A Pilgrim's Dream

I want to keep a record of God's hand in my life especially regarding my personal mission. This entry will give a brief history that leads up to it.

In 2003, I spent 5 months in Asia teaching English. It was one of the best times of my life. I taught English to students who had a hunger to learn, ages 5 to adults. I taught mostly in Thailand and 2 weeks in Korea. My students were Thai, Japanese, and Korean. I met people from around the world and loved their accents. Thinking back it was like a dream. I had discovered many things about myself and rekindled the love for Thai culture.

During my 5 months in Asia, I also went to Cambodia for a week. I visited the Sihanuk Hospital and learned about the history of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge, and the genocide. It was amazing how Cambodia is neighboringThailand, but I'd never learned about the genocide in my history classes. I knew nothing about it. Very few people do, I think.

Ever since my trip to Cambodia, I have been haunted to go back.

In the beginning of 2004, I came back to the US to pursue my teaching credential. The whole process took about 2 years. During those two years, my dream/passion about Cambodia has never faded. It only grew stronger towards the end of my teaching program.

I know that right now I can get a full-time teaching job either in the US or the UK, but I'm not ready for it. I just finished student-teaching and know that teaching full time would leave me with no time to pursue my dream for at least the next 2 years. I do plan to settle down and teach full time, but I know that if I take the job now, I wouldn't be able to pursue my mission. I may have the summer off, but I wouldn't be able to spend more than a few months else where.

What I have come to realize is that the longer you wait to pursue your dream, the harder it gets. Sometimes, you just gotta jump in with both feet and don't think too much. Well, maybe some thinking is required. Going on a pilgrimage is a big decision. But if it's God's will, nothing will be too big or too hard to accomplish.