First Day of School!

Hey guys,

So it's been a pretty exciting week. Why was it so exciting do you ask, well about 5 days ago was THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! It's SO different being on the opposite end of things AKA me being the teacher instead of the student. My advantage is that I was recently a student so I know that oftentimes the first couple days of class always tend to set the tone for the rest of the year. As far as I can tell it seems like I set a tone of challenge and growth as well as liveliness and excitement. At least that's my opinion, Chinese people aren't known for showing large amount of expression, so from the little bit of feedback that I've gotten, I think my students would affirm my assumptions.
I'm only one week in, but I really do love it ya'll. I love being in a position where I get to help my students learn, grow, and develop not just as English speakers but as people. I also love what and who I am teaching. So I teach a Public Speaking class for Sophomore English majors and I also teach a basic Oral English course for Non-English major post graduate students (most of which are studying Engineering). Teaching is fun indeed it's very enjoyable, but it is also a lot of work. Rather, it's a lot of work if you want to do it well. As a part of my witness to my students I'm striving to pursue excellence in my teaching, which means putting in a significant amount of time and effort. I'm new to this whole teaching thing so I think it automatically takes longer for me simply because I'm getting the hang of it all. Most of the teachers in my organization teach similar classes related to English for instance: oral English, or a Basic Writing course, or some themed courses. This is helpful because teachers are able to share lesson plans and ideas with new teachers. In my case, for my Public Speaking course this isn't as popular of a class so there are fewer lesson plans that are already prepared, so I'm doing a lot of creative thinking in my lesson planning. It's tough because it's stretching me...A LOT. Creative thinking doesn't come natural to me so I'm being challenged and to be honest it's good for me. Not to mention no matter how long it takes me to write my lesson plans (sometimes up to 3 hrs) it's always a huge privilege to see it come to life in my classroom as my students engage in my lesson. As for my Master's students I LOVE teaching that class. I'm learning that I love things related to professional development and my grad students are soon to be professionals so I love helping them with things related to interview skills, and resume's and professional communication etc. All this to say, teaching is hard work, but it's oh so incredibly rewarding.
What is The Father teaching me as of late? In short He's been revealing a lot of built up pride that's been developing which to be honest has been leading me to unnecessary pressure to do everything right. Jeremiah 9: 23-24 exposed my heart but also was the truth that I needed to hear to restore my heart. It says "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord'"
I hadn't realized it but I was beginning to try to make much of myself in a lot of different areas particularly in teaching and building intentional relationships with my students. I found myself trying to be the best teacher so that everyone would look at me and think "WOW she's new to this teaching thing but she's such a good teacher", seeking this response both from my students and my teammates. As a result there was a lot of built up extra pressure I was putting on myself to be amazing at teaching and not make mistakes. Totally unrealistic right? Well that's what was going on in my sinful heart. Then with building intentional relationships I was experiencing similar feelings of pressure to try to build relationships with girls as soon as possible so that I'll look good in front of my teammates and even my supporters. Well this verse both convicted me and put me at ease. I was convicted that I was trying to be a "wise man boasting in my wisdom" when in reality the only thing I can truly boast in is knowing and being known by The Father. This verse settled my restless heart, significantly. It's so much more freeing to boast in The Son, rather than trying to attempt to boast in myself. Besides when it boils down to it He's the Wisest of the Wise, The Mightiest of the Mighty, and the Richest of the Rich anyway right? ;)

 Photo of the Week:

A class selfie with one of my Sophomore English Major Public Speaking Classes! :)

Home in Harbin

Hello Everyone,

*warning this is a long one, so read it when you actually have time to read it all*

First I want to start off by saying yes, I still will be attempting to do a blog every week, however this was the week me, and the other new Harbin teachers arrived to Harbin. As you can imagine there was a lot that needed to get done up front, not to mention I didn't have much access to WiFi in my new apartment building.

That said, I'm here! I made it to Harbin, the city in which I will live, teach, and call home for the next year of my life...so crazy! Myself and the newbies have been reunited with the rest of our teammates who are experienced ELIC teachers which is really exciting. Thus far me, Charles, & John (my teammates who are closest to mine in age and are also new) moved into our apartments. It was a big moment for me-it symbolized a lot of new life independence like as in I really am a big girl now: my own place to tend to, a real job to manage, and a new country to adjust to.(Oh and new bills to pay-yay) So it was somewhat of an emotional moment for me when I opened the door to my apartment. Also thus far, my teammates have done some teammate personality tests to better understand how we operate as individuals so that we can best love and serve each other as a team. We had a moment to take a campus tour which was very helpful, since it's where we will be spending the majority of our time. In addition, we have gone to the fabric store and a big, almost bargaining mall to buy necessities for our apartment (start up costs are never fun, but necessary nonetheless).
Oh yes, and I can't forget my experience at the church my team and I will attend. All I can say is WOW. It was simply amazing; hard to put into words-not because it was a grand church or anything of that sense but amazing because of the worship I was experiencing in another country (yes there are churches in China-it is not illegal to be a believer in China anymore. However, there are distinct types of churches in China and I attend a Three-Self Churches. For more info on the church in China I STRONGLY suggest doing some research it's quite interesting and simply put it allows you to be well-informed.) Seeing what I saw at church almost brought tears to my eyes because it was a small glimpse into what heaven will be like one day. I could go on but I'll let you use your imagination a little bit :) I'd say that's a brief summary with regards to what I've "done" thus far, since arriving in Harbin.

