Where did you go?
Where did you go?
traveled inside three different continents, and moved to a new home!
Where did you go?
This school year has been unbelievably crazy. It was so unexpected, considering I imagined things would calm down as I settled into my life in China. However, my second year here has been more challenging and difficult than the first year for sure! The excuses I could make as a “newbie” are no longer valid and everything has moved away from being shiny and adventurous and now it’s just a little more mundane… on top of that, I still don’t have it all figured out and certain parts of life are still hard (grocery shopping is still the worst)…
Let's slow down though because I’m not trying to complain! I’m just recognizing how my circumstances have changed and this school year looks really different than last year. Nothing is quite the ‘normal’ I expected it to be. My responsibilities have grown and while I have flourished in commanding most of them, a few others have left me desperate and gasping for air. I didn’t mean to be so out of check with my blog, which honestly is really more like a journal for me, so here I am trying to get back into the swing with 2019!
(Some of you are like, “it’s already February, so that’s not 2019”, but I’ll have you know by the Lunar calendar we are only one week into 2019, so “Haha!”)
2018-2019 Highlights
(that have happened since we last "talked" properly)
SEPTEMBER 2018
OCTOBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018
DECEMBER 2018
JANUARY 2019
Now, I told you earlier that I was reading through scripts while I visited my parents. The bad news is that I hated all the scripts I had bought. Over 20 some Robin Hood adaptations and I couldn't find a single one I believed in. Long story short, I have come to discover that I am the type of director who has to believe in the message of a show in order to be able to do it. All the Robin Hood adaptations I read were either too mature for middle schoolers, were merely comedies meant to make people laugh, had weak female characters, or painted Robin Hood as this egotistical, cardboard cutout kind of hero.
I wanted to tell a story of Robin Hood that had themes of friendship, selflessness, courage, and I wanted a story that challenged my students to help those in need.
So, after bawling my eyes out to my mom the night before I flew back to China. I decided that I would still do a Robin Hood adaptation, but if I couldn't find the perfect script... I would write it myself (I know, it sounds as insane to me as it does to you.)
I wrote the initial draft in the two weeks back in school in January. (updates in February)
FEBRUARY 2019
PR-Y-R REQUESTS
- Please lift up our show. It is my pr-y-r that the message of "Robin Hood" touches the lives of the students and that my Father is glorified in its presentation. We have a lot of work to do!
- I signed another contract! I can’t believe I’m already speeding toward the end of my second year working in China. On January 10th, I signed a second contract to stay in China for another two years (till 2021). I pr-y-d about it a lot and felt that the Father is not yet finished with me here. He has work He wants me to do and I am trying to be obedient to His call.
- My Health (this is a constant battle, especially during the winter season as the pollution levels increase throughout China)
- Motivation and productivity (Show season means my schedule is crazy busy and it’s hard to teach classes, be the director, continue learning Chinese, clean my house, oh and have a social life somewhere in there, too?)
- Please lift up my students. It is my greatest desire to be a blessing to them for the kingdom. I’ve been feel discouraged in this area and want to take more time to lift them up regularly, recognizing that the Father has greater plans for each and every one of them than I could even imagine.
- Staffing needs. Hiring season is beginning for international schools! With the end of the school year coming, the preparation to say goodbye to coworkers who are moving back to their home countries or going to other international schools begins. As a result, we are in need of more teachers! If you know anyone who may be interested in teaching in China, please feel free to give them my contact information and I’d be happy to answer questions and/or give insight into living abroad as an educator!