Orientation in Chicago was a whirlwind. There was so much information to digest, so many emotions to work through, so many wonderful people to spend time with, and, above all that, we had to prepare as best we could for our new adventures. My time in Chicago was amazing. First of all, it was great to be with all YAGMs again and form, albeit speedily, very deep connections that will help us all grow during this coming year and after. We also spent a lot of time talking about accompaniment, relationship building, and what it means to be a missionary all in order to prepare us for this year of service.
Though the training we received at orientation brought up some very important questions I hadn’t previously considered, I know I’m still not fully prepared for the various situations in which I will find myself as this year progresses (as far as I’m concerned, it is impossible to ever be fully prepared for what lies ahead). There are still questions I don’t have answers for and I’m sure there are many questions I haven’t even thought of yet but the experience of meeting all the incredible people as they go about their lives, even if those people ask the hard questions, will be transformative.
