After months and months of dreaming and planning to teach English in Taiwan, that dream has become a reality for Lance and I! Just a couple hours after our follow-up Skype interviews for kindergarten teaching positions at a school in Hsinchu, Taiwan last night, we received a congratulatory email with a contract attached offering us both full-time teaching jobs at the same school! This job seems absolutely perfect for us, and we are so excited to already have it in place!
To give you an idea of what our jobs and lives will look like in Taiwan and hopefully answer some burning questions that you might have, here is a quick guide:
We'll be living and working in Hsinchu, which is a city of about 400,000 people on the west coast of northern Taiwan.
We will be teaching in an American school, so everything is in English, and the schedule and curriculum are based on North American schools. This means that we won't just be teaching English; we will be teaching all subjects that would typically be taught in a kindergarten here in America.
We will work 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday. We will be with our kindergarten class from 8:30-4:00 with a 1.5 hour break then we will head over to our elementary class that will go from 4:30-6:00.
In our kindergarten class, we will have a native English-speaking co-teacher and a Taiwanese liaison.
The school will help us find an apartment within walking distance, and the price range we were given was under $200/month for rent!
We will be provided lunch and dinner on school days, and the cost of living is very low in Taiwan, so it is common to eat out for every other meal!
Taiwan is hot and humid all year round...yes, we're moving to a tropical island.
Our contracts are for a year, but if we love it...we'll get a re-signing bonus to stay for round 2 :)
After a rough few months of transitioning to new jobs, a new town, and diving headfirst into the stressful world of wedding planning, God has shown us that even through the times that our faith and trust in him are at their weakest, he will come through anyway. Just within the last few weeks, we have found a place to live in the Grand Rapids area for the summer, we nailed down jobs in Taiwan, and through the help of some amazing friends and family that have not only offered but begged to help in whatever way they can, I finally feel like wedding plans are really coming together. These are three huge things that have been causing Lance and I (and by that, I mean mostly me) a lot of stress lately and to have them taken care of lifts some huge weights off of our shoulders. And the amazing thing is that they were hardly by our efforts. God's hand was definitely involved in creating these opportunities for us, and we are beyond blessed and grateful!
Getting these jobs has only made us more excited for the future and our life together!
This semester has been an emotional roller coaster, to say the least, and God has taught me a lot of hard lessons that I wasn't looking to be educated on. But now here I am, just a couple weeks away from the end of my undergraduate college career forever, and I finally feel like things are falling into place. I feel peace, excitement, and comfort about what is next.
I started the semester feeling lost, lonely, distant from God, and grieving the loss of my perfect community that dissolved after many of my best friends picked up their diplomas last Spring and peaced out. This evolved into the pure exhaustion and burnout of balancing a stressful job, full load of classes, time-consuming internship, and new role as a leader at my church's youth group. After several ugly breakdowns, I found myself struggling between the guilt of shedding some of my commitments and my relentless dedication to responsibility and follow-through.
Amidst all of the emotional turmoil and exhaustion of just trying to keep up with my life, the clock has been ticking towards graduation. I took a whole class about how to score a job and have been on a search & apply frenzy all semester.
Then, I got engaged. So there goes all my focus for school and work and anything else not directly related to my wedding.
It has been an up and down and all around few months, but I am clawing my way through the last days before graduation with a few things that I didn't have in August. And now that you know all of the crappy things about this semester, let me brighten your mood a bit and tell you the positive things about this semester :)
Silent Retreat
I went on a retreat with the Campus Ministry staff and interns earlier this Fall in the middle of nowhere in Three Rivers, MI. It was a silent retreat. No talking - even during meals. I went into it very skeptical, with little hope, and wishing it would get done quickly. But turns out that taking time to be silent and separate myself from distractions was just what I needed to finally connect with God after months of struggling to do so. God taught me a lot about the meaning of pride and humility in my life. I learned that there is humility in saying no and knowing when to walk away. I learned that "pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2). I also learned that God was using this season in my life to teach me perseverance and contentment - that I was supposed to be overwhelmed and overcommitted, and I was supposed to be learning from it.
I came home from the retreat feeling rejuvenated, encouraged, and confident knowing that I was following God's plan and that as long as I continue to do that, he'll have my back. Needless to say, I have started to regularly incorporate silence into my life, and it has been really awesome. Getting Engaged!
