Burning in the Hills
On the ride from the airport back to
my city, I noticed what looked like a procession of people walking up a
mountainside with torches. I asked my friend Andrea about it and said, "Is
it a forest fire?" She told me that yes, during this dry season the
mountains burn! It smelled like sulfur for the rest of the way home.
This
morning I was excited to open my window, hoping it was a cool enough day to do
so comfortably. I noticed my windows were significantly more dirty than they
were before I left (a lot of dirt accumulates on the windows after a couple
months or so, and I haven't washed them since moving in). I also noticed
another darker substance on my window sill. It looked like the residue you find
when you've over-watered a houseplant and it leaks water and soil onto the
surface beneath it. I assumed it had rained hard enough so that water had
managed to get through the cracks in my windows.
After
I opened my windows, I saw that I was wrong. The formerly green mountains I had
seen from my view were markedly brownish red in most areas, and I watched as
large scraps of ash floated through the air, flying deceptively by like
butterflies. I quickly realized that the "soil" on my windowsill was
in fact ash. Andrea had warned me of this, but I had hoped that I was at an
angle which would not receive the ash from the burning mountains. The sulfur
smell is here as well, but not so as strong as I feared.
I
feel sorry for the loss of many trees and ferns that have already burned and
will burn in the coming months, but at least I know that most of the year the
mountains are lush and green, and will be so again come March.
How did I get here anyway?
I was just
thinking about Jen and Erik, my brother and sister-in-law, feeling a little
jealous that they’re going on a cruise to several Caribbean islands which I’ve
never seen. How I would love to be on a giant boat again, see the beach every
day for a week, and add 5 or more islands to my map of visited countries (many
islands are independent and therefore considered countries in their own rite)!
Then I thought back on my own experience on a cruise, and how nearly-miraculous
it was that I was even able to go, especially at the age of 13. Then I thought
about how I got to go to France in high school, and how nearly-miraculous that
was as well. Then, finally getting to be here, teaching abroad like I’d dreamed
about for years. Even having a wonderful experience as my first full year
teaching here. As I was thinking about these things, it slowly dawned on me
that God has been fulfilling all of my deepest desires in life, just like the
verse I’ve been re-memorizing (Psalm 145:19). I still hold desires of
things yet to come, but I am finally beginning to realize that I can trust him
to fulfill those desires, as he has fulfilled so many already.
So what brought
me to Venezuela, anyway? Believe it or not, I was only 13 when I first started
planning to live abroad. I remember skipping through my backyard, when suddenly
I felt God telling me I would be a missionary. I rejoiced at the thought,
little knowing how or when it would come to pass. I pursued this calling as I
grew up, and even chose education as a major in college because it meant I
could work in any country.
After finishing
my degree at Evangel University, in Missouri, I moved back home to Minnesota.
My grandma wasn’t doing well, so I was determined to live with her and help her
out in her last years. While living there, I worked as a substitute teacher,
always looking for full time employment. My grandma passed away last year, and
I finished out the year as a math coach.
I knew the math
position would not be a permanent one, so before the end of the year, I
attended an international teaching fair in which schools from around the world
come to recruit teachers. I felt the time was right to finally step up to the
dream I’d harbored for so long: to go abroad. Throughout high school and
college, I took classes in Spanish; therefore I looked into teaching in Central
or South America. At the international fair in Iowa, I interviewed with schools
from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. At the end of the day, I was offered a
position from both Mexico and Venezuela. I prayed about it, considered the
things I had learned about each country (which wasn’t much!), and made my
decision: Venezuela! And so began my adventure to this beautiful land, has
quickly rooted itself into my heart as a second home.
If you are interested in international teaching, check out the Iowa international fair for next year:
Or, look into the other international fairs held in a other cities throughout the US and across the globe!
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