Monday, May 14, 2012

Life After Nepal

Speaking at Corinth Christian School
After returning from Nepal, I really had no idea what it was that God wanted me to do. I knew that He was guiding me away from returning to Tennessee Temple University, which was a little hard for me to accept, because I was going to miss all of the friends that I had made there. I returned from Nepal on July 9, and spent the rest of the summer traveling with my parents in Choose Life Ministries. In August, I felt God leading me to get my certification in teaching English as a Foreign Language, so I started taking online classes to work towards that. The Fall semester of 2011, and this past Spring semester of 2012, I have continued to travel with my parents, and I recently completed my online classes and now have my TEFL certification! I am excited to see how God is going to use this. I also have had many opportunities to share about the work I did in Nepal!
Before I went to Nepal, I knew that God had called me to share His love with the Deaf overseas (most likely in South Asia), but I was not really sure what that would look like. Then, when I went to Nepal, I realized that there was a great desire for people to teach English in the schools, not only the hearing schools, but also to teach reading and writing English in the Deaf schools. That is what I did for the entire six months that I was there, teach English. I never really thought that I would be a teacher or enjoy teaching, but I really fell in love with it while I was there, and I especially fell in love with each and every single one of my students. I really miss it now. This is why I took these classes to get my TEFL certification, and I hope to one day return to South Asia more equipped and prepared to teach English in a Deaf school. And to use that as a platform to share the Good News and God's love with them.
My Deaf Students in Nepal
I have enjoyed getting to travel with my parents these past two semesters as they share in churches all over the United States about a Biblical worldview of LIFE. Traveling with them has opened many doors of opportunity for me to be able to share about the work that I did at the Deaf school in Nepal. My favorite group that I got to share with about my time in Nepal was a GA/RA’s group in Milton, FL. They had so many questions and were so interested in hearing about the Deaf children I worked with in Nepal. I loved getting to share with them! The best part is that each place where I have shared I have handed out prayer cards with a picture of one of the Deaf students from Nepal on it and a little bit about them so that people can pray for them (all but a few students at the Deaf school are Hindu, and only one is a Believer). I love knowing that people all over the United States are praying for these precious students in Nepal. I especially loved handing out these prayer cards to the GA/RA’s group, because they wanted to know everything about the Deaf student whose prayer card they got.
Now that Summer is approaching, I have been praying and seeking God’s will about what He would have me to do next, not only for this Summer but also for this upcoming Fall semester. I could have continued to travel with my parents this Summer, but I really felt that God had other plans for me. As I was praying about what to do this Summer, I remembered about friends of mine who had served for a Summer with NAMB, so I decided to check out what opportunities were available to serve this Summer with them. I only found two opportunities to serve with the Deaf this Summer (in filling out the application you have to choose your top three choices). Since I feel God leading me to transfer to Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC, this Fall to complete my degree in American Sign Language, I decided to list the opportunity to work at a Deaf Camp in North Carolina as my number one choice, then the only other opportunity to serve among the Deaf as my second choice. I was really hoping the one in North Carolina would work out. At that time I was still seeking God’s will about whether He was really leading me to transfer to Gardner-Webb or not, because Gardner-Webb is so expensive, and I knew that unless that was definitely where God was leading me, there was no way I was going to have the money to pay for it apart from Him providing the money for me to attend there. I had no idea how close this opportunity in North Carolina was to Gardner-Webb, but I just began praying and asking God to work it out. That if it was His will for me to go to Gardner-Webb that the Deaf Camp in North Carolina would be near there and that it would be confirmation for me that Gardner-Webb was where He wanted me.
Me Sharing about Nepal at a Bible Study
I just recently found out that I will be working at the Deaf Camp in North Carolina this Summer, and I am so excited to get started and see what God has in store! I know that this is definitely where He wants me this Summer, and I also believe that this is confirmation that God wants me at Gardner-Webb this upcoming Fall. I will be leaving to head to North Carolina on June 2!
 Please pray for God to guide me for both working at the Deaf Camp this Summer and beginning school again in the Fall. Please pray that all of the details work out. I especially ask that you pray for the finances to be provided for me to go to school this fall; I am receiving financial aid and scholarships, but I will still be quite a bit short to pay for tuition, but I know that where God calls, He provides.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:6-7, 19 
Signing for Children's Church


No comments:

Post a Comment