hey pals!
something i’ve been rolling around in my brain this week is non-traditional teaching. & just what that looks like. in reality it looks like a multitude of things. it’s us sitting on the lawn worshiping, it’s us listening to “teachers” from guatemala & south africa & georgia, it’s holy spirit gently whispering truth during my quiet time, it’s my team leader nikki loving me well, it’s just SO many different things. & holy moly! they all have brought me so much more depth and insight than any traditional school setting ever has. these past two months God has just been blowing away my constructs about what learning can be. & i don’t really miss the constraints of my desk.
basically my manufactured idea of what learning is supposed to look like has kinda been shattered. & i’m not that mad about it. i’m finding that not only do I not have all the answers, but that i don’t even have a lot of the right questions. last week one of our teachers wore a shirt that said “hug life”, and it had a kitten on it. when he walked into the room i laughed a little, but there’s something genuinely beautiful in the way jesus is breaking down all the structures i’m used to. in my humble opinion it seems like there might be more room for holy spirit to move here with all the walls down, but also i’m a big advocate for higher education.
i maybe should mention here that i want to be an english teacher (specifically to non-native speakers). & don’t worry the irony of this with what i’ve been considering isn’t lost on me. my experience on the race so far has just led me to the conclusion that i’ll be learning for a while, & that much of it comes from simply living (i’m still reading alllll the books i can get my hands on in case you’re worried though). i also strongly believe that i’ll be learning just as much from my students as i will be teaching them. & that excites me to my core!!
also thrilling is that i get to learn from the master rabbi: jesus.
“show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. guide me in your truth and teach me, for you God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (psalms 25v4-5)
guys what a teacher to be discipled under!! pretty gosh dang grateful for that. so all that to say i’m over here still standing in awe everyday and learning like never before. praying you are as well because the opportunity is there.
all the love, erika
update: novemember 15th is another fundraising deadline, & i’m about $600 away. please pray about partnering with me in some way, whether that means sharing my blog, praying for me, or contributing financially. in other news, we’re officially launching to central america in january!! & we’ve also been given the opportunity to do local ministry here in gainesville which has been SO sweet.
