Already We Knew

There must be purpose here, ‘cuz most of us keep wakin’ up.
(Don’t you think it’s pretty here?)
It’s so unexpectedly predictable, so sloppily intentional;
does anyone know the punch line yet?

[From the song ‘Purpose’ by Cloud Cult]

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Truth be told, I expected this last week to be a lot more difficult than it has been. Arriving in Tanzania a mere seven days ago, I was armed with a desired goal [study Pastoral Care here to fulfill ELCA guidelines for Supervised Clinical Ministry requirements], plenty of time, but no actual game plan to get from point A to point B. I pictured myself having to be a trail blazer, seeking out meeting times and bushwhacking through bureaucracy. . .

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Where I anticipated confusion, there was clarity. Unbeknownst to me, plans were established and wheels were set in motion long before flight EK 725 hit the tarmac at DAR. Throughout the handful of meetings I’ve had there has been a repeated chorus:

‘Already, We Knew You Were Coming.’

Knowing that I was coming, a schedule of fieldwork was laid out at Ilula Lutheran Hospital and Village Dispensaries throughout the region. Knowing that I was coming, a Professor was lined up for me to work with at the local University. Knowing that I was coming, everything has been prepared.

All that was needed was my arrival.
Why was I so worried?