Not the life I dreamed of

In the past two (almost three) months that I have spent time at the Children's School of Rochester, it has truly become a place that I love more and more each day. As I continue to interact with students from all across the globe, I am reminded of the amazing ways that God orchestrates our lives. Who knew that my experiences in Thailand nearly 8 years ago would prepare me for the students that I interact with on an almost daily basis? Or that my time studying the history and culture of the Balkans during EMW would enable me to understand the background of my students from Bosnia? And that my time spent in Tanzania would equip me to build relationships with students who were born into refugee camps in the same country? Eight years ago, I would have told you that I was going to spend the rest of my life as a missionary in Thailand. Six years ago, I probably would have said the same thing. And yet, here I am today, in Rochester, New York. I'm not on the other side of the world serving. I haven't even left the continent since I studied in Tanzania in 2009. But I feel fully alive in the same way that I do when I'm serving overseas. I feel enthusiastic, joyful, and passionate about the work that I am doing. Although I'm still piecing jobs together, it seems that every single day, God provides more and more opportunities for me to fully utilize the gifts, interests, experiences, and passions that he has given me.

So maybe I don't live in Chiang Mai as my seventeen-year-old self insisted that I would. Maybe I'm not a physician's assistant working in medical missions as I once thought I would be. Maybe I am the teacher that I never thought I would be. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I'm living the life that I never could have dreamed because of an amazing God who truly knows the desires and dreams of my heart more than I ever could.