Stateside (For Almost Three Months)

They say that your first class stays with you. I spent three months student teaching high school English to sixty-six teenagers from over six countries. It was incredible and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My only regrets are that I didn't travel within Asia and that I struggled with forming good relationships with my older students.

Living and working overseas is incredibly challenging, and I saw this firsthand while living in Chiang Mai for three months. I think that student teaching overseas gave me the skills and confidence to embark on future expeditions, such as full-time teaching in a public school in the states, living on my own, forming professional working relationships with others, potentially moving overseas longer term in the future, and other life adventures.

I have been offered and accepted a position teaching Elementary English as a Second Language with a public school district, and I am excited for this next challenge. I would not be here if it weren't for Chiang Mai.

Thank you, Thailand, my students, my friends, my roommates, my cooperating teachers, and the school staff for everything. I'm so blessed to have known you.

The relationships truly were worth the goodbyes. And the hellos.

--



"Seek Him. Be Here. Be His."

Stateside Again & Re-Entry

As of today, I have been back in the states for almost two weeks. It has been a crazy two weeks, that's for sure! Thank you so much for all of you who are already (and still) praying for me and keeping me in your thoughts, as I need them for my upcoming major student teaching assignments. In the mean time, let's talk about re-entry shock.

The number one thing that has frustrated me about re-entry (i.e. returning back to the states) is this question:

So, how was China?!?

I want to be gracious and understanding towards people who inadvertently ask me this question. At least they're asking, right? On the other hand, having to find a way to answer this tactfully makes me feel as if the person asking doesn't really care about my experience. I have to determine how much to share with them, how much to entrust them with.

Let me clear up a couple things: It's Thailand. Chiang Mai, Thailand. And it is. Not was. The country hasn't fallen off the edge of the earth. And it is not just a country, it's a culture. A way of life. It's people with goals for the future and a rich heritage in their past. It's where half of my heart lives. Sixty-six beloved teenagers and a host of colleagues and friends whom I love call Chiang Mai home, at least for a time. God was working there before I went and He is working there still. He is working in the lives of missionary kids whose families are stationed there and He is using them to show love to his Thai, Hmong, Lao, Karen, Lisu, Lahu, and expatriate children, as well as those who live in various other Southeast Asian countries. Chiang Mai is just a three hour plane flight from roughly one third of the world's population. It is not only a relatively safe location for international workers, but also a hub of many missions organizations. So much is (not was) happening in a place as seemingly dark as Asia.

My overseas student teaching experience is technically over, with just paperwork to complete before I can graduate, but God's work in Chiang Mai, Thailand is not. My encouragement to people asking is to make the was question about the trip and the is question about the country, people, and work God is doing. The trip is over, but the country and God's work there, the people, memories, desires, cravings for local food, and relationships are not.

At this point in the re-entry process, I am reflecting on this experience and learning from it as I compile everything I did during student teaching into a portfolio that demonstrates what I have learned about teaching. Processing the past three and a half months have been difficult, but rewarding, and I am so blessed to have enjoyed that time in Chiang Mai.

Trying to give and receive plenty of grace during the re-entry process,
--

"Seek Him. Be Here. Be His."

Stateside Update 16: Final Preparations

Soon my posts to this blog will not read "Stateside Updates" or "Preparation," because my first flight leaves tomorrow at lunch time. Starting tomorrow morning, I will spend over 30 hours in airplanes and airports. I will arrive in Chiang Mai at 8am Sunday local time, which is 8pm Eastern Standard Time (for those of you interested in Skyping me, Chiang Mai is 12 hours ahead of EST.)

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my arrival in Thailand and I am blessed beyond measure because someone is picking me up from the airport and taking me shopping when I get there, and a sweet girl named Cara is going to be my roommate! We are coordinating housing right now and there's a possiblity we'll be living with another lady, so I would ask your prayer for that process to be completed.

My mom and I are spending the night in Atlanta so I'll be ready for the flight tomorrow. As I sit here in our hotel room, I'm reminded of the time one of my friends told me to make my preparation worship.  As I'm finishing preparation for the travel, I am called, even now, to make my preparation worship. Even in the suitcase packing and restroom stops, long lines and immigration, cramped legs and "different" meal options, my preparation should still be worship.

A good attitude can change a difficult 30+ hours in the air into an opportunity for growth and worship, and I'm actually looking forward to the adventure a bit! Wish me well! Until next time,

Stateside Update 15: Seven Days!

Dear Friends,

Great news: my passport (with the visa inside) has been mailed! As you all know, I have been extremely worried about my passport arriving in time - my flight leaves seven days from tomorrow! I just received word that my passport was in Maryland around 8pm tonight, so it should be at my house in one or two days. This is definitely a blessing. Thank you to all who prayed for me! [And a word of caution: Apply for your visa early. Consulates like to be nit-picky.]

I am indebted to those of you who kept me in your prayers. If you would like to receive specific prayer updates via email, please go here, fill out your information, and select the prayer team box. You can receive blog updates as emails also at the same link. If you are interested in supporting either me and my trip or the school where I will be student teaching, you can visit my support page.

Thank you for everything. Until next time!
Only through Him,
--

"Seek Him. Be Here. Be His."

Stateside Update 14: Eagerly and Anxiously

I wanted to subtitle this post "21 days and no visa," but I really don't want to start a waiting-on-the-visa countdown. So, moving on...

After having to submit flight itineraries and background checks (twice) and being asked to change the type of visa I applied for, I am still eagerly (anxiously?) awaiting my passport to be returned to me with a visa sticker inside. I'd worry myself sick if I didn't have prayers for peace overflowing inside me.

In the mean time, I have done quite a bit of research on where I'm going and how I'm going to get there, and I thought it might be useful for anyone else planning a trip to Asia. My cooperating teacher told me one very important thing to keep in mind: You can get anything in Chiang Mai. From what I've read and heard, Chiang Mai is a medium-sized city (the fifth largest in Thailand) and is an interesting juxtaposition of history and modernity. The Thai culture is also very influential in Chiang Mai. I am looking forward to seeing cool animals, riding in songthaews, visiting wats, and drinking lots of Thai tea! I also hope to get to visit The Chiang Mai Flower Festival, which is in February.

If you are planning to travel overseas soon, here are some of my suggestions for traveling:

• Register with the US STEP program. It lets the embassies in the countries you are visiting know that you will be there, and it provides a safe way for your family to contact you if something unfortunate were to happen.
• 10 Ways to Survive a Long-Haul Flight, brought to you by IndepedentTraveler.com. Who would have thought that Gatorade would be an excellent hydrator for long flights?
• I'll be flying Korean Air for my long flight from ATL (Atlanta) to ICN (Seoul/Incheon) on an Airbus 380-300. But I will also be flying from Seoul to Bangkok to Chiang Mai (round trip), in addition to my round trip flight to Hong Kong for the last five days of my trip. If you're going overseas, I suggest you research the in-flight entertainment; airplane size, seating arrangements, and amenities; when meals are offered and what they might consist of; etc of all flights you will be taking. Also research the airports in which you will be spending layovers, especially if they offer Wi-Fi, recharging stations, certain restaurants in the arrival/departure areas, and if they accept different currencies. I'm a big planner, so I really benefit from even a basic idea of what my travel is going to be like. I think the most important thing to research is size and weight limits for luggage (on each airline's page).
• Speaking of booking flights, I recommend Kayak.com. I used Kayak for the first time for this trip and found it cheaper than Expedia.

And some suggestions for packing, preparation, and trips to Asia:

• Check out this slightly outdated, but relatively useful WikiTravel article on the city of Chiang Mai. 
• 8 Reasons Why You Must Pack a Scarf when traveling to any international locale, courtesy of DIWYY.com
• Blogs, tips, and ideas for travel to any Thai city from Thaizer.com
• I also have a bunch of resources for women living overseas, as well as student teaching and Third Culture Kid resources, over at my Spring 2014 Pinterest page.

I would like to ask you to help me out in two ways: 1. Share your tips for flying, life overseas, or teaching international kids as a comment below, and 2. Join me in praying for my visa to be processed quickly, for safety in travel, and for the students and fellow teachers with whom I will be working.

For more information on joining my prayer team or supporting me financially, check out the Support page.

May your preparation be worship.
Until next time,
--

"Seek Him. Be Here. Be His."

Stateside Update 13: Twenty-Nine Days, Friends!

I just purchased plane tickets, emailed my roommate (a sweet girl named Cara), signed papers, budgeted for housing... The countdown is on!

This week has been very stressful as I have been trying to get everything completed and I am definitely indebted to all of you for your support and encouragement... And for putting up with me when I get annoying or have to miss work or stay up late. I'm so grateful for you all!

With that being said, if you are interested in supporting me financially as I am preparing for this trip, please visit my Support page. I have an online donation system set up if you are interested in supporting in that capacity. My first need is always prayer, however, so feel free go to the Contact page and indicate that you would like to serve as a member of my prayer team to receive consistent updates.

Whether or not you are considering supporting my student teaching trip financially, I would like to ask you to take a moment to consider supporting Grace International School, where I will be student teaching. For those of you who don't know, Grace is a school primarily for missionary families, as families do not pay tuition and teachers raise support. In addition, Grace has struggled with a legal issue over the last few months, and they are in need of relocating. You can help support the efforts of the school by Giving a Day's Pay, Grace's new initiative. The online calculator determines you much you make in a day and makes it easy to give that amount to support Grace.

Finally, I am continuing to learn what it means for my preparation to be worship. It is so easy to get sucked into the fear that I will not be able to afford this experience, or the dread that my jet lag will be debilitating, or the anxiety of feeling like I will not able to complete all my assignments. And yet, when I realize that this experience is an incredible blessing that not many people get the opportunity to enjoy, I find myself thankful and overjoyed. In addition, thinking of the ninth graders I will have the opportunity to meet, teach, and befriend keeps me going. What a blessing it will be to see His Body at work in Asia.

Thank you for your care and compassion.
With love,
Alex
--

"Seek Him. Be Here. Be His."

Stateside Update 12: The Visa Process

Friends,

To enter and remain in Thailand, I have applied for a nonimmigrant visa which allows me to stay in Thailand for up to 90 days at a time within one year. This is a very scary process. For one, I have mailed off my passport to Washington, D.C. and no matter how much tracking and insurance and confirmation the postal service can provide, I'm still worried for my passport, not to mention all of the personal information in that priority express mail envelope with it. And second, there is always the fear that my visa application will be denied, or the consulate will need additional information, or it will take too long to secure my visa in time. The fear is very real and very worry-inducing.

Yesterday, while I was thick in worry because my mom had mailed my previously-expired passport instead of the current one to me on accident, I realized that something was running through my head. It took me a minute before I knew what it was.

May your preparation be worship... 

A friend gave me money for my trip to Hong Kong in 2012, and wrote this on the envelope. May your preparation be worship. One of my early posts on this blog featured this sentence as I was grappling with the concept of preparing for this seemingly impossible task. May your preparation be worship. This was the first thing I told my peers, fellow education majors also doing their student teaching overseas, when we sat together for fellowship the Sunday morning of CCTECC training. May your preparation be worship.

It rang in my head and heart the way strong words or loud noises ring in our ears. I felt those words like I felt my worry, and the desire to worship has started to overpower the feeling that I need to worry. 

What I have come to realize today is that the God who works all things out for our good and His glory even has control over the postal service and the embassy. This means that even when I think everything could be running at a much faster pace, for example, His hand is on these plans I'm making. His plans are already made! His eyes are watching my passport. His voice is speaking to the people involved in my preparations. His hands are making arrangements I don't even know about yet. His feet are going places I have never been in order to prepare them for me and to prepare me for them. I worry and fret, but He is good and He is in control. 

Would you join me in thanking Him today?