Hello! I am a college graduate teaching English and Math in North Africa. Through these blogs my hope is that you are able to see how unqualified I am, but just how good and qualified the Lord is.
Before I moved overseas, I went through quite a few different training sessions. One of the things I learned the most about was culture shock. There were 100 different examples and metaphors for how a person could experience the inevitable culture shock. I read all the books, took all the notes, and really thought I was prepared. Culture shock would have nothing on me! Or so I thought.
I am now three days into month six, and let me tell ya, culture shock is real and very much at play. While learning about it was good and important, I don’t think anything could have truly prepared me for…
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Sometimes I think we, or at least I, believe that a life overseas is going to have some grand implications. You know, there will be something “crazy” that happens everyday or you will never run out of bizarre stories. While there is some truth to that, there is also a lot of my own ignorance in those assumptions. Let me tell ya, everyday life here in the Horn of Africa is a lot less grand than you might be thinking and a whole lot more mundane - but I think that is what makes it so special.
For example, today is a typical Wednesday. I woke up at 8am, laid in bed for a while, got ready,…
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Success. It means something different to everyone you ask. The context, time frame, and end result all depend on the person and the situation. So, what does success look like for me? At the end of my two years serving in North Africa, what will be my definition of success? What would have to happen for me to look back and think “yes, I was successful” in this season?
I have been going through different cultural studies with my teammates and the one we are doing right now talks about sojourners. This study has shown me how much grace is truly offered through Jesus. While my human mind tends to…
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I have always had family around me, good friends supporting me, and places I knew I belonged. Then, I decided to move across the world, without family or friends, to a foreign country. Upon arrival, I had no idea where I would fit in or if I belonged, but I had faith and a promise that He would see me through. I can honestly say I have been shocked by the results.
My first 72 hours in-country were rough, but the Lord showed up through family. He allowed me to live about 6 houses down from team members of mine. They are young parents, with a 3 three year…
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One afternoon a couple weeks ago, I was in a language lesson when we got wildly off topic. Somehow we jumped from learning French to talking about relationships and landed on how we treat people. My tutor/friend said “I want to make sure I am a blessing, not a lesson.” I agreed with her and then tried to point us back to the topic at hand. However, as I was walking home that afternoon I couldn’t help but think about what she said.
It is not our job to save people. We do not turn hearts, change minds, or save lives. Only Jesus can do that. Yet, we…
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