Thoughts

This week was fairly uneventful for the ladies of St. Louis MVS. So instead of our usual event updates, this week we're going to take our readers on a little tour of the inner workings of an MVSer.

Amanda
While it's usually revered as a very selfless, purposeful and positive place to be employed, working at a non-profit agency tends to come with more than its fair share of bumps and surprises. Amanda has been contemplating the trying world of non-profits this week. It seems strange that these agencies, so crucial to meeting the needs of everyday people, struggle just to survive the day to day. Money worries, space issues, meeting federal codes, staying on top of paper work, less than ideal working conditions and client needs are what non-profit workers walk into every morning. Why are those working for non-profits usually struggling to meet their own needs? Even more disturbing, why do the presidents, founders and board members of non-profits tend to be upper-class citizens who rarely encounter the populations which their agencies serve? Why does poor management and poor employee treatment seem so prevalent in the world of non-profits? There's no real answers to these questions nor is it the job of the MVSer to solve them. We know that our job is to be Christ's hands and feet where few toes dare to trod. But still, those thoughts go through our heads and we can't help wondering.

Heather
The real world. It ain't so pretty. Having recently taken that leap from the relatively secure environment of MVS to the "real world", Heather is finding out why that term is rarely said with anything but a sarcastic smile. Though a paycheck is no unwelcome sight to a former VSer, things like buying a car, paying rent and the always harrowing job hunt make the cushion of an expanding bank account feel more like the cold reality of a hardwood floor. It's been nice for all of us, though, that Heather is working through that transition while still living in our sweet, little community. It's nice to have the support of a church family and warm, familiar home to come home to. But even so, the real world will take some adjusting to.

Tiffany
Ah, the next step. No matter how many one takes, there's always that next one looming ahead of you. Usually right about the time you feel yourself confidently planted, there you are, dragging your feet up again. Lately Tiffany has been contemplating next years' plans. March is the 6 month mark in her year of service and has coincided neatly with the little flutters of excitement and fear for the future. She's planning to move to Oregon in September to live with her sister and some college friends. Seems pretty simple at face value. However, the myriad details involved are beginning to be revealed. While living on the west coast with some of the best folks in the world is going to be great for her, there's still always doubts. How does one confidently make a move? When do you get used to rooting and uprooting oneself? When do you become good at it? As a good friend of ours once said, time is a scarce thing; how does one choose where and with whom to spend it? We suppose however, that the true question is what you will do with that time, wherever you are.