So What's Next?

The countdown begins: I have less than 6 weeks left of my internship with FSD, so naturally, I’m thinking about what’s next for me in this adventurous journey called life ...

And in fact, I will be staying here in Uganda for another 6 months! I’ve been offered a job with an NGO called the Pacific Academy Outreach Society (http://www.paoutreach.net/). It is the outreach/ministry arm of a private Christian school in Vancouver, B.C. This organization first built a secondary school in Uganda in the early 1990s, which has now become a large community center about an hour south of Masaka. They are in the process of building another secondary school just outside Masaka, where I will be staying. The position: accountant/bookkeeper. Not the most exciting position, but my responsibility would be to oversee the finances for all of their projects in Uganda, which is pretty legit. I think this would give me the opportunity to gain some practical business skills while still having the experience of living overseas.

And there are some cool possibilities for what I could be doing outside of the main position. At the community center, they have a microfinance and entrepreneurship program, which they want me to contribute to. And since I would be here for another 6 months, it would enable me to follow up on projects I’ve been working on with Masaka Elders SACCO, further ensuring the sustainability of my work, which after all, is the point of a “sustainable development” internship. I’ve also met a young couple from the States that has been here for about a year and a half who have started their own social business (making re-usable sanitary pads for women – not the “sexiest” social business in the world, but it’s very important in allowing teenage girls to attend school), so I would be able to help them develop their business – in small ways. The accountant position isn’t necessarily a “full-time” position, so if you’re wondering how I think I’ll be able to do all these different things, it’s because my time would not be filled purely by this position.

I hadn’t really planned on staying in Uganda for more that the initial 4+ months, but this opportunity came up that made me re-think all of that. Before my trip, I had said that I was taking life one step at a time, waiting to see how my time in Uganda would influence what I was going to do next. But I think that truly, in the back of my mind, I figured I would come here, learn a lot and have a great experience, and then come back to the comfort and familiarity of the Northwest and “really start my post-college life.” And even once I got here, after thinking about it for the first couple months, I felt like I would simply come home, find a job, etc. But when this opportunity came up, I really had to pause and think and pray about what the Lord was asking of me, and where He wanted me to go.

So as I’ve been praying about what to do next with my life, the question of community is pretty central to that decision. When I was in Eugene before I left for Uganda, I was missing that real, intentional community I had in Seattle. And again here, I’ve been missing that sense of community. So when I think about coming back to the Seattle area, I get excited about what it could look like to be back in community with old friends, as well as developing new community with co-workers and in a church body. But a word of hope for here and now: these Canadians have provided a bit of community for me, and as I stay here for this job, I am optimistic about the prospect of settling in with them and developing some real relationships and fellowship.

So I’ve decided to stay, and I am confidently going forward with this decision. I think that anything waiting for me in Seattle will still be there in another 6 months, and this is an opportunity that is hard to pass up. I’m at a stage in life that I still have the freedom and flexibility to take a position like this, whereas if/when I come home, find a job, and settle in, it will be much harder to uproot myself. So this may come as a shock to some, and others may not be surprised that I’m staying in Africa longer, but I hope that you all can join me in my excitement for this next chapter of life.

Obviously, I am already missing many of you deeply, and the idea of being here another 7 months (1 more month with FSD, and then 6 months with PAOS … I’ll be home in December), is a little daunting, but I know that the Lord is good and will provide community for me here as well as means of communication with those back home (ah, how I love technology). So, on that note, since I won’t be home for a while, if you want to get in touch with me, please feel free to send me an email. Or we can talk on Skype! (You should look me up – I’m pretty sure there’s not many other “Scott Fillingame”s out there.) It really is encouraging when I hear from people back home, so even if you think your life may not be as “exciting” as living in Africa (and trust me, my life here is not always “exciting”), please update me and let me know how you’re doing and what’s going on in your life.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all are doing well. From beautiful Uganda: blessings to all!