Worker Profile: Joy M. (name changed)

Art and handicraft market in a Central Asia city park. Photo: Francisco Anzola via Flickr

Service location: Central Asia | Service program: tranSend | Serving since: 2023

Assignment:
I teach middle and high school science part-time in an international school where both Muslim and Christian students (mostly the children of expats) learn together. I also co-moderate the school magazine with another worker, where we mentor a team of students in coming up with a monthly publication that reflects events and issues in the school community. I am also studying the language for 20 hours each week, which includes face-to-face lessons, self-study, and informal conversations with locals for practice.

I see my role as integral in the spiritual formation of these students with whom I have the privilege of developing relationships. Although the majority were brought up in a Christian background, they may not necessarily have a personal relationship with the Lord. They go through challenges like most teenagers, even more so living in a third culture environment. As many of their parents labor in this vast harvest field, I hope to contribute to building godly families as a testimony in this largely unreached region.

Biggest challenge:
It is certainly a major challenge to juggle the many responsibilities that I have. High schoolers can be quite a handful and teaching them requires patience and much grace. Learning a new language is also both challenging and overwhelming at the same time, as there’s so much to learn in such a short time. The weather here has also posed some health challenges. My first weeks were difficult as my hypertension is often triggered by the dry, warm climate.

Biggest joy:
“Favor and honor come from the Lord” (Psalm 84:11). My coworker and best friend Elaine (name changed) and I have both experienced this as we teach students and interact with those around us. We’ve had opportunities to show love and kindness to students, colleagues, cleaning ladies in our apartment complex, and our retired next-door neighbor, all of which have opened conversations about different aspects of life. I see how much the Lord loves these people and has made them cross paths with ours. We pray for more spiritual conversations to happen and that our language learning would enable Elaine and I to connect with them more effectively.

A typical day:
My mornings begin with language self-study, followed by my work in the international school. My classes are usually after lunch, which poses a challenge in keeping students active and engaged! After school, I go to language class three times a week, and on other days we have team meetings or meet-ups with other single ladies on our team for encouragement. Occasionally, our colleagues in the school will invite us for a meal. Weeknights are spent reviewing language lessons, checking papers, and preparing for the next day’s lessons. I also have informal conversations with locals for language practice.