October 2009

Embracing the Adventure

After spending the last four years in Nakaale, Uganda, Katie and Emily Tricarico have learned how to follow God′s lead — wherever He chooses to take them. This fall, Emily is beginning her freshman year at Geneva College, and Katie will be studying in Geneva′s new Semester in Rome program.

“I have traveled many miles over the past five years,” Katie says. “Traveling has taught me to be more easy-going, less uptight and ever more faithful to trust in God. My plans have rarely been executed perfectly, and not only is that entirely okay, but unexpected challenges and plans are part of the adventure.”

The Tricaricos moved to Uganda in 2005, joining a missionary pastor and his family, two deacons′ families and a medical doctor. The largest mission of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Nakaale is a group of villages in the Karamoja region.

“I think the fact that we spent most of our teenage years in such a completely different setting, helped with our adaptability and our trust in God,” Emily says. “In Africa, plans change so quickly. If we ever went to the city for anything, you always packed for a couple more days than you actually planned to stay. Things change, so you just accept that — and it′s really fun to live that way sometimes! You just learn to appreciate the differences in lifestyles and the opportunities you have to just live a different life.”

Uganda was also where they learned about Geneva College. “The Reformed Presbyterian church has sent mission teams to Uganda almost every summer since we′ve been there,” Katie says. “Basically, the people who visited us said that Geneva was the best school ever and we shouldn′t go anywhere else. So I decided to look into it.”

Looking into it was one thing; applying was another.  “It′s really hard to apply to colleges from Uganda. At the time, we didn′t have the internet or a really reliable phone service or anything so it was really difficult, but Anne Modro at the admissions office was really good about helping me,” Katie says.

By the time Emily applied a year later, the mission had better internet service, but Geneva still made every effort to make the process as smooth as possible. “I′m not even sure I applied anywhere else,” Emily says. “God has smoothed my way so much that I was left with no doubts that this is where He wanted me to be.”

Katie and Emily got to spend a few short weeks together at Geneva this fall, and now they are on opposite sides of the world again. However, after four years of taking life as it comes, they are both looking forward to the adventure.