The Year that Was 2006

Reflecting on a dream year...

In August 2005, I would embark on a long dream of mine to teach abroad. God blessed me with the opportunity to teach in Taiwan. Finally, what I had prayed for and desired for the last 6 or so years had come true. Embarking on this new challenge in my professional career meant that I would be stepping out of my comfort circle into literally a foreign territory. After a year of teaching in a small city in Taiwan, I had experienced first hand teaching English as a Second Language to students from kindergarten to grade 6! Many of these students had very little experience in the English language. With the ups and downs of my job, I would not have traded it for all the experiences and friendships that were formed along the way. The interest that students showed and the joy and enthusiasm they displayed in attending class, or even the unique shyness they showed in wanting to get to know me was enough to motivate and energize me for daily teaching. God shown His face in each of these situations and more. His blessings were countless and I was overwhelmed at the beauty and grace of His daily provisions.

Personally, for a year, I was away from all the comforts that are indicative of home. The life that I was beginning was going to be full of new paths, challenges, joys and struggles. Independence was a powerful thing because through it, I learned self-sufficiency and dependence on myself. Although I had a network of newly found friends and relatives that contributed to help me settle down and adjust, I knew that ultimately, my dependence on self sufficiency was anchored by a faith that was centered on God. I was profoundly aware of His presence and believed that no matter what, all of my needs would be looked after.

A whole year flew by without a seconds thought that I'm finding it difficult to find the time nowadays to reflect on the year that I was just in Taiwan. In fact, as I had shared with many, Taiwan seems almost like a lifetime ago. Despite this feeling, I have really tried to find the time to quietly reflect on my time away and to form those images in my mind, slowly envisioning the sights, sounds, feelings and smells to capture specific moments in time. What a grand and powerful exercise it is to think in retrospect. As I do, I'm filled with heartfelt thanks that God would bless that exact moment in time, that exact moment in my life to give me this experience of teaching abroad.

I give thanks for the joy that is teaching and the embodiment that makes teaching very challenging yet completely fulfilling. I'm thankful for my family and relatives whose unconditional love supported me throughout my time there. I'm grateful for old and new friends who encouraged, guided and supported me. I remember the students who I had the honour of teaching and interacting with. I will always remember their faces and my moments with them. I give thanks for every friend that I made and especially for the ones that grew very dear to me. Our laughs, travels, enjoyment of food, interaction and experiences in life will be treasured always.

The year has been an exceptional one. With a new and fresh start at my school, I feel that God will continue to challenge me as I pursue growth and renewal. It's not always easy or brave to tackle the unknown or the paths that take us out of our comfort zones. I've been pleasantly surprised in this area for the last number of years. Whatever lays ahead in 2007, I welcome God to work in my life. I continue to pray that God would be my steadfast anchor and the very center of my life. May my life radiate from that center.