Hold out your hands and close your eyes / Trust me this time, I’ve got something in mind / Don’t try to guess or you’ll miss it altogether / The timings more important to me anyway / (Come with me) / And I’ll watch you dance / When you see the plans I’ve made for us /

Will you take my hand?

… “I’ll Watch You Dance,” Holly Starr …

Virginia experiences an earthquake, and South Africa embraces a hot, muggy springtime with no warning whatsoever. One day it’s winter, and in the next it’s spring with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Whatever happened to gradual climate shifts? I now sleep with an obnoxiously loud fan blowing hurricane-like air currents around my room just to keep the heat at bay.  Most people open their windows to let the cool night air inside, but I refuse.  The mozzies (mosquitoes) would find me in a milli-second and descend upon me as I innocently sleep in my bed.  I think not.

With the arrival of spring, change lingers in the air we breathe, and I have not escaped its effects.  The most difficult change came about five weeks ago. I never saw it coming: the departure of a beloved student. As the oldest student in the school, she was one of the two girls I had been working with one-on-one two to three times a week.  She is highly intelligent and enjoyable to be around, and I looked forward to working with her throughout the remainder of this year and the next as she prepared for graduation and university in the USA. As a result, I was crushed to discover she would be leaving for a neighbouring school.  I had one last week with her after I was told the news, and I helped her as much as I could in those few days. I just had to trust in God and His plans for her by letting her go.  Her absence has not been easy, but God knows what He is doing. I still work with the second female student, of course, and I’ve been able to give her more of my time. I continue to push her to excel, and even though she hates me for it sometimes, I know it’s for her own good. I honestly have to laugh, because this girl is so much like me: outgoing, sociable, and a major procrastinator. The latter makes for an interesting time, because no matter how many different excuses she comes up with, I bat them all down with ease. After all, as a fellow procrastinator, I have used those same excuses and tricks far too often in my lifetime to be fooled by them now.

Even in the midst of change, God still gifts us with joyful moments when we least expect them. Having lost my oldest student, I could only pray that she would enjoy her new school and continue following God. I hoped to see her again, but I did not count on such a gift. Still, God makes a way. While serving on after-school gate duty two weeks ago, a student in a different school uniform appeared at my shoulder.  I paid the student little attention at first, but when she persisted in standing there, I finally looked.  She was the very student I had been missing for all those weeks! After a bone-crushing hug, we talked for the next 45 minutes about her new school and how she was doing.  In that time, I managed to encourage her to seek the positive in the changes and to not give up on God and His plans. We parted ways with another fierce hug.  A week later I received a letter from her thanking me for the encouragement and support. Although she still struggles with all the changes, she is now seeking God’s peace and joy in her life. I’m so excited for her, and I know I will see her again very soon. I thought God had closed that door, but He was quick to open it once again. I know my role in this student’s life is not finished, and I can only thank God for the opportunities He has given me to impact not only her life, but also the lives of all my students.

Every one of my students is such a blessing. Every smile and laugh fills me with joy.  God has given me His eyes so that I can see what He sees in each child in that learning center.  No matter how tired or emotionally drained I may be, God fills me with joy and strength with one smile or greeting from one of His children. Each morning, I stand in the learning center as the students file in to stand before their desks, and I am always greeted by smiling faces and cheerful voices as they say, “Good morning, Miss Matthews.” I love hearing that. It’s equally rewarding to see these students grow in knowledge, working with them one-on-one and watching as difficult subjects suddenly click in their brains and make sense. My dad has always said that he loves his job as a university professor because he is impacting the lives of the future generation every day.  I can now say the exact same thing.  It’s a realization and truth that overwhelms me with awe and excitement at random moments. I often think of my favourite high school teachers and university professors, all of whom left major footprints in my life. I will always be grateful to them for their encouragement, support, and expertise. And now, a teacher myself, I can only pray that I am having the same impact on the lives of my students.  No matter where God sends me after my sojourn in South Africa, I will know that I made a difference.  Even if I only make a difference in one student’s life, I will have joy because of it.

So long as we open our lives and talents to God’s plan, He is faithful to use them in a wide range of places and circumstances.  My love of travel led me to South Africa; my writing talent has been given an outlet in the form of Mr. Palmer’s book; and now my enjoyment in editing is being used for a good cause and purpose.  In the last week of this month, I will be attending the ACE All-Africa Student Convention in Bloemfontein, South Africa, as a volunteer and judge. I am in the midst of judging short story entries for a literary contest, in which I read various stories from students across the continent and give them a score. Two other judges are reading the same stories as me, and all of our scores will be totaled to decide on a winner. The range in stories is vast, and I’m enjoying the time spent perusing the entries. Some are good, some terrible, some better than others, but I am doing my best to give the scores rightfully deserved while, at the same time, providing valid feedback in the comments section of the judge’s form.  For some entries, it’s difficult to find positive things to say, but for the sake of the burgeoning writers, I must. The experience has been rewarding thus far. I still have 30 entries to score in the next week, but I will accomplish it in time. It’s nice to use the gifts God gave me for a variety of individuals and organizations.  In coming to South Africa, I thought I would work in the school, go on a few mission trips, and do a few services in the community. I never imagined I would be assisting in so many different fields and places. Already, I’ve traveled to Botswana and Zimbabwe, and in a few weeks I will be exploring other cities in South Africa. I hope to visit Mozambique soon, as well. The sky is the limit around here!

I look back on the last eight months in amazement.  God has brought me so far, and I have learned so many things. I am definitely not the same girl I was in January, and I just might scare a few people with the drastic changes in my life when I return to the US in mid-December. Living abroad has always been a dream of mine, but I never imagined it would have such a drastic affect on me. Everyone needs to experience something like this, whether it be living overseas for a year or a short-term mission trip.  Whatever it may be, it’s necessary for every Christian that lives and breathes in today’s world. We are so quick to lose ourselves in comfort and complacency while the world aches for the love and knowledge we have in Christ. I am fortunate to have grandparents who devoted their lives to serving God overseas, and their testimonies and example have made all the difference in my life. Knowing they put everything on the line to serve God overseas for years, I found the courage to step outside of my comfort zone and find God’s will overseas. I never really imagined myself as a missionary while growing up, but I can now see how God prepared me to be just that.  It doesn’t take an inspirational speaker with charisma to burn, or a doctorate degree with a matching cap, or an individual with years of experience in a specific field. All it takes is faith, trust, and a willing heart.  God will provide all the rest.  He paved the way for me to come to South Africa in January. I had no teaching experience and very little money to live on, and yet here I am, thriving in the place God’s placed me.  He has provided for me in every circumstance, and already He is providing for my second year in South Africa. I don’t have to worry because He is in control.  All I had to do was believe in His provision and buy a plane ticket. Any of you could do the same, and I hope you do. The experience is worth the cost. Christ gave it all for us, so how can we not do the same for Him and His people?

“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Matthew 9:37b