I could say a lot of things about how blessed I am by my relationship with Lance, and how excited I am to spend the rest of my life with him, but I'll spare you the cyber PDA and tell you about something that surprised me about getting engaged. The proposal itself was very personal, and I absolutely loved it, and I felt so loved by it. But turns out the moment you let the world know that he put a ring on it, it becomes a way bigger thing than just the two of you. Lance and I were showered with congratulations and phone calls and Facebook comments...many from our families and close friends. But we also heard from people we have seen or heard from in years. And people were expressing how happy and excited our engagement made them. We were overwhelmed by the love and support of the people in our lives, past and present, and it was really cool to see how our relationship has blessed other people. Getting engaged is pretty cool. And now, I get to get married to my bestest friend, so that's really cool. New Job, New Town
Now, what you've all been waiting for! What's next? As previously mentioned, I have been applying to jobs like crazy all semester. And let me tell you how many interviews I've had. ZERO! I have had absolutely no luck, and a couple weeks ago, I was starting to get very nervous that I was going to graduate up a creek without a paddle or a dime to pay for my upcoming wedding. But somewhat out of the blue, a conversation in passing that Lance had with the director of Portage Lake Covenant Bible Camp (the camp Lance has been going to and working at for much of his life) led to a meeting between the two of us and the camp's associate director about going up to work there next semester. PLCBC is currently short-staffed and desperately in need of more hands on deck. Lance's experience at camp and my impending graduation with a Nonprofit Administration degree made us perfect candidates to fill the need until another full-time staff member is hired in the Spring.
We were given about a week and a half to decide whether or not we wanted to commit to moving up to Onekama, MI in January to work at PLCBC for about 5 months before we get hitched. And let me tell you...it was not an easy decision. There are many reasons to stay and many reasons to go. I have been so hopeful that God would provide a fantastic, perfect job for me in GR. But turns out he ended up providing a fantastic, perfect job for me in Manistee. This clip from the Pursuit of Happyness was very helpful for me in making this decision:
In the end, Lance and I realized that there is no doubt God is calling us to take these camp positions. So, we are confident and excited about our decision to go. We'll be moving up to Onekama (about 2 hours north of GR, just north of Manistee) in January and will be there until probably a couple weeks before our wedding.
So there it is. After a crazy, stressful, challenging semester, I am cruising through my last couple weeks of school with an awesome job to look forward to on the other side. And I am thankful that God comes through, even when his answers are not the ones I am hoping for or expecting.
525,600 minutes...actually, it has been 527,040 minutes since this year was a leap year. It has been exactly one year today since I left the United States for my greatest adventure yet...9 1/2 weeks in Australia! It is so crazy to think that it has been a year.
Part of me feels like there is no way it has been that long. It's pretty safe to say that I talk about Australia at least everyday. I continue to learn life lessons from that trip even a year later by reflecting on the things I did, people I met, and experiences I had. But even though my summer in Australia has become an intrinsic part of who I am, a lot has happened in the past year. Even though there was a time that I seriously considered not coming home from Australia, I am very glad I did. I have been shaped by a lot of relationships and experiences this year that I wouldn't give up for anything. But those experiences were heavily influenced by the learning and growing that happened in Australia. Looking back on the way that God has organized my life in the past year is just another piece of undeniable evidence that God has a perfect plan for everything.
So I guess I just want to say this. Traveling is probably the most important and beneficial thing a person can do in their life. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and dream big and do something that seems a little risky and/or crazy. And if God is whispering something in your ear...turn up the volume. And do it!
And thank you to everyone that made my experience in Newcastle an amazing one. I will be back. Someway somehow.
-Ray
An ode to Youth Street.
(Yeah, I'm in there...wanna play Where's Rayanne?)
So, after blogging about all the changes that were about to happen, I deemed it appropriate to blog about how it all really went down. Basically, the last couple weeks have been a chaotic, stressful nightmare. Change is hard. But things have to get worse before they can get better - that's just the way life goes.
I moved out of my parents' house. The actual moving process was long and inconvenient and annoying. Sorting out utilities and conquering a battle with AT&T has been unnecessarily stressful. And I am very broke. But now, I am back on my own again, living 2 feet away from my best friend and much more than 2 feet away from my parents, within a reasonable driving distance from anywhere I need to go...and I am loving it!
I got a new job. It has been overwhelming and stressful and has made me doubt my abilities and passions and wonder why I searched for a new job when I already had a good one. But I get to hang out with some pretty cool (and very naughty) kids everyday that come from crappy home lives and are desperate for everything that I hope to give them. I have a pretty amazing opportunity at Team 21 to not only grow and develop my skills but to have a huge impact on some kids' lives. People don't just get part-time jobs like this everyday.
