The story of how I ended up interning with Rehema Home, for me, is a tangible example of God's faithfulness. So that's the story I would like to share.
Each year in the MSW program, which is the program I have been in for the past 2 years and recently graduated from, students complete internships. Students sit down with the field director and discuss their career interests and what they would like out of an internship and then the field director sends the students 2 or 3 contacts from different organizations for the student to connect with and set up an interview. After my initial meeting, I was sent one contact, with a note that if I was not interested in that one, she would look for more contacts in my areas of interest and get back to me. In the fields I was interested in, there weren't too many options.
So I contacted the organization that she had gave me and set up an interview. After the interview, the woman who interviewed me told me that if I was interested in interning there, all I had to do was return paperwork back within 2 weeks and I would be all set. And because I wanted to be done with the whole finding an internship process and liked the organization, I accepted and returned the paperwork, even though I had no peace about it and felt really unsettled in my decision.
Now, fast forward a few months and I haven't heard anything back from the woman and because it nearing the time that school started back up again, I began to get nervous. I sent a few e-mails and contacted the field director to let her know I was having difficulty getting in touch with the organization. Within those few months of not hearing anything back, I also had the opportunity to go back to Rwanda and fell in love with Africa all over again. Therefore, in my moments of nervousness due to lack of response, I started to wonder if there were any organizations in the Rochester area that worked with Africa that had interns. I know what you're thinking, probably not.
I thought it too, but then I remembered my mom told me that she had talked to a family friend who pastors a church and had mentioned a few organizations that work with Africa so I contacted the family friend and asked. She sent me back 2 organization names, which I googled and emailed that night inquirying.
The one organization told me that they were a very small organization and were unable to accept interns at this time. The other organization was Rehema Home and the communication's director, Lance, e-mailed me back and we set up a time to meet for coffee and discuss the possibility.
After meeting for coffee, I knew I wanted to intern there and be a part of the work they were doing in Kenya. The day after our coffee meeting, the field director at Roberts told me she had gotten in contact with the organization I had previously accepted the internship with and they had told her that the woman who was supposed to supervise me had lost her job and there was no longer an internship opportunity there and that she would send me other places to pursue. I told her about Rehema Home and how if that would meet all the school's requirements, I would like to intern there (after Rehema confirmed that it was an option, of course).
The field director was not sure it would meet all the requirments, but told me that I could pursue it and try. One of the requirments that the internship did not meet is that there was not a licensensed social worker on staff to supervise me for an hour each week, which is required in the MSW program, but the field director told me that if I could find an off-site supervisor and meet all the learning objectives, I could intern there. So I began the hunt for a supervisior.
I asked 5 people and got 5 no's, with good reasons but I was running out of professors and contacts to ask. And surprisnlgy I wasn't worried, ever since that intital coffee with Lance I had a peace about interning there and knew it would work out. The 6th person I asked said that they would not leave me hanging, but they thought there was a better fit than them that I should contact. I contacted the person they suggested and she said she would do it and I honestly don't think I could have had a better person for the role.
So after dotting all the i's and crossing the t's in the paperwork, I was able to intern there and it was an incredible year. I feel privileged to have been part of the team and sincerely believe it is one of the best run organizations around. The people that I got to work with each day are some of the most life-speaking, affirming people I know. When people asked me about my internship, one of my responses most often was that I love it there for so many reasons, but the greatest being that there can be a day where we don't mention the name of Jesus out loud, but there is never a day where I didn't see Him exemplified. It truly was the best internship.
And the best part is, even now after school is done, I still get to be a part, but that's another blog post. I love recalling this story and the process of becoming an intern at Rehema because it reminds me that God's plans for me are good and that He is faithful. That even in the unanswered e-mails and phone calls and even in the no's one after other, He is on my side. The verse that has rang through my ears so many times this past year is Ephesians 3:20, which talks about how God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.
All I wanted was an internship to meet the program's requirements and what I got was way more than anything I asked for or imagined could happen.
And for that, I'm beyond thankful.
