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Marissa - Czech Republic Updates

Class of 2016
English Teacher in Czech Republic
Track: Teaching track
Region: Europe
Acts 1:8-"But you will recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Five years ago, if someone had approached me and told me that, in August 2016 I would be on a plane, ready to serve for two years in Prague, Czech Republic, I probably wouldn't have believed them. I would have told them, "No way, not me. I'm never leaving San Diego." My plan in college was simple; get my teaching credential from a local state school, get a job teaching at the same elementary school as my mom (the elementary school I, also, attended), get married, have kids, and live in San Diego. Leaving, apart from maybe some vacations, was never a part of my plan. Thankfully, I serve a God who has plans of His own, plans that are bigger and better than my own.

About a month before I was to start at the state school, I got a call. It was the admissions office of the university. It turned out that they had just counted my units and I was two units short. I needed 60 units to transfer, I only had 58. They were rescending my addmission. Immediately, all of my plans, everything I had been working towards, was torn away. I couldn't believe that I had miscounted those units. How did something that small get past my notice? I can't tell you how many times I counted and recounted those units. As my mom got on the phone with the admissions office, trying to find a solution, I began to cry. I asked God, "Why God? Why is this happening? I did everything right!" It was at this time that God reminded me of Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." I realized at that moment that I had never really consulted God when it came to my plan. I knew then that, while I had made plans, God was now establishing my steps. I prayed that God would direct me to my next step. And so He brought me to Biola University.

I began attending Biola the following spring and immediately could tell it was where God wanted me. That first semester I attended the annual Missions Conference. During this three day conference all classes are cancelled so that students and staff can focus exclusively on the Great Commission. As I heard various speakers, missionaries, and pastors speak about their ministries overseas something began to stir in my heart. I had never been open to going overseas but, since my plans with the state school had fallen through, God had been pressing upon me to stop saying no to Him and just be open to what He might have in store for me. I wasn't completely convinced yet, but I definitely felt God doing something. And so I went about studying and working hard on my classes. During these two years at Biola God began to refine me as a teacher. As I began working more and more in classrooms I realized that teaching was my ministry. Each time I stepped into a classroom God found a way to affirm that this was my calling. Every part of me felt made to teach. At the same time I was developing a passion for education, God was also using my bible classes to teach me about His Kingdom. Over and over again I saw how God called people to take care of widows, orphans, and foreigners. The more I studied, the more I couldn't deny the obvious truth that God calls all Christians to go, in some capacity. I began to hear a whisper in my heart, quiet at first and growing louder with the passing weeks and months. And the whisper was something akin to Isaiah 6:8, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Much to my surprise, I found myself responding in the same way Isaiah had, "Here I am! Send me." In just two short years, God completely reoriented my heart, giving me a passion for teaching and those who didn't yet know Him.

So I began to seek opportunities to serve overseas. January 2015 I went on my first overseas mission trip to India. There, I spent ten days working with and serving members of the lowest cast. I walked away understanding that, even in the darkest of circumstances, God is present. The follwing summer I travelled to Indonesia, where I taught summer school at an international Christian school. This was my first time teaching in a cross-cultural context, with students and collegues who were from an entiriely different culture than me. During this time God showed me the value and possibilities for teaching in such a context. I left both India and Indonesia with a desire for something more long-term. A while back, while still at Biola, I had stumbled across GoCorps. GoCorps' mission statement and vision had really appealed to me. I appreciated their views on all Christians as Goers and their commitment to helping recent graduates get overseas. So, almost immediately after completing student teaching in the fall of 2015, I began the application and interview process. My coach introduced me to TeachBeyond, a non-profit that seeks to send Christian educators to countries where there is a need for the Gospel. The hope, is that teachers will be able to provide a wholistic education, while also building relationships so that they can share their faith in Jesus. I was able to find a team in Prague, where there was a need for an elementary school teacher. It just so happened that I was the only qualified applicant for this position. Hearing that, I knew God was definitley working and that He wanted me to join this team.

Since commiting to GoCorps and TeachBeyond I have felt at peace and so happy with the turn of events my life took just a few years ago. Looking back, I realize that my life is nothing like I thought it would be. And I couldn't be happier. I had such a small view of God and what a life with Him could be like. He has completely shattered that view. He has given me an even bigger picture of Him. Instead of agonizing over every detail and planning for a future that might never happen, I do my best to just follow Him. Moment by moment, day by day. I hope that I will continue to do so no matter where He takes me in the future; whether it be to San Diego, somewhere else in the U.S., Prague, or even to the end of the earth.

My Letter to a Future Goer

By on Track: Teaching Region: Europe

Dear Future Goer,  Hi, my name is Marissa and something you should know about me is that I am very "Type A." If there are rules, I follow them. If I'm told to get somewhere at a specific time, I get there five mintues early. I like to have a place for everything and everything in its place. This way of thinking has even extended to how I treat God. You see, I like putting God in a box. I went to a bible college, so I know, putting God in a box is silly, ridiculous even. But I'm human. So, that's where I put Him. Thankfully, God is not one to be limited. He very much enjoys showing… Read more >>

What are you doing next year?

By on Track: Teaching Region: Europe

This is the question that has followed me for the past few weeks. I know, it seems early for me to be getting asked this question. But, in reality, the international teaching community typically has to make a decison in either January or February for the following year. So, yes, the answer to this question has been heavily weighing on my mind. Being a future orientated person, thoughts about "what's next" are never far from my mind. However, God is continually teaching me how to be present in the moment. A few weeks ago I was scolding my 3rd grade class. They had been quite naughty and so I… Read more >>

Build Your Kingdom Here

By on Track: Teaching Region: Europe

The first time I heard the song "Build Your Kingdom Here," by Rend Collective, was a year ago. On the last day of GoWeek there was a video recapping our week of support raising training, team building, and fun. "Build Your Kingdom Here" was the song the video was set to. For those of you who haven't heard the song, its essentially a prayer for God's Kingdom to reign on Earth. It's uplifting, inspiring, and full of hope. Almost exactly one year after hearing this song for the first time, I got the opportunity to volunteer and attend a Rend Collective concert here in Prague. When they played "… Read more >>

God's Provision

By on Track: Teaching Region: Europe

A couple of weeks ago I went on a retreat with my TeachBeyond team. All eight of us headed to the city of Brno, the Czech Republics second biggest city. We spent the weekend discussing how to transition back to the States, whether it would be just for the summer or long term, and reflecting on all the Lord had done this past school year. One exercise we did was go through each month of the past year and write down the highlights from each month. After making my list I felt amazed, humbled, and grateful. I could see clearly how much God had provided for me over the past year. From raising all… Read more >>

Talking 4th Graders Through an Existential Crisis

By on Track: Teaching Region: Europe

"Just to prepare you, there's a lot of emotion right now. Apparently, Emma's hamster died and it's caused some of the other girls to get emotional." This is how my co-teacher greeted me when she walked into class Monday afternoon. We were about to teach our 4th graders, a group of children full of energy and emotion. I watched with wide-eyes as four of the girls walked into the classroom, crying hysterically. I started the class, thinking that they might calm down. After a few mintues it became apparent that the girls needed a moment to talk about what was happening. I discreetly tapped the… Read more >>

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