Hey friend! It has been a while since I have chatted with you. I’ve got some green tea ice cream ready for you as we sit and catch up. =)

My first year teaching in Taiwan came to a close at the end of June. What an incredible experience it has been! The Lord grew me, changed me, and challenged me in ways I would never have expected. In some ways, He grew me in areas that I have been grown before, but this time it was almost as if He was fine tuning the things I had learned before. I learned to seek the Lord even during prolonged good times (something that I had never really had to do before as my life had been a fast roller coaster ride since I accepted Christ), to dedicate my work daily to Him and His care, and to seek out conversations and relationships that drew me closer to God. During the last month of teaching, I struggled with feelings of possessiveness and sadness as I prepared to let go of my Honey Badger class. A new teacher would be teaching them come August. While I worried about that, I was also excited that a new teacher would get to experience the love and joy that is the Honey class.

In July I went back to the States for two weeks to visit my parents and friends. It was a busy two weeks full of laughter, love, friendship, hugs and cuddles, and yummy food. Being surrounded by so many people that I love was fulfilling and replenished my “I am loved” meter. Saying ‘goodbye’ was harder this time for a myriad of reasons, primary of which was I didn’t know when I would see them again. I am looking forward to having teleportation technology available to us to ease the loneliness. The loneliness is something that I have also learned to give to God.

Three weeks ago I began teaching a new year one class called the Polar Bear class. I have affectionately nicknamed them the “Cubbies”. ^_^ A year one class is comprised of grade 1 students, typically six or seven years old. I witnessed a friend struggle with teaching a year one class last year and had been warned, “They don’t know how to sit.” Although I logically knew that, after my first day of teaching a squirming, jumping-out-of-their-seats-whenever-they-get-interested/excited, always chatting in Chinese, don’t know how/when to be quiet, don’t know their own name class, I was exhausted and questioned my abilities as a teacher. I went home, cried, and asked God, “What am I doing here?!” The following week was just as exhausting. The second week, I asked God to open my eyes, to see my students as He does, to love them through their misbehavior, and for God to use me to shine Christ to them, no matter how awful I felt or discouraged I felt. That week was loads better than the first. Each week is getting progressively better. My prayer is always that God will displace Tr. Ruth’s personality, weakness, and frustrations in the classroom and that God would take over. Would you please be praying this, too?

Some of the Honeys still come up to me, hug me, tell me about their days, or give me random gifts. I still play with them after class and try to include the Cubbies as much as possible, too. Many of the Cubbies now stop by my desk in the teacher’s area to “talk” or to ‘play’ with me by poking me and then running away laughing. The cubbies have so much they want to say but don’t know how to say it in English so usually our “talk” goes like this:

Student 1: Tr. Ruth!

Tr. Ruth: Hello Student 1!

Student 1: ……. (smile) ……. (open mouth) ……. (close mouth and look sheepish)

Tr. Ruth: How are you?

Student 1: ………

Tr. Ruth: Are you good?

Student 1: (nods head)

Tr. Ruth: Great! Are you go backyard play?

Student 1: (eyes get big) ………… (stare at Tr. Ruth)

Student 2: Tr. Ruth!!!!

Tr. Ruth: Hi Student 2!

Student 1 and 2: ……(smile)…..

Tr. Ruth: Are you go backyard play?

Student 2: Yes! (runs away)

Student 1: (nods head)…. (runs away)

Teaching a year one class comes with lots of repetition, singing songs you only ever dreamed of singing to your own children, frustrating moments, and so many smiles, laughter, little hugs and high fives, and sweet moments with little children. I am learning that students whose behavior seems disrespectful often comes from totally unrelated triggers and they respond to a hug, smile, touch, or kind word just as much as a student who is always focused on the teacher.

Would you please pray for these things?

• Patience. Although I am normally a very patient person, I have found that my patience gets used up quickly in year one classes. Please pray that I am equally patient to each child, that I can look past my own frustrations and prejudices and see the student as the person God created.
• Kind words. Please pray that I would automatically have kind words to say to each child, no matter how frustrated I am with them. I do not want to accidentally tear a child down from my own thoughtless words.

There are so many more things I could ask you to pray for, but it all comes down to this: that I would be obedient to God and listen to His direction. Please, would you keep me and the Cubbies in your prayers?

How may I be praying for you? I would love to pray for you!
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Tr. Ruth