With all the change happening in and around me, I have come to the conclusion that human beings are naturally resistant to change and chronically desiring instant gratification. Even for a person like me that loves change and is always seeking it out even when it is unnecessary, actually getting through the transition and making the adjustment is like pulling teeth. And the thing that makes it suck so much is that we live in a society that provides us with anything we want right now! So, we assume that change is going to be the same...we will instantly get from crappy A to far better B without any tears in between.
Think of the Israelites: Moses busted his butt to get these guys of out hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, and God did some crazy stuff to make it happen. Then they spend the next 40 years repeatedly rebelling (sounds like my 4th graders at Team 21) against God and whining about how they wish they would have just stayed in Egypt. Seriously? God is taking you to the freaking Promised Land! Just suck it up and get there...yet here I am, whining about the stresses of moving and woes of transitioning into a new job when they have been the things I've been looking forward to, my "promised land," for months.
So, what I'm trying to say here is that change isn't easy. It sucks. It's hard. Crying is the only thing that makes it bearable sometimes. But in the end, it is so worth it! So, if you are lost in transition right now and whining about the desert and how much you miss being a slave...just know that the promised land is on the other side. And the 40 years will totally be worth it once you get there. Don't be afraid of change because of the land in between.
Change is a bittersweet thing. And in my current stage of life, it is coming rapidly and abundantly. And all of these changes are good! In fact, they're great! They're EXCITING! But nonetheless, they are bittersweet.
It is remarkable how many of my closest friends are graduating and/or getting married and/or moving away. Almost ALL of them fit into at least one of these categories! When the heck did everyone decide to grow up without me!? But I won't be left behind for too long because I just applied for graduation and will be done with my undergraduate career in just over 8 months! I am also moving in less than a month, and I got a new job working with at-risk elementary school kids in Wyoming!
My head is spinning just from typing that. Don't get me wrong...I really am pumped for all of these things. Even though my selfishness wants to keep my best friends right by my side forever, I have to embrace the fact that God has a different plan for all of us. I am fully confident that God is going to use my friends to show this world what's up, and I can't wait to share in that with them. And for those going out to all the ends of the earth, Facebook will keep us together forever :) As far as moving, my budget will be kicking into high gear so I can afford rent and utilities, but I am pretty excited to be an adult again. And as much as I am ready to move on from the Johnson Center, I'm leaving behind two years of friends and comfort. I am beyond excited to be starting a job that I almost couldn't design to be more perfect, but it will be a disorienting transition nonetheless.
Looking back on some of my blogs from last summer, I know that change is a difficult, awesome, terrifying, and important thing. I picked up my life to head to Australia for two months last June with no idea of what God had in store for me. I was excited...and scared. And it ended up being one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Then two months later, I had to leave it all behind and come back to the harsh realities of college (no sleep, questionable eating patterns, constant stress, no rest, moving back in with my parents, etc.). I was happy...and mad. I thought I knew what I was getting myself back into, but this year has proved to be far more amazing than I could have planned for.
Now, I find myself somewhere in the middle. I know what's next, but I don't have any idea what it will be like. I am sad to move on...but even more excited. Change is something that I love (I get bored easily). But it's always bittersweet. Fortunately, I know from experience that what comes next is always better than what I expect. God has a way of pleasantly surprising my plans, and the surprises always turn out to be the things I value most.
So, here's to the next season of my life. Bring it on, God!
-Ray
"All of my life, in every season, you are still God. I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship!" - Desert Song
I am currently taking a Comparative Religions anthropology class. I am taking it as a random elective because I thought it would be really interesting. I was right. It’s one of the few classes that I actually enjoy and learn from.
I took this class because I think it’sextremely important and valuable to learn about and understand different viewpoints, especially about religion or lack thereof. As a Christian, how can I be confident in my own faith if I can’t compare it to anything? How can I reach out and minister to people of different faiths if I don’t understand where they’re coming from or what they believe? And how can I be a truly loving, nonjudgmental, open-minded person if I stay locked up in my little Christian bubble all the time?
For my fieldwork project in this class, I had to attend two different events related to two different religious affiliations that I am not familiar with and write a paper comparing and contrasting them. I ended up going to a Sunday morning service at Fountain Street Church and a general meeting for GVSU’s chapter of the Center for Inquiry.
Fountain Street Church resides in a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral in downtown Grand Rapids. It was once defined as a Baptist church but has now taken on the mentality that I can best describe as, “We don’t know what to believe, so we’re just going to believe everything.” They referenced the Bible and also mentioned that they study the Koran and other scriptures. They used the term “divine” as a seemingly all-inclusive term for whatever higher being or beings may be out there. They spoke about being “religiously reluctant, spiritually shy, and morally modest.” They are basically open to everything and anything because they see validity and flaws in all religions.
The Center for Inquiry is an organization for atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and those that are open to learning about and discussing other viewpoints and religions. Most of the people at the meeting considered themselves “nonreligious” but there were a couple Christians, and after mentioning that I was there as part of a class project, I was asked straight up by one of the girls, “Are you a Christian?” Not “Are you a religious?” or “What are your beliefs?” but “Are you a Christian?” Obviously, my answer was “Yup!” And her response was, “That’s cool. I respect that.” The meeting was pretty disorganized and was more of a hang-out than anything else, but I had some interesting conversations with a few of the people there. I asked one of the guys what he would consider the goal or purpose of CFI to be. He said a few things that I found really interesting. He explained that CFI is designed so that people can get together and have open discussions about their beliefs, but he considered the GVSU chapter more of a social group than anything - a place where people who leave the church and lose their community can find a new community. He also encouraged me to get more involved with the group because it’s important to have different viewpoints. He doesn’t want to live in an echo chamber all the time. Amen!...I mean…I agree.
So basically, Fountain Street is not sure what to believe so they assume all religions are mostly right, and CFI is not sure what to believe so they assume that all religions are mostly wrong. It was an interesting contrast, and I actually really liked attending both of these events. I never once felt attacked or judged or excluded. I was warmly welcomed by both very open-minded groups. It made me think in a broader perspective and step outside of the bubble that I far too easily put myself in. I love having such a strong Christian community, and I would be lost without it, but it can be dangerous to only surround yourself with people that look and think like you. I'm not about to become a Universalist Unitarian or an Atheist, but I do believe that spending time with people who are will make me a better Christian. After all...Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and tax collectors.
I took a couple classes last semester about diversity, and in a lot of ways, I can compare my experiences in those classes with my Comparative Religions class. These are the classes that make me glad that I go to a public university. It can be hard to listen to some of the painfully close-minded and underdeveloped theories of stubbornly opinionated college students, but it is really important to talk about the controversial issues that a lot of people are afraid to discuss.And it’s even more important to have these discussions with people that are going to challenge your opinion and make you think outside of your own beliefs rather than just mindlessly agree with everything you say.
The moral of the story is: Be open-minded.Don’t judge people (because you don’t have that authority, anyway). And love everyone. It’s a great philosophy for life.
-Ray
"Even in the most unlikely and conservative of places, you can find sometimes this glimmering idea that God might be bigger than our limited religious doctrines have taught us." - Eat, Pray, Love
I have recently been redefining my view on relationships. And I’m not talking about lovers and dating and cheesy romance, but the everyday relationships that are an intrinsic part of every facet of our lives. I have been so fortunate to meet and develop relationships with some truly amazing people, especially in the past couple years since I started college. The hard part is keeping up with them all. The more experiences I have, trips I go on, things I become involved with means the more relationships I have to balance.
The amazing thing about relationships is that they are all important. God puts every single person in our life for a reason. It may be a small snippet of some one’s story or a single word of wisdom or just a great shared experience that makes it all worth it. And sometimes it’s the relationships that start off slow that end up to be some of the most intimate and important ones you will ever have.
It comes to the point where you have to decide how much to invest in each relationship because it would be impossible to keep up with them all. But it is amazing to realize how much I have learned and how much I have been affected by the short conversations with strangers or a few words from a friend I haven’t seen in years. This makes me not only realize the value of what I can learn from every relationship but also the effect I have through every relationship. And I am realizing how important it is to invest into relationships that I value most.
With that said, I am making a commitment this year to relationships. I want to hear about my friends’ lives and genuinely listen and genuinely care. And hopefully, it will be a mutually beneficial experience. Paul tells the Romans in Romans 1:12, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”I want to support people in their walks with God and lives, in general. And through investing in these relationships, I hope that I can grow and feel supported. God made us to be social people – we’re not meant to make this journey on our own.
So, don’t be surprised if I hit you up for a coffee date…and don’t be afraid to hit me up for one, too.
