How did God lead you to go?
I adore teaching, and I wanted to use my skills to travel, serve, and experience other cultures. I love seeing more of the scope of God’s creation, both in nature and in people. By teaching other missionaries’ kids, families are able to stay on the field and serve God as he has called them. I love getting to know such varied people and broadening my own horizons.
What did a typical week in the field look like?
Our school functions like a typical school, so my job is relatively ‘normal’, but we also have to contend with blackouts, resources not arriving on time, teachers and students constantly coming and going, and many other things that make our lives just that little bit more hectic than anyone would like! I also enjoy getting to see some of the local ministries around town when I have time and practicing the local language by talking to people.
Share a story of your experience:
My favourite part of the year is when we take years 9 – 12 out to a remote village for two weeks. I mean no electricity, running water, toilets, showers, anything. We wash in rivers, cook over fires or on camping stoves, dig pit toilets, sleep on hard wood floors with rats, and generally rough it. Seeing local people live in such basic conditions their entire lives makes me infinitely thankful for what I’ve been blessed with. Being able to serve desperately poor people is an incredible blessing to both us and them. I adore seeing our kids grow over these two weeks!
How has this influenced your understanding of God and mission?
Living here has helped me to see more of how God works in the world in varying contexts. It’s helped me draw closer to him (as you often have no other choice) and see how he works in ways that you only see in communities such as this.