This week has brought me back to Pearl River, NY to participate in Africa Inland Mission's Candidate Week. Only this time, I have a new title. Instead of participating as a candidate, I'm here as a volunteer staff member. I'm looking forward to meeting the new candidates as they arrive tomorrow. I'll be leading the morning devotions Tuesday through Friday, hosting a Namibian meal Wednesday night, and being around to assist the full-time staffers with the logistics of this week. I remember my week here as a candidate in November 2008 (I can't believe it was so long ago!) and what an exciting time it was! After your initial interview with AIM, Candidate Week is the first major step in the process of getting appointed as a missionary with AIM. For many, serving in Africa has been a lifelong desire. So finally getting to this step of that journey is a huge deal! I'm looking forward to sharing in all of that excitement as I get to hear stories and testimonies of how each of these individuals got to this point.