Modern Day Slavery

I did end up fishing yesterday. Caught some good ol' fashioned water, moss, and sun.

So let me go ahead and clear the air right now. This post isn't going to be about slavery in any way, shape, or form. Or about trafficking, which is definitely the modern day equivalent of slavery. Or about the NFL, since apparently, some guys think it's slavery to work for millions of dollars a year.

Riiiight.

Really, the title was just to get you here and get you reading, and it worked, didn't it? I promise it's relevant, though, so while you're here, you might as well keep reading!

Here's what's going down: today, my wife and I, along with another girl from our school, are starting our internships (or "DFEs," if you want to get technical - see this post for more details). Today, we begin our 400 hour trek through the summer, working for free.

I sort of feel like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (which is a must-see if you haven't already). Except I don't have a kid. Nor do I forget to pay my taxes. And I'm not nearly that good looking. Minor details. But I definitely have the whole "I'm working a full-time job for free" thing going for me.

Can't you see the resemblance?

Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about this quite yet. That might have to do with the fact that we don't know what we're doing. Not a bit. It also might have something to do with the fact that I've never had a full-time job. It doesn't really scare me, except when it comes to my health. I'm not sure how I'll hold up over the day, especially since we work 9 hour shifts three days of the week.

I also am a little scared. I'm a little nervous that I'll be asked to do something that I'm not very good at. And I'm not used to not being good at things. I do well in school without trying. I used to be pretty decent at sports without having to work terribly hard. I can play music and sing without much effort. But what if I actually have to try at something this summer? I know I sound like an arrogant pig, but I'm genuinely nervous about the idea of not being good at something.

And then, on top of that, there's the whole money thing. Oh, money. I hate money. I hate that we have to have it. I hate what it does to people. But I mostly hate that, without it, people can die. Now I'm not saying we're on the verge of starvation because we're working internships this summer. However, what I am saying is that being married and simultaneously working full-time jobs for no pay is difficult.

God is going to take care of us, though.

He took care of me when I spent a month in Sierra Leone, all the while knowing I would soon need money to buy a certain ring for a certain special someone in my life.

He took care of us the next summer as newlyweds who were spending the summer serving those in our hometown (without jobs), trying to get acclimated to each other while leading others.

He took care of us last summer as we spent nine weeks in Taiwan, caring for and falling in love with the orphans at The Home of God's Love, not making a penny along the way.

God is ~~going to take~~ taking care of us.

I feel ashamed that I'm scared of what this summer holds. Especially when God has proven himself to me time and time again. But the reality is, I'm human, and at times, I struggle with fear - of the unknown, of not being in control, of not knowing what's next.

So, with all of that being said, I have two requests for you.

First of all, would you pray for us? Even if you're not into the whole prayer thing, I'd appreciate it. Even just a quick 5 second prayer. Those do count, ya know. It would mean the world to us and I know that your prayers for us can change our lives drastically.

Secondly, as you've read all of this, if you've felt the desire to help us out as we're trying to get through the summer, I have a couple of ways you can tangibly help. The first is, well, prayer. Because, honestly, I can't say it enough. Prayers are the most helpful thing we can get. If you want to do more, though, I've come up with a couple of things that would be very helpful.

Odd jobs. If you live in the Wichita, KS area and need some odd jobs done, I'm your man. I'll work for cheap and do what I can. Just shoot me an e-mail (awaller1990@gmail.com) if you've got something you need done.
Along the same lines - writing and proofreading work. Kalyn and I both love writing. And we've both worked as proofreaders at our college for the Written Composition department, so we have some experience with editing. If you have any sort of writing work you'd like done, just let me know somehow. I'm game for anything!
Leaving a tip. This is definitely my least favorite option, but I didn't want to completely ignore it. I've added a feature here on Life Before the Bucket that allows you to "leave a tip" after visiting. It's sort of like going to Starbucks, getting a nice White Mocha Frappucino, and tipping someone because they delivered your drink with a smile. Except I'm not charging $5 for a sugar and caffeine high. In fact, Life Before the Bucket is free and always will be! Anyway, I've put the minimum/suggested tip as 50 cents, but you donate/tip as much as you want. So if you read something here and it inspires you, makes your day a little better, makes you think, or if you just want an easy way to help out, leave a tip! I'll love you forever and I'll let you have my mom's pug, because no one at her house likes her anyway.

Don't tell my mom I'm giving away her dog!

So there you have it. And if you can think of other ways that you want to help us out, I'm open to pretty much anything. Just get in contact with me through e-mail, Twitter (@awaller1990), a comment, or the Life Before the Bucket Facebook page.

And thanks for reading. I really appreciate you, in the least creepiest way possible.