What! Whaaaat! Why CHINA?!?!?
I imagine this is what all you gangster friends out there are thinking. So let me explain...
Since high school I have wanted to teach internationally - specifically in Asia. This initially developed from a desire to return to Faith Academy, a missionary school I visited for a day in grade 5 on a family trip to the Philippines. Throughout the past 7 years when teaching seemed so far off I would sometimes frequent the school's website to gain a little excitement. Asia!
But why China? I think it just grew on me. During my history degree I took 2 Chinese history courses which really fascinated me. Then when I returned to the Philippines in 2006 I had a brief layover in Hong Kong - enough to catch a glimpse of the lush hills of trees and low clouds. From that point on I promised myself I'd return to EXPLORE! One year I even dressed up as a Chinese rice picker for halloween :) And by the time I was at Capernwray in 07/08 I knew that my next big trip would be to CHINA! I learned about the BC Offshore schools in China through my university and I was pretty interested. This past spring I finally visited China and it was an AMAZING trip! No doubt that God had his hand in working out the details of things like the timing for visiting friends and family. It was such a refreshing time. I came home thinking "I'll be back." At this point I had already applied to teach over here and had had an interview, but no job.
That month after returning home was interesting. After 7 clearly planned years (school does that to you) I had been looking forward to living in the unknown - simply trusting that God would reveal his plan for my next steps in his timing. And there were moments like that - of soaring through the air on the swings (literally) and feeling free and full of hope. I find that whole trust thing so much easier until I get an idea in my head of what I think would be perfect for me. So as much as I felt such a peace when I came home from China about returning to teach there - so much that I turned down a job offer in another city in hopes of receiving an offer in the city I had visited - after a couple weeks I began to question waiting. And so began the frantic googling of Asian international schools and sending out resumes. At the time I had no words to describe how I was feeling. [emotional. stressed. anxious.] I was reminded of Philippians 4: 6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." BAM. in my face! :) Seriously though, how relevant at that moment. The most stressful moment, but also where I see God the most, was when I received a job offer for a school in Shanghai. In my head I was trying to convince myself but emotionally and physically I felt like I could start crying at any moment OR vomit - clearly NOT that peace the verse is talking about. And as backwards as turning another job down seemed, the peace that decision brought overwhelmed me. Praise God! The following week I was offered a job at the school I had been hoping for. I am teaching Grade 10 PE and Planning at the girls campus and I AM PUMPED!!!
So I'm in China. I am sure this is the place I'm meant to be at the moment. And I am crazy excited for this adventure - living on my own, officially teaching, being in China, getting connected and getting to know my Father better!
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