It’s been 6 weeks they’ve been there, away from home in a faraway land. Some of them were there last year, some even there the year before that. But, of the 14 teachers there, 4 are new on the scene.
The first few weeks may have been a little shocking. Afterall, things are very different there on the other side of the world, so so different. You don’t realize how much language you actually take in on any given day until all the language around you is incomprehensible. Our local organic farmers market on Saturday morning is trendy; their farmers markets on crowded streets are daily life. Our running out to grab a bite to eat is efficient; their meals out are centered around community and connection, reaching across each other, sharing dishes, sitting for hours as more and more dishes are brought out. Our healthy lifestyle means working out at the gym, cutting out fast food, and sanitizing everything; their healthy lifestyle is staying warm, having a full stomach, and drinking hot water while trash covers streets like confetti and dust collects on any thing that is still for 10 seconds. Our convenient is drive-thru windows and orderly school drop off traffic circles; their convenient is a 40-minute bus trip with only one transfer.
As one of only a few Westerners on a campus of up to 20,000, they sort of stand out. The honeymoon phase lasts a while and right about now reality sinks in. This is life, for a while at least. And, even with all the Modern Family episodes on discs and pumpkin scented candles brought as gifts, they cannot forget that they are pretty much the furthest away from home they could possibly be on this earth. But, they are there, fully there physically and otherwise, committed to the work they are doing, and following the One who called them there.
We traveled a lot early on, visiting each other on different campuses. But, when I got back here, I felt confirmation. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.
I feel the same way as that new teacher. I’m not there like they are there, but I could have said nearly the same thing. Life is different now, in many ways we haven’t even yet identified. But, we’re fully in it, committed to the call and following the caller. Just like K told me over a 4 oz. porcelain cup of hot water, we know this is just where we are supposed to be.
My China adventure isn’t over with my plane landing back on American soil; it’s just taking off.
