We returned on Wed. night from Malaysia and Friday was the first day of classes. Chapel convocation was also on Friday and the teachers (including me) were introduced to the student body. We had to sit on the stage in front of all of the students. During the service I kept looking at the students thinking I was where they were only a few years ago. Being at Covenant I went to many convocations at the beginning of the new year and watched all of the teachers on stage and now I am the on sitting on stage. It felt a bit weird.
Later on in the day I helped two sections of a beginning level English class. The students did not know much English and I am there to help them practice pronouncing English sounds and words. The sounds in English are much different than the sounds and tones in Chinese. For example, the o and r sounds in the word Lord are extremely hard to pronounce for a Chinese student. I hope that these times helping students with their English and writing will blossom into friendships and opportunities to disciple and encourage them.
As the heading of this entry says I am exhausted from being bombarded with so many new and different things in the culture. I feel like a little child because I am unable to communicate, I don't know my way around the area very well, and the simplest things are difficult like taking the garbage out (I have to separate my garbage out into three or four different piles and then take it to different bins around campus.) Being in culture shock helps me see my need for Jesus and His righteousness now not just in the future. Many times during each day I must utterly depend on God because things are truly out of my control. So this time is good and faith building but tiring. As one friend told me just recently "Amanda treat yourself gently." Many of you that know me well know that I can be extremely demanding and hard on myself and others. I ask that you would pray that I may be gentle in spirit on myself and others as I learn to live in Taipei and at Christ's College.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment