So, I wanted to post an update about how things have been with the World Race so far. I wanted to thank you very much for your support and guidance as preparations for the trip get underway. Even though it has been a very busy few weeks, the semester at Lenoir-Rhyne ended well. I am currently on Christmas Break and am spending time with family in the Appalachian Mountains. There are also plans to travel and visit relatives, and I hope to continue building bridges with them. I love my extended family very much; and some of them do not know the Lord. It is my hope that they will accept and get to know Jesus as their Savior. Meanwhile, the support-raising portion of the trip began over Thanksgiving, and I announced the trip on social media at the end of the semester. So far, the support raising is going very well, and I will continue to pray for the LORD’s hand in this. Meanwhile, I wanted to share about a trip that shaped my faith life and helped set the stage for the Race.
In 2018, the door opened for me to travel to China in order to teach English there with a group of Americans from different parts of the country. As I looked at the trip, the Lord re-connected me with my preschool teacher from long ago (Mrs. Mears) that I had not communicated with for years. However, she had traveled to China three times for educational purposes. She is a very sweet Christian lady that poured into her preschoolers and her church. As I prepared for the journey to East Asia, Mrs. Mears and I had delightful conversations in her home in Boone as she told stories about her time over there. Even though she was very old, she is full of life and had that “smile on that face” as she showed pictures that she carefully stored over the years. It is truly encouraging and an inspiration to see others who have traveled abroad before me. Truly, travels and work done for the Kingdom may touch people down the road in ways that are often unexpected.
On May 2019, I landed in East Asia and taught English. Our group built friendships with students, and we put on “English Nights” filled with entertainment and laughter. We would go up on the stage and sing, have pies thrown in the face, pop balloons, and many other skits. We also had times where we simply talked to our new friends about our lives in America. I would tell them about life in the mountains and what the Blue Ridge Parkway is like. They would tell me about China, their time in college, and what their families were like. We would hang out in the forest, dance together, and have moments where we just laughed and had a good time. Oh but what a blessing it was though! Friendships ran deep, and I began to be introduced to a much different culture than my own. I talked to students who were learning Physics and Spanish just like I was. We went out to the city and watched basketball matches and tried exotic foods in their downtown marketplace. We trudged through the waters at the beach to takeover a small sandbar island and call it “English Week Island” as we took pictures. Deep friendships are truly special. They are often a rarity, and seeing friendships being built is amazing and something to be cherished.
The trip took me out of the United States and placed me in a new continent. Yet as I continued to abide with the LORD on the trip, He began to expose some of my sins and challenged me to let go of certain things. It was ultimately revealed that I had been very selfish at times toward how I was treating others and my motives behind pursuing relationships. Yet if I were to truly be Jesus’ disciple, I needed to let go of my self-centered goals and be willing to take up the Cross for Him. Overcoming fear and being ok with uncertainties that arise was also crucial. Yet God also helped me through challenges that I faced. He gave me peace as I made the decision to give old friendships to Him and allowed new connections to blossom. Meanwhile, we climbed the Great Wall of China together as a group and scaled the top of the mountain. When we got on top of the wall, I opened my grandmother’s farewell letter (she passed away in January 2019) and read it to a friend that was with me. It brought a significant amount of closure in my life, and this brought peace. With the valley far below, it was defining moment to her go and thank the LORD for putting her in my path…
Near the end of the trip, our group toured the city of Beijing and learned about some of the history of China. They are a nation that has been around for thousands of years through several different dynasties and governments. Beijing has served as a critical capital city for a very long time with places such as the Forbidden City (where the Emperors resided) to confirm it. Meanwhile, the Temple of Heaven penetrated downtown Beijing as we looked out into the distant mountains. There were also a number of stores in the city that I was able to purchase wedding gifts for people dear to my heart that God placed in my path. Yet the Summer Palace was one of the most beautiful places that I visited- ever. When we climbed to the top of one of the towers, the skyline of Beijing was in the distance. A very beautiful lake was at the center of the palace, and the buildings showcased hundreds of years of history. Yet this time was also a time of reflection. For me, it was a time of restoration and being content in God’s peace among the pressures of the world. After the trip ended, I spent the summer at home and free. The past few years were growth years and often challenging at times. Yet it was time to start a new school year and look towards the future.
Seven months later, I am now at home for the holidays. While spending time with my family, I went into my room and opened up a zip locked bag of memorabilia that was taken from the trip. This brought tears to my eyes as I remembered everything that took place there. It’s crazy to think how much can happen in a year! As I wrapped items that were purchased there to give to people for Christmas, it again brought strong memories. Furthermore, I hope to archive my journal entries from the trip onto the computer before I leave on the World Race. Let the memories of what has occurred live on!! But as I look back, I also look forward as well. In just 8 short months, I will be returning to Asia to do Gospel work and outreach through the World Race. Asia is a huge continent, spanning the Muslim megacities of the Middle East to the jungles of Southeast Asia and everywhere else in between. I look forward to seeing how the LORD will work as we seek to make Christ known in many areas that do not know Him. Again, thank you very much for your support, and I look forward to keeping in touch throughout this journey…
2019 English Week Teachers.
Soccer Field at the college; preparing for American Dance Night.
The Great Wall of China!
One of the fun activities of English Night.
View from the Summer Palace, Beijing.
The Temple of Heaven, Beijing.
“Takeover” of an island at the beach by students and teachers!
