Julia Pryor
Why Mission Year
Wow! I am so excited and amazed to think about what I will be doing for the next year as a team member of Mission Year! I have considered this possibility a number of times, but only recently has the timing seemed right!
I am a 23-year-old registered nurse who graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in May 2008 with my BSN. Since graduation, I have been living and working in San Diego County, as well as attending a small church where I have had the privilege of growing with my Christian family and serving in a variety of capacities. Although I live in “So-Cal,” I visit my family as much as I can in northern California (although my younger brother sometimes makes it difficult to stay in touch when he’s hitchhiking around the Southwestern US with his friends!).
For the past year, I have been working as a Public Health Nurse for the County of San Diego. I love my job! However, serving the under-privileged through providing education and resources to young families has simply been a job I get paid to do, rather than a way of life. Unfortunately, I’ve realized that I rarely take the initiative to love my neighbor “after-hours,” even though God has commanded it. Throughout my college years and now, God has been drawing my attention to the Greatest Commandments — loving God with my whole being, and loving my neighbor as myself. So easily, I find myself simply going through the motions of a faithful Christian, without having the heart behind it. As I Corinthians 13 points out, without love, all my efforts are meaningless!
I am hoping that my decision to join Mission Year is a step of obedience in what I believe God is calling me to do. This next year is sure to be one filled with challenges and lessons that I need to learn through my community and teammates. My prayer is that I will continue a lifestyle of loving God and loving my neighbor once I return to the working world after Mission Year (or to whatever God has in store for me). Please pray with me that I will be open to whatever God has for me in this coming year and in my life beyond.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Julia Pryor's Blog
Bird of Prey / Nov 14, 04:05 PM
The other day I was trying to find my bus stop in Midtown Atlanta. The block I was walking happened to be the location of one of our country’s Federal Reserves. As I gazed at this massive bank, I was struck by the sight of a sculpture adorning the front entrance: a bronze bird of prey. My thought? How ironic! I used to think of the bank as a source of good. Mom and Dad would say we needed to go by the ATM, which of course was a great detour because it meant instant cash. The bank was a stork delivering bags of money. Now, after the whole recession fiasco and my face-to-face encounter with the plight of the urban poor, I’m seeing circumstances a bit differently. Our economic system, as I understand it, was originally designed to give all a fair and equal chance at financial success. But now, I’m starting to see how the wealthy or well-educated may simply be empowered by their access to resources to benefit from the banking system that preys on the weak and poor. Am I being hypocritical to criticize our system of capitalism? Perhaps. I’m sure I’ve benefited from it in some way. I honestly don’t really know how to articulate what I’m thinking or feeling right now. Just struck with the conflict or paradox of what I’m seeing. Resources can be an awesome asset if not kept in the upper crust or used as a “band-aid” on the lower crust.
How does this translate into my life after Mission Year? I don’t know yet. I have to admit that I like living comfortably, and more than likely I will not have to worry about becoming the bird’s prey. But how can I ignore the victimization of those who don’t have the resources to escape their situation? How can I refuse my Christian calling to live in solidarity with my brothers and sisters — humanity as a whole? Where is this year taking me?
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i'm here! / Sep 8, 01:55 PM
so after a couple days of travel, some days spent in my new home with the housemates, and then a few days of orientation at a state park campsite, i’m finally feeling like i’m settling into my new home. i’m currently using the internet at the Marketplace, a thriftstore/coffeeshop run by a program called MetroMerge. it’s a fun place to use the internet, meet people from the area, and just chill for a while.
i am super excited to start hanging out with the neighbors. already, my teammates and i have met some really cool people living in the neighborhood. i know that cities across the US vary in how people react to strangers in the neighborhood, and i have been pleasantly surprised at the warm reception we’ve received from our new church (Henry M White Methodist) and our neighbors. so cool!
the next couple weeks will probably prove to be pretty busy as we start orientation for our city (the other was for all the Mission Year teams all over the US), and then seek our community service sites. i have a couple ideas in mind, but i’m trying to remember that the point is to serve in whatever capacity i can, not to find the “best fit” for my skills or background.
right now i have a lot of new information and challenging ideas swirling around in my head and it will probably take all year for me to process them. i’m not sure how often i’ll keep my blog updated considering the fact that i will also be sending out monthly newsletters. i’ve never been much of a journal-er and so these blogs do not exactly come smoothly. please bear with me. i have business to take care of with bills and such so i’m signing off for now. (bills, probably a future blog subject).
okay, til next time…
is this really happening? / Jul 31, 12:02 PM
I seriously feel like my head is in a whirl right now! Support letters, emails, travel arrangements, city research, book purchases, packing, moving… there is still so much to do! Well, actually, I do have the satisfaction of checking a few items off the list. I’ve sent out support letters to as many names as I could come up with (with the aid of my parents and grandparents), and I’ve read up a bit on Atlanta, and now I have officially booked my flight for Atlanta, GA. Agh!!! I’m actually doing this! Not that I’m alone in this atmosphere of excitement — the more emails I read from my teammates, the more pumped up I’m getting! I can already see how diverse our team will be, which is so cool considering how many different strengths and gifts each member will be able to bring to the table.
Of course, I’ve already heard a few negatives from one or two naysayers regarding my impending move to the inner city… and yeah, it does make me a little nervous to realize that me, a young, blonde white girl will be living “out of my element,” as some may put it. But, on the other hand, I realize that I will have the support and protection of my teammates, not to mention God of course. And that if something “adverse” were to occur to any of us, I can hold to the promise that God works for good for them that love Him and are called according to His purpose. Most likely, my exposure to life outside my little bubble will help me grow and change beyond my expectations, while I seek out change in my community. And, yes, the reality is that I can change no one (that’s not my job), only love people with the overflow of God’s love. And that’s what I’m going to do (I hope!).
So much to think and pray about, so many thoughts and feelings swirling through me! But so cool to realize that God is directing my path and that He has a purpose in all this, much better than I can ever imagine, whether that purpose will be immediately evident or not, and whether that purpose will “feel good” or not.
Definitely time to sit back and rest a while before the tumult begins…
But first, I need to follow up on fund-raising, purchase a few books, start packing, say goodbyes to all my San Diegan friends and family… :-D
(P.s. I promise I will actually do the sitting back and resting a while)
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