As far as what I've learned thus far and what The Father is teaching me, to be honest, quite a bit in a relatively short amount of time. But I will try to keep it simple ;) It's pretty basic ya'll: but I've learned how good, sovereign, and wise our Father truly is. I already knew it's true because His Word says He is, but it's a whole different story when you get to experience this. For those who know me at a deeper level you know I had a lot of anxiety about my new placement being moved from the city I thought I would be to the city I currently am now. I was less than thrilled about my new placement & the city itself, I wasn't excited about my new team dynamic, and I was (& still am) dreading the winter-I'm in the North(near Russia)-get's PRETTY cold up here. Well what I thought was simply terrible, The Lord has been SO gracious in using for my good. The city: I have to say I like it so far, this city has some character and compared to other cities in China-it actually has some appeal (lots of Russian influence style architecture). This was a plus because I didn't know much about the city before coming here, my team dynamic isn't what I expected it to be, but is turning out to be SO much better. (thought I would be on a team with all people my age, but now I'm on a team with a family of five, an elderly couple, and only two teachers my age, and a 30 yr old single woman who is our team leader) the team thing is kinda a long story, just know that I'm liking it a lot. And yes although it will get VERY cold here, there is an invisible line in China where the North of that line gets heat and the Southern part of the line doesn't. It still gets pretty cold in southern china and I would have been cold there with no heat. There is much more detail to each of these situations, but all that matters is that I'm reminded of just how perfectly our Father really does know and care for His children, and I forget that sometimes. He knows me better than I know myself, enough to know exactly what city I should be placed in, what team dynamic I should have, and what weather to deal with :)  I have to say I'm currently experiencing what The Lord promises those who trust him in Psalm 16:5. It says "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed I have a beautiful inheritance." Ya'll, me being in Harbin, at the school I'm at are my lines falling in pleasant places-and I had nothing to do with that. This verse is two fold though, things WILL get harder, doing overseas work is HARD. But the second part of the verse reminds me that my life on this earth isn't my home, but rather my eternity, that by His grace, I get to spend with Him, IS my home & quite a beautiful inheritance.

OH, and for those who are wondering I start teaching next Monday, nervous AND excited to finally meet my students! :)

If you read this WHOLE thing, thank you, I hope you are left encouraged.

Blessings,
Alysse

Photo of the week (doing two this week since I missed a week):

Top Pic: my teammates L-->R John DeBerry, Jon & Emily Wylie (married w/3 kids), Charles Gentry, Megan McKenney(our team leader), Daryle & Kim Parker (married)

Bottom Pic: a scenic picture of my campus (in the Fall, before winter hits) 

Made it Beijing!

Hello Family and Friends!!

I'm SO sorry that it's taken me this long to post again! With traveling, and trying to get internet, etc. it's been a whirlwind these last couple days. My goal is to post once every week, hoping to shoot for a consistent Sunday evening weekly post. (I'm telling ya'll so you can keep me accountable, although once I get settled into life in Harbin the day of the week that I post might change)
That being said, in case you didn't know, I made it safely to China!!! PTL For the most part things went smoothly, no missing bags or airport issues which is a huge blessing for the amount of us that traveled over here together!

Beijing has been great thus far! We are here for about 12 days or so to finish up our training. We are taking our Asian and Chinese Culture course here before we disperse into the cities in which we will be serving. The food has been as delicious as I've remembered it and the tea is even better! We've already trekked the Great Wall and have gotten to simply explore the city which has been SO fun!

