One Step At A Time
Breathe In. Breathe Out. 2 weeks. 13 days. 312 hours. This is how much time I have left until I catch my flight to Berlin, Germany. How does this make me feel? Anxious. Nervous. Excited. This is the moment that I have been preparing for for over a year now and here I am: saying my last goodbyes and turning them into “see-you-laters”, packing up my room and my suitcases, enjoying the last of the American food that I will have in awhile, stocking up on peanut butter, filling out final paperwork, raising the remaining of my support, and convincing myself I don’t need to bring my entire closet... Read more![[Posing with the GO letters at GoWeek!]](https://gocorps.org/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large/public/blogs/2019Rosie/Pic-%20Blog%201_0.jpg?itok=QwbOKvYT "[Posing with the GO letters at GoWeek!]")
What's up World?
Hellooo World! Or anyone who may be reading this now! Welcome to my first blog entry! I'd like to start off by introducing myself. My name is Rosie Sawatzki, and I recently graduated from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. While I was there I studied Spanish and Education, was very involved in my church and college group, and very in love with my work of being a Resident Assistant to the incoming freshman girls who came into the dorm I worked and lived in. Instead of taking the traditional route of going into teaching right after graduation, I decided to do something... Read more
The Story of Job: Pleading My Case
We have our moments. Moments where we feel like things aren't going right because they aren't going our way or the way we think they should go. When we go through times of suffering and adversity, we feel like we have been abandoned and sometimes hopeless. When we get to this point, we feel like we have the right to plead our case to God. This is where Job was. This is where I am. Now I am not saying that I am currently going through a time of suffering, but how I relate to Job is what you will understand in just a moment. As I am going through the story of Job, I have been stuck on Chapter 9... Read moreBeing Equipped (Part Two)
February 13, 2019 (Part Two) Sometimes I question “why me.” It seems like almost anyone would be better equipped to serve overseas. It hasn't helped that in the last year I have become aware of a new medical diagnosis and repressed trauma. I tell God how damaged I am and that I am hopeless and useless. That His and my time would be used better elsewhere. That I can just lay down and never get up and He can find a much more useful vessel for His love. Even my prayers make me hate myself. Sometimes they are so selfish I want to take them back and just tell Him that it’s going to be a loss... Read moreBeing Equipped (Part One)
February 13, 2019 In years past most of my prayers consisted of “Lord lead me” and “please give me wisdom” spread out every couples of months. This year it seems like every several months have had a more intense theme of alternating “Lord open my eyes” and “I literally can’t go on.” The more I saw, the less I could get out of bed without relying on the Word of God and a constant conversation about my current battle. The hopelessness of not having any answers to the problems I saw afflicting those closest to me kept me going back to Jesus for the will to go on. It seemed like the more I... Read moreLearning True Reliance
February 13, 2019 When I first applied to be a goer it was over a year ago in September, and when I started taking it seriously it was almost exactly a year ago. I remember in past years seeing people’s “year end summaries” saying how much they had grown in the previous year. Most years, especially in college, I definitely would have said the same. But 2018 was a larger change than I ever would have asked for sincerely. It wouldn’t have helped if someone had told me how hard it would be, but looking back I am so thankful that it was too difficult to do alone. The people I’ve met, and... Read moreI Prayed that God would Shut the Door (June 2, 2018)
June 2, 2018 I prayed that God would shut the door. On day two of training (May 28, 2018) one of the leaders referred to the goers (me included) as missionaries. Instantly my entire body rejected this new piece of information as false and I zoned out for the rest of the session. I’m not a missionary, I’m not qualified, I’m barely trained and more importantly I don’t deserve the title. Missionaries are in their late 30’s, in the jungles, transcribing Bibles while mosquitoes feed the next generation with their blood. That’s not me, I’m on my way to Croatian (now Bulgaria) to hang out with... Read more
Oh You of Little Faith
Faith. A 5-letter word that could easily make you or break you. The thing about faith though is we get to choose how it affects us and other aspects throughout our lives. But what is faith? The author of Hebrews defines it as this: “...the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen (11:7).” Faith is not fleeting but is substantial enough to generate confidence. In simpler terms: faith leads to confidence. When we look throughout the Bible, nearly everyone who accomplished anything succeeded because of the faith that they had in God. Of course, their faith wasn’t always... Read more
All Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
“Wait.” A word that most of America can’t bear to hear. We are so used to getting the things we want with the snap of our fingers -- whether it’s the newest iPhone or something we bought on Amazon Prime -- that we are just annoyed with the idea that we possibly have to wait. Don’t believe me? Let’s brainstorm. Have you ever found yourself getting annoyed when a 10-second AD rudely interrupts your YouTube or Facebook video or when you’re playing your favorite game on your phone? Do you get irritated when your favorite show on Netflix won’t release another season for the next 3 months? Have you... Read more