So there's a Facebook group for all of the college students who are heading to China to teach English with me this summer. A week ago, the program had 70 of its 120 possible college participants at commitment status. Today, there are 82. More and more unfamiliar names and faces are being added to the private group, writing their excitement in all caps on the wall, and liking my own posts expressing the excitement and nervous feelings I have for this summer.
Although I knew this when I signed up for the program, a strange realization hit me this morning. In a few short months, I'm going to be hopping on a plane headed to China to meet up with over 100 other college students from across North America. I will have never met any of these college students before. I will live in a dorm-like building with hundreds of people I've never talked to except limited Facebook communication.
The unfamiliarity of my team members will be a completely new experience for me. I drove 15 miles down the road for college, and although my roommates were strangers to me, there were plenty of familiar student, faculty, and staff faces from my pre-college life. China will be so, so different from this.
Thoughts for me this week would be wonderful! Think about and express concern for the hundred other students I'll be serving with. Think of my own shyness and nervousness about meeting so many new people.
Thanks! Have a beautiful weekend!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
In case you haven't heard...
...I'm heading to China!
It's Noon on Saturday, Feb. 4, and I've finally finished typing, editing, and re-editing my support letter. If you're reading this blog, chances are you'll get one in the mail soon or have already gotten one. If you haven't or don't, let me know and I can definitely get you one!
I included the web address to this blog in that letter, but I've also decided to include the web-friendly content of that letter here. So, if you haven't received a letter yet.. here it is!
Dear Friends and Family,
I’m honored to share with you about an exciting opportunity that I have been provided with for this upcoming summer. I have received the opportunity to teach conversational English during July 2012!
This summer, I will serve as one of those teachers! My teaching schedule is as follows:
o June 28th – Depart North America for Hong Kong
o July 9th – Conversational English Camps in Hong Kong Begins!
o July 27th – Final Day of English Camps in Hong Kong
o July 29th – Travel to Mongolia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, or China
o August 6th – Return to North America
Following a week of training, I will spend three weeks leading my own class of 15-20 Chinese students in English lessons for three hours each morning. During the afternoons, my team and I will teach American culture to the students, and in the evenings, we will have the opportunity to engage in our students’ lives as they teach us the Chinese culture!
For the final week of the trip, I will have the opportunity to observe long-term teachers in another country in Asia. In a future letter, I will let you know of my placement. As of May 23, it's Cambodia!
Through this trip, it is my hope that I may be able to share of my own heart and life with my own students in order to impact them positively, also.
Because I'm working through a non-profit organization, teachers are required to raise all of their own support. For my program, I must raise $3,580. Of this amount, about $2500 is due by May 1st, and the rest is due on June 1st. Please prayerfully consider being part of this wonderful service opportunity with me through financial and spiritual support. If you wish to partner with me, I have enclosed a donation card and envelope that may be sent to the organization. (Obviously I have no way to enclose those on my blog, so if you'd like a donor card and business-reply envelope, let me know!)
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. Also, please be praying for me as I continue the process of raising funds and preparing for my service in China during Summer 2012.
Kristin
Since I've spent the majority of my morning working on details of my upcoming China trip, I'm spending the rest of the day in homework before heading to the Keith and Kristyn Getty concert offered free for students on Dordt's campus tonight. I'll be volunteering to sell merchandise before and after the concert and enjoying some of the music, also.
It's February in Iowa, the sun's shining brightly, and there are only a few traces of snow on the ground. How strange, how wonderful! Enjoy your day--no matter the weather you're having there!
It's Noon on Saturday, Feb. 4, and I've finally finished typing, editing, and re-editing my support letter. If you're reading this blog, chances are you'll get one in the mail soon or have already gotten one. If you haven't or don't, let me know and I can definitely get you one!
I included the web address to this blog in that letter, but I've also decided to include the web-friendly content of that letter here. So, if you haven't received a letter yet.. here it is!
Dear Friends and Family,
I’m honored to share with you about an exciting opportunity that I have been provided with for this upcoming summer. I have received the opportunity to teach conversational English during July 2012!
This summer, I will serve as one of those teachers! My teaching schedule is as follows:
o June 28th – Depart North America for Hong Kong
o July 9th – Conversational English Camps in Hong Kong Begins!
o July 27th – Final Day of English Camps in Hong Kong
o July 29th – Travel to Mongolia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, or China
o August 6th – Return to North America
Following a week of training, I will spend three weeks leading my own class of 15-20 Chinese students in English lessons for three hours each morning. During the afternoons, my team and I will teach American culture to the students, and in the evenings, we will have the opportunity to engage in our students’ lives as they teach us the Chinese culture!
For the final week of the trip, I will have the opportunity to observe long-term teachers in another country in Asia. In a future letter, I will let you know of my placement. As of May 23, it's Cambodia!
Through this trip, it is my hope that I may be able to share of my own heart and life with my own students in order to impact them positively, also.
Because I'm working through a non-profit organization, teachers are required to raise all of their own support. For my program, I must raise $3,580. Of this amount, about $2500 is due by May 1st, and the rest is due on June 1st. Please prayerfully consider being part of this wonderful service opportunity with me through financial and spiritual support. If you wish to partner with me, I have enclosed a donation card and envelope that may be sent to the organization. (Obviously I have no way to enclose those on my blog, so if you'd like a donor card and business-reply envelope, let me know!)
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. Also, please be praying for me as I continue the process of raising funds and preparing for my service in China during Summer 2012.
Kristin
Since I've spent the majority of my morning working on details of my upcoming China trip, I'm spending the rest of the day in homework before heading to the Keith and Kristyn Getty concert offered free for students on Dordt's campus tonight. I'll be volunteering to sell merchandise before and after the concert and enjoying some of the music, also.
It's February in Iowa, the sun's shining brightly, and there are only a few traces of snow on the ground. How strange, how wonderful! Enjoy your day--no matter the weather you're having there!
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