As you can imagine I'm experiencing a myriad of emotions since I've been here. There is obviously quite a bit of excitement in being here, although I won't be living in the city of Beijing, China is now my new home for the next year of my life and there is a lot of excitement that comes with that. I'm slightly nostalgic due to the fact that I was in China last summer, under different circumstances (shorter amount of time, different people & responsibilities) I'm anxious to finally get to the actual city in which I will be living and teaching. I'm nervous to begin my job as a teacher. I'm feeling thankful that via partnership with supporters I'm able to embark on something much bigger than myself.
 But best of all, I feel affirmed in being here. The moment I stepped out of the airport and into the bus to take us to our hotel, the moment I knew-this is where I'm supposed to be. The country in it's entirety I had missed: the smells, the people, the food, the culture all of it I had missed and my heart for this place was reminded of the same love and compassion I had experienced the last time I was here. (Don't know if I missed the squattie potties but that's a story for a different day) The drive to the hotel was a heartfelt time for me, it was almost as if the Father personally spoke to me and said right now, for this time in your life, I want you here living among these people and serving them. I remember being at a conference one time and during the women's time we were talking about Esther, and contentment, and purpose (they all tied together I promise) I remember one big thing from her talk that "Purpose fuels contentment" I feel a total sense of purpose being here and it's fueling my heart towards a deep sense of contentment in resting in my Father and His great sovereignty. No I haven't "arrived" to this perfectly, school is starting for my friends who are still in college and I'm seeing all their posts and stuff and I would be lying if I said I missed them and all the fun they are having. But how gracious the Father is in drawing me back to the reality of where He has me and how good it is because He brought me here.

Blessings,
Alysse

Photo of the Week (I will be attempting to post a picture of the week with every post)

This is a simple picture which captures the beauty in the culture of the country I now call home: China. 

Passion & Purpose

Today was amazing. I'm still in Colorado at training but today was really cool because the President of our organization came and spoke to us today.
He's a really cool guy and just shared some simple, yet incredibly important truths with us. He reminded us that we shouldn't join this organization simply for adventure, or just to look for a really cool experience but that at the end of the day it is truly a privilege to be able to do what we are doing. With this privilege comes sacrificial costs, and unless we see our Savior as making the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, we simply aren't going for the right reasons.
He shared a lot of the deep history of our organization and it was really amazing to see all the amazing people that have gone before us as as trailblazers and pioneers and really laid a solid foundation for us, as incoming, new teachers. I was blown away and INCREDIBLY humbled by how The Father has been using this organization to open doors that the average person simply does not have the power to open.
It's sweet to be reminded that I'm becoming a part of something that is bigger than myself. What's so amazing though, and what our organization's President reminded us of was that we have a Father who cares about both the micro things that goes on in our daily lives as well as the macro and things that go on in the world around us. Sometimes we get stuck thinking too much about one or the other and forget that our Father is good, sovereign, and wise. What's even more amazing is that He doesn't need us to help Him complete his plans for the world, but yet He invites us, scrubs, to be a part of what He cares deeply for-the nations.
Our organization president Mr. Davis, reminded us that it is going to be hard, there is nothing easy about what we are setting out to do, yet at our toughest moments and our most joyful we always need to remember that we are NEVER beyond the reach of our Father's GRACE.
In short, I learned a lot today; I'm incredibly thankful to be a part of such an amazing organization, I'm humbled that The Lord want to use a scrub like me, and I'm truly in awe of His amazing grace.

Blessings,
Alysse

Colorado

Hey everyone!

This is my first blog, so I'm very new to this so bear with me as my blogging skills hopefully improve over time! :)

Kinda long, but it's my first one so I'm not too sorry about it ;)

I made it safely to Colorado! Yay! I've only been here for two full days and I more convinced than ever that going to China is exactly where The Father wants me in this season of my life.
During my time here I have gotten even more familiar with the organization that I'm working with and I have grown to love it a lot! The people that serve with ELIC are amazing and truly love The Son and it's evident in their lives. It's been really cool just to see how many people have served with this organization and for how long! Many people came and did the program I am doing (1 year commitment) and have been here for 10+ years since then!
I love that I am a part of an organization that wants to glorify The Son but doesn't take the professional work as a teacher as a lighthearted matter. This organization is super committed to us being teachers that pursue excellence in what we do. They want for us to be prepared and well-trained for our work as teachers, which I love!
Thus far we have had pretty long days, with lots of material to cover throughout the day with regards to TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and our role as teachers. It's been a lot to cover, but it honestly just gets me more excited to get my classroom and live my life serving and loving my students!
In addition, I've met amazing people since I've been here! All the new people seem so full of life and seem equally excited to go China and give their lives away, which is incredibly encouraging to me.

During reflection time yesterday, we looked at a passage in Isaiah-Isaiah 42:16. This verse was so sweet to me, especially with regards to where I'm at right now. I'm heading to a country and a very unfamiliar city, with uncertainty with regards to my ability as a teacher among many other unknowns. Not only will there be unknowns but they will be filled with all the challenges that come with living in an entirely different country. But our Father is faithful. In that passage it says that He will guide me. Not only will he guide me, but during my difficulties He will turn my rough places into level ground. Why? Because that is what He does, and He won't forsake me during the whole process. What reassurance as I embark on an unknown, but very exciting journey.

Blessings,
Alysse