Why I chose ESM

How I went from refusing to do a year of mission, planning my teaching career, to ending up at a mission school in New York.

So, whenever I thought of missionaries I always imagined them to be people that I could never relate to. I was never attracted to the idea of putting my life on hold while I went galavanting around the world to tell people about Jesus. But then I came across ESM a few years back when I met a bunch who had done it previously and they all spoke about how much it changed their life in a way that brought God into the centre.

Every person who had done the school told me to do it. Every time I heard that the less I wanted to do it.

But then when I got to my last year of studying for my bachelor's degree in primary teaching I had to think about where I wanted to go next. I was in contact with a company that assists student teachers transition into schools in England. Simultaneously, I had a close friend (who is an ex-Director of ESM Rome) nudging me to apply for the mission school.

So I applied but I wasn't going to go through with it because I was pretty set on teaching in England - I was beginning to sort out my accommodation and everything. But, of course, God had other plans. I received acceptance from ESM New York and I was given a week to make a decision. So I thought, bugger it- what's the worst that could happen?

And there you have it. I'm a missionary living in New York!

The purpose of this blog is to show you what ESM is. People are always curious to know what it is in a nutshell, but it ain't fit for a nutshell. It is too rich of an experience to put into a simple explanation so I hope this blog is sufficient enough to give you a general idea of what it's all about. Enjoy!