she had no idea that midwives existed, she thought hospital delivery was the only option in childbirth. When she found out I was 19 she shared what she was doing with her life, let's just say she encouraged me to learn from her that what I was striving for was practically the best life decision I can possibly make. When we were saying goodbye she said if I mess up my life she was going to come and hit me over the head (that wasn't what she said but I can't exactly quote her word for word on this blog), I felt the best way to respond was with a "Yes ma'am". Shortly after that I realized that I have just volunteered to experience probably the best learning opportunity for my entire life as a young adult. And knowing that makes me want to not only give everything I can, but now I guess I have something that requires just enough beyond what I comfortably and naturally give of myself that I have to stretch and make myself an even better person.

Confusing but stay with me, I'll try to explain a little better. The environment I was raised in was beyond just being described as AMAZING and also very blessedly sheltered. So different things in my life have a very firm foundation in what I have had instilled in me. But... I only needed to be strong in my faith for me (and girls who look up to me and adults who trust me but ultimately being strong in my faith was for me and my relationship with God). Volunteering at Confidential Care for Women has opened the door for me to share God with people, to show them that I am someone they can trust and can expect me to still love them no matter what they might share with me about themselves that most people aren't sure how to handle, and an opportunity to prove that I care about them as a person not as a statistic. But I have to be a strong person in faith because counseling a pregnant 13 year old isn't something to be approached with anything less than a constant silent prayer that I can say everything God might need for me to say to this scared, defensive, young girl. And body language, word choice, tone of voice, and even the simplest of gestures can portray in an instant to a client something that makes them shut down and not trust me. So a sensitive responsive constant communication with God is one of the minimum requirement for this volunteering opportunity I have signed up for. And I am ready for this challenge!!!! Or rather this adventure of my life.

And since getting an apprenticeship with a midwife is top priority in my life, I can only volunteer for 1 day so far. Which after today is hard because how can I stick to volunteering one day when I want to be there everyday?!? I'm excited for all the potential this adventure has to shape me into an entirely different person.

So.... if you notice something has changed about me the next time you see me and you can't really place a finger on it, here's an explanation of one of the contributing factors to possibly a perceivable noticed difference in me. Or maybe not an outward difference, but definitely an inward. And this is only after my first day! Absolutely marvelous, huh?