WHO:

 

Those who know me pretty well call me Mere. It’s short for Meredith, but I like the nickname and the word itself is pretty cool too.  Mere means being nothing more nor better than, simple, and bare. This year I will be a mere servant, a mere volunteer, and a mere Child of God.  Nothing more, nothing less, simply living among the people in Central Europe.

Hello! I am Meredith and I’m a 22 year old who is lucky to have two places to call home.  (Although I’m learning to redefine my understanding of home!) The first is Boone, North Carolina where I was born and shaped as a young adult.  The people there greatly influenced my faith, values, love for football, and appreciation for being outside.  Life in the mountains was beautiful and safe, and quite comfortable.   And so- my family moved to the Big Easy in 2006 in a not so easy time following Hurricane Katrina.

As a sophomore in high school I struggled to call New Orleans home and accept that everything I had ever known would forever be changed.  As the city was being rebuilt and reinventing itself, I too was doing the same thing.  The flavor and culture of the city rubbed off on me and more so than ever I am proud to call New Orleans home.

I loved New Orleans so much that I decided to stay in the city to attend Tulane University.  Living in such an exciting city and cheering for the Green Wave made for an incredible college experience.   Through the summers I stayed connected to my North Carolina roots by working at Lutheridge in Arden, NC.  Outdoor Ministry is extremely important to me, and I am forever grateful for how my time at camp helped me develop and grow in my faith.

This past May I graduated from Tulane with a degree in Business Management and extensive course work in Secondary Education.  The friendships I made at Tulane and the memories made in New Orleans will always hold a special place in my heart.

And, this summer I developed even more friendships at Camp Lutherhill in La Grange, TX.  I helped lead some incredible high schoolers in the Lutheran Youth Leadership Experience (LYLE) and was privileged to work with talented, fun, and faithful young adults.  We focused on what it means to be embraced and graced by God, and our call to be servant leaders in response to God’s amazing love.  I can’t imagine a better summer to prepare me for where I am now.

So where am I now you ask?  I am in a one year mission of service though the ELCA’s program Young Adults in Global Mission in the beautiful country of Hungary!

More later on what exactly that is and what it means, but that’s it for now!