My first post! Where do I start? Well for starters, my name is Elaine and I'm just your average college student. I enjoy drinking coffee, chasing the sunrises, and traveling. All I am trying to do is live in this crazy, yet beautiful world. For the next two months I will be in Japan, and I'll tell you, that I am only here because of the grace of God.
This blog is going to be used as journal, more or less. Documenting where I am and where I've been. Not only will it be about my adventures, it will also focus on the Christian walk (both highlights and challenges). I was inspired to start this blog only recently (just randomly). About a month ago I left my family and friends to come to Japan to be an English teaching intern for three months. It all happened so fast. This past November, I went to my university's only Japanese teacher. At the time, I was seriously considering becoming an English teacher for Japanese students. I asked her if it would be possible for her to teach me one-on-one. She said it would be too difficult at the moment with our conflicting schedules. But at the end of our conversation she brought up my interest in teaching in Japanese students and handed me a flyer for the internship I am in.
I went through the classic range of emotions. From being incredibly excited at the possibility of going and then being too terrified to even consider it. I remember telling my parents the morning of Thanksgiving I didn't want to go because of the price (which was just an excuse) But I guess God had other plans. That same day, my grandfather to ask me about how my Japanese was going (which he almost never asks about). During my grandfather's and my conversation I told him about the possible internship and how I was going to wait a year. He looked at me and said to me that he would pay for me to go this summer and told me that I should apply. That week applied.
Even when I applied I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, I was still very hesitant. So I prayed that God would make it clear whether or not I should go. And sure enough, I received an email from the college in Japan requesting an interview. The rest is history. Now I am in Japan working with these amazing students. But I would be lying if I said that being here is easy. I am now entering my third year of college and I have many applications and other things that I need to prepare before going back in to school in the fall. And amongst the countless thoughts within my own head I've really questioned why I am here. Is it really to learn how to teach these students or is there something else? I certainly don't know the answer to that, only time will tell.
There have moments where I have thought I needed to go back to America simply because I couldn't handle a certain situation from where I was. But God is faithful, and for each of my challenging situations He solved them effortlessly. He has certainly kept me in His hand through these passing storms. My time here is important, not just for me, but for my students. I am just praying that God will put the right words in my mouth so that I can best represent Him and His works while I am here. I know I am far from perfect but, even if it's just a little, I want the time I am here to benefit the kingdom.
So my hope is I can write a post every week, but we'll see what happens as time goes on.
Thank you for reading and I hope you'll come back again.
Elaine
This blog is going to be used as journal, more or less. Documenting where I am and where I've been. Not only will it be about my adventures, it will also focus on the Christian walk (both highlights and challenges). I was inspired to start this blog only recently (just randomly). About a month ago I left my family and friends to come to Japan to be an English teaching intern for three months. It all happened so fast. This past November, I went to my university's only Japanese teacher. At the time, I was seriously considering becoming an English teacher for Japanese students. I asked her if it would be possible for her to teach me one-on-one. She said it would be too difficult at the moment with our conflicting schedules. But at the end of our conversation she brought up my interest in teaching in Japanese students and handed me a flyer for the internship I am in.
I went through the classic range of emotions. From being incredibly excited at the possibility of going and then being too terrified to even consider it. I remember telling my parents the morning of Thanksgiving I didn't want to go because of the price (which was just an excuse) But I guess God had other plans. That same day, my grandfather to ask me about how my Japanese was going (which he almost never asks about). During my grandfather's and my conversation I told him about the possible internship and how I was going to wait a year. He looked at me and said to me that he would pay for me to go this summer and told me that I should apply. That week applied.
Even when I applied I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, I was still very hesitant. So I prayed that God would make it clear whether or not I should go. And sure enough, I received an email from the college in Japan requesting an interview. The rest is history. Now I am in Japan working with these amazing students. But I would be lying if I said that being here is easy. I am now entering my third year of college and I have many applications and other things that I need to prepare before going back in to school in the fall. And amongst the countless thoughts within my own head I've really questioned why I am here. Is it really to learn how to teach these students or is there something else? I certainly don't know the answer to that, only time will tell.
There have moments where I have thought I needed to go back to America simply because I couldn't handle a certain situation from where I was. But God is faithful, and for each of my challenging situations He solved them effortlessly. He has certainly kept me in His hand through these passing storms. My time here is important, not just for me, but for my students. I am just praying that God will put the right words in my mouth so that I can best represent Him and His works while I am here. I know I am far from perfect but, even if it's just a little, I want the time I am here to benefit the kingdom.
So my hope is I can write a post every week, but we'll see what happens as time goes on.
Thank you for reading and I hope you'll come back again.
Elaine
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