For a really big part of my life I thought I would grow up to be a teacher. I’m not entirely sure where the notion came from, I always enjoyed school but it’s not like I had a teacher in my family or wholly knew what the job would entail. But from a very young age, my answer to the classic question was “teacher”.
This remained my answer until my second year of college. I was an English education student at the University of Central Missouri when I first had the thought, maybe I don’t want to be a teacher. While I didn’t have much backing for the decision, within a week of that first thought I had a meeting with my advisor and changed my major to English Literature BA and added two minors: Creative Writing and Marketing. I did not have a dream job projected or really any plan of where this degree would take me but I still felt very right about the decision.
Here I am, three years passed that decision, having graduated from college, I think I finally understand the backing behind my nudge to change. It was God. I’m not saying God didn’t want me to be a teacher, but he knew that if I stayed on the path to a career in education, that is where I would be right now. I would have graduated last May with a BSE and had accepted a teaching position, likely in the Kansas City area. You see, had I not made that change three years ago, I very likely never would have answered the call to the World Race. The Lord knows me so well. He knew that I needed to not have a ‘plan’ after graduation. I wish I could say I would have sacrificed my plans if I had them, but the reality is I don’t know if the Allina I was last year would have.
Now, here is the funny part, for month six of the World Race my title was English teacher. Not exactly the same job I was headed toward just a few years ago, but a teacher all the same. I helped Vietnamese students from the age of 7 to the age of 45 with their English and it was a blast. Since Vietnam is a closed country, this was our way of connecting with the people. The work was exhausting but also very fulfilling. I know now that my heart toward education was not a lost cause, that I am in fact a good teacher. But the Lord had other plans for that gift than in a typical American classroom.
In the sweet way that the Lord works, I think I may have learned more this month than my students did. As I sat there with a 45 year old man repeating the word “necessary” so many times that the word eventually lost its meaning, I saw the Father’s plan playing out. During a rather interesting attempt to explain the difference between wore and war, or while answering the question “You have boyfriend?” for the 100th time, Papa whispered “well done”. Again, he confirmed that I am right where I am suppose to be. I am teaching English while also getting to explain to my students that my “dream job” is to serve my God, or when they ask why I am in Vietnam I get to tell them it is because God sent me there to talk to them. The Father sent me here for you, my sweet students. And while I dearly hope I helped with your English, I desire most that you were able to see a glimpse of Jesus during our time together.
Papa, thank you for changing my plans three years ago. Thank you for giving me an unidentifiable peace about that decision. Thank you for sending me to Vietnam and thank you for the people to put in my path. I pray that you send others to water the seeds that were planted. I pray I will see my students again one day.
With love,
Lina
