ITEM

I woke up early morning today. I was staying overnight at Camp Capilano with 15 other ITEM classmates. My eyes started to well up as I breathed in the fresh morning air and started to count my blessings.

God never ceases to amaze me by His personal love towards me.

During my sick leave back home, I was initially doubting whether I would be a good educator or not. I faced a lot of challenges, but the Lord constantly reassured me that this is the path I should take. After a local missionary trip with my High School Christian friends, my heart was greatly burdened by seeing the needs of the children. We went to a small town to evangelize, and I observed that many of these children were neglected and barely knew how to read. Yet I was deeply touched by their purity and fervent desire to know God.

I prayed to God in my heart..."Lord, here I am. Send me."
 

Days later, I received an email from SFU Faculty of Education informing me about a vacant position for ITEM (International Teacher Education Module), a teaching program which requires 2 months of field school in Oaxaca, Mexico. I quickly drafted a cover letter, applied, prayed and waited.

1 week passed by...

And I was accepted.

[Mind you, I applied to both UBC and SFU Education back in January. I was accepted into UBC, but I was not too excited about the program because I heard that SFU's PDP was better. I was wait listed in SFU (#33) and had lost hope to get in. Yet God knew the desire of my heart.]

After 1 week of getting accepted into the program, I met a pastor through a close friend who knows a missionary in Oaxaca who is translating the Bible into an Indigenous tongue. I contacted her already, and we will meet in October. Hopefully, we can collaborate together (finally putting my linguistic skills into practice!) and bring back impoverished children back to God.

I'm also enjoying my program immensely. Their holistic approach of teaching has helped me understand the purpose of education and what kind of teacher I want to become. My cohort is made up of fun, kind and down-to-earth people. I enjoy being with them so much. We bonded and opened up to each other during the retreat. It's wonderful to see how God brings together people from all paths of life for His purpose. Even though we've been together for 2 weeks, I feel safe and a deep sense of belonging within my peer group.

I can't wait to go to Mexico. Life is truly exciting.