Friday, March 19, 2010
Nietzsche was wrong.
This afternoon I received an e-mail from M.T., the minister's wife at the church where I'll be worshiping in Japan, which, among other things, stated that this year's application process was very competitive. I don't know how many people applied; but apparently it was a considerable amount. To read this news from her is humbling, for I am sure that many if not all the other applicants would have made fine teachers. But it also affirms my absolute certainty that this move to Japan is not just an exciting opportunity but also a divinely-appointed opportunity. Too many prayers have been answered to be written off as coincidence. Mr. Nietzsche, God isn't dead. He's alive and active in the lives of those who seek Him.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
My Journey with God to Japan
In 1999, I was hired to teach English with a private company language company in Japan. At the time I felt that God was calling me to return to Japan to teach English. (I had gone to Japan in 1998 with Let’s Start Talking, an organization whose mission is to teach English using the Bible.) But I got scared, so I backed out. It's been the biggest regret of my life; and I've thought off and on throughout the years since that one day I should go. In fact, as recently as spring 2009, I'd contacted a teacher at a local community college to ask about getting into her Elementary Japanese I class during the next fall semester because I was planning on going to Japan within the next couple of years. While finances prevented me from enrolling in the class, little did I know that I would be leaving before having had the chance to complete that first year of Elementary Japanese.
For many reasons, I'd been asking the Lord since late-summer or early-fall to show me how He wanted me to serve Him. In November I reconnected with a former co-worker and friend, M.T. While we were talking on the phone about my work dissatisfaction, she asked me about my biggest regret. When I told her about not having gone to Japan in 1999, she told me that the only way I would get rid of this regret was to go and teach English in Japan and that she thought I needed to do it. I thought it was a ridiculous thing for me to consider at my age. But I told her that I'd pray about it. I prayed that I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was what the Lord wanted me to do. After several days passed, I couldn’t tell if this was what the Lord wanted me to do. So I prayed specifically that someone with no prior knowledge of my current consideration for teaching English in Japan (which was everyone in the world other than two friends, M.T. and C.A.) would ask me about it by November 30. On November 29, I was at my mom's house to help her put up her Christmas tree when my brother handed me a stack of papers. He said that they were 10 years old and that he didn't imagine I'd want them. But since they were mine, he was giving them to me to decide what should be done with them. They were envelopes from supporters for my summer 1998 LST mission and printouts of e-mails that I'd sent to Mom and her sisters while I was there. I was so excited because I felt like this was my answer. But then my brother asked me if I ever planned to return to China or Japan. So then I knew that I had my answer – God wanted me to go to Japan in 2010!
I got reconnected with J.O., the trainer from my summer 1998 LST mission, in early December to apply for a position as an Assistant English Teacher. Although I also reapplied to the organization that hired me in 1999 and was invited to Los Angeles for an interview on January 19, I couldn't get away from work. After many more answers to specific prayers, I realized that God was calling me to work with children in a public school system, for on January 18, J.O. told me that he would like to recommend me for hire. Ten days later I found out that I definitely would be joining the AET program and went to Oklahoma City over Valentine's Day weekend for orientation with the other new AETs.
As excitingly in my mind, I will be connected with a church, which was something else I had been praying about. I met the minister and his family when I was in Japan 12 years ago; and I reconnected with them during my last few months at ACU. So it's really interesting to me to consider that perhaps the reason God called me to ACU in the first place (which I have always believed that He did), was to get me back to Japan, for they are the ones who put me in touch with J.O.
I'm flying to Japan on April 15 to teach for the next year. But if the public school system likes me and I like the work I'm doing, I can see myself staying for at least one more year. I'm so excited to be working with children! I hadn't foreseen myself returning to school to get my teaching certification since I have earned two degrees already. But Dostoevsky had it right when he said, “The soul is healed by being with children.” I know that just because God has called me to do this and just because I like kids doesn't mean that this is going to be an all-rainbows-and-butterflies experience. I'm sure I'll get homesick, have culture stress, and face other challenges. But I look forward to seeing how God works in me and through me while I'm there.
For many reasons, I'd been asking the Lord since late-summer or early-fall to show me how He wanted me to serve Him. In November I reconnected with a former co-worker and friend, M.T. While we were talking on the phone about my work dissatisfaction, she asked me about my biggest regret. When I told her about not having gone to Japan in 1999, she told me that the only way I would get rid of this regret was to go and teach English in Japan and that she thought I needed to do it. I thought it was a ridiculous thing for me to consider at my age. But I told her that I'd pray about it. I prayed that I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was what the Lord wanted me to do. After several days passed, I couldn’t tell if this was what the Lord wanted me to do. So I prayed specifically that someone with no prior knowledge of my current consideration for teaching English in Japan (which was everyone in the world other than two friends, M.T. and C.A.) would ask me about it by November 30. On November 29, I was at my mom's house to help her put up her Christmas tree when my brother handed me a stack of papers. He said that they were 10 years old and that he didn't imagine I'd want them. But since they were mine, he was giving them to me to decide what should be done with them. They were envelopes from supporters for my summer 1998 LST mission and printouts of e-mails that I'd sent to Mom and her sisters while I was there. I was so excited because I felt like this was my answer. But then my brother asked me if I ever planned to return to China or Japan. So then I knew that I had my answer – God wanted me to go to Japan in 2010!
I got reconnected with J.O., the trainer from my summer 1998 LST mission, in early December to apply for a position as an Assistant English Teacher. Although I also reapplied to the organization that hired me in 1999 and was invited to Los Angeles for an interview on January 19, I couldn't get away from work. After many more answers to specific prayers, I realized that God was calling me to work with children in a public school system, for on January 18, J.O. told me that he would like to recommend me for hire. Ten days later I found out that I definitely would be joining the AET program and went to Oklahoma City over Valentine's Day weekend for orientation with the other new AETs.
As excitingly in my mind, I will be connected with a church, which was something else I had been praying about. I met the minister and his family when I was in Japan 12 years ago; and I reconnected with them during my last few months at ACU. So it's really interesting to me to consider that perhaps the reason God called me to ACU in the first place (which I have always believed that He did), was to get me back to Japan, for they are the ones who put me in touch with J.O.
I'm flying to Japan on April 15 to teach for the next year. But if the public school system likes me and I like the work I'm doing, I can see myself staying for at least one more year. I'm so excited to be working with children! I hadn't foreseen myself returning to school to get my teaching certification since I have earned two degrees already. But Dostoevsky had it right when he said, “The soul is healed by being with children.” I know that just because God has called me to do this and just because I like kids doesn't mean that this is going to be an all-rainbows-and-butterflies experience. I'm sure I'll get homesick, have culture stress, and face other challenges. But I look forward to seeing how God works in me and through me while I'm there.
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