update on my life... oh boy!

After almost two months of not updating my blog, i have finally found the time to actually sit down and write about what's been going on with me (also becuase people have been bugging me as well!). These past few months have been filled with so much change and excitement and fear and fun all wrapped up together :)

TORF:
I decided to sign up for the Teacher's Overseas Recruiting Fair to see what opportunities would arise. I had no idea of the roller coaster weekend that it was going to bring! Looking back at this past year even from last May, it just amazes me to see how God's hand has worked in delicate and detailed ways.
Last May I did a placement teaching at an international school in Hong Kong. At first I wan't going to teach at this school, but things ended up being arranged for me to teach there. And here's where God really works in humourous ways! Two days after I arrived to teach, my host teacher broke his neck. As a reuslt, he was hospitalized and I was forced to teach all his courses. I remember being so stressed becuase of all the extra lesson planning. However, I found that I enjoyed the school and the students even more becuase of the situation. I left the school feeling like it was my home. I wasn't aware of it at that time, but God had already placed a burden on my heart for those students and the school. I saw so much potential in the things that those students could do. They were all so smart and talented! This "passion" became something that I tried to run away from. Maybe becuase I didn't want to move to HK, maybe becuase I didn't want to face it. haha, i remember discussing this with Ricky on many occassions. If it wasn't for him, I think I would have run away from God's calling altogether! thanks P!

Well, to make the story shorter, the same school ended up coming to this recruiting fair at Queen's. I tried my best not to think of that school and wanted to get interviews from other schools. But as it turned out, I ended up receiving an interview scheduled for the very last day of the fair. I had so many interviews during the weekend, that when i finally got to the HK interview I was just relieved to end the weekend. I was running on no sleep and no food becuase of my nerves. But in that interview, I felt God give me an overwhelming sense of peace. This was the most peace that I had felt in a long time. I heard his voice just reassuring me that He knew best. So I walked out of that interview grinning (almost like a dork!) haha....

God confirmed it with me a week later when I got an offer to go to Hong Kong. I am blown away by his plans for his children. I finally experienced what I had heard so much at Urbana about God's Calling. If God is calling you to do something, it doesnt' matter how impossible or how out of your comfort zone it will be, He will make it happen. This is probably the biggest lesson that I've learned in my life to date.

So, with that long story condensed into a short (hopefully coherent) version, I'm off to Hong Kong for two years. And what a coincidence, i think i have a boyfriend there right now... ;)

Placement:
I did a 4 week placement teaching Grade 7 and 8 in Newmarket. This was the most amazing experiences becuase i absolutely loved my host teacher. We got along so well and even went to hang out after school. You know you love your practicum when you spend more time with your host teacher! The students were amazing and i miss them so much. They were all so sweet becuase they gave me a "teacher survival kit" for when i start teaching next year. Even though the drive up to Newmarket was hell especially during ice storms, but it was all worth it :D

March Break:
Well, my march break was pretty relaxing. I got to spend some time with friends, make gourmet dinners and sketchy "apple blossoms". Also I was a coach for TC. That was the most tiring two days of my life. Just the energy and screaming that I did was incomprehensible. For people that know me, i'm usually not the loud type. But for TC I ended up trying to get my team all riled up that i lost my voice by the end. It was an awesome opportunity to serve especially the age group that I want to work with :) Praise God for all the work that He did in those two days!

UNICEF:
For the past 3 weeks, I did a placement at UNICEF Canada's headquarters in Toronto. Going into this placement, I was soo excited becuase this has always been my dream. I ended up working with the Manager for Education for Development. This was a perfect combination of my interests in teaching and my passion for international development. It was a blast getting to know everyone in the office. I met people who had been in Afganistan, UN representatives in other countries and UN ambassadors.
In addition, I was given a project to oversee, which was to create a teacher's manual for Deborah Ellis' new book "Our Stories, Our Songs"!! I couldn't believe it becuase I had heard of her before and i knew that her books were always so inspiring. So for the 3 weeks, my eyes were opened to the HIV/AIDS crisis in African countries such as Malawi and Zambia. I can honestly say that it was a life changing experience to work and produce this manual. There is so much crap that goes on in the world, especially to children. I know that I myself am one of those people who often turn a blind eye away from these situations. It often seems depressing and hopeless to think of others who are suffering immeasurable injustice, but i realized after doing this project, that even the little bit counts. The proceeds for the manual will go towards helping children with AIDS in Africa. Even though this money may not be a lot, in the end it will make a difference.
I think God taught me through this project and opportunity at UNICEF that in order for His work to be done, it doesn't necessarily always have to be in the form of missions or evangelical projects, but even non-religious organizations can be viewed as a ministry. Moreoever, even applying my knowledge on curriculum and teaching is a form of ministry.
By the end of the placement I had completed the book (by the grace of God!) and it looks like it's going to be 110 pages and counting more! woo hoo.. hopefully i'll get to see the published copy before i leave :)

Anywho, that was a shortened version of everything that's been going on in my life so far. Very jammed pack. hopefully these next few weeks in Kingston will be relaxing... haha... last time in Queen's (sniff) with the education peeps!!

Oh, and, i'd just like to congratulate jenny on her baptism... haha PAD loves you!!

UNICEF

A couple of months ago, I began talking to the manager for "Education for Development" at UNICEF. I was very interested in her responsibility to help high school students become more aware of development issues and how to get them involved. It has always been a dream of mine to work for UNICEF/United Nations. I really believe that God has given me this opportunity to learn something new. There are so many issues in the world such as environmental degradation, sustainable drinking water in some areas, child poverty, child abuse that it might seem hopeless. But I really think that young people ESPECIALLY high school students have the energy and drive to make a difference. Often people think of high school kids as punks and dumb@sses with too much time on their hands. But I have seen the endless possibilities and potential that high school kids can have when they are motivated to do something. I think we need to encourage the "punks" in our high schools to make a difference. It's when people feel like they are making a difference that leaders are born.

just a quote about UNICEF which I love:
UNICEF is the world’s leader for children, working in 156 countries and territories to save, protect and enhance the lives of girls and boys. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, promotes quality basic education, protects children from violence, exploitation and AIDS, and is the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing nations. A global leader in emergencies with six decades of on-the-ground experience, UNICEF saves and rebuilds children's lives in natural disasters and conflict. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, schools, associations and governments.



On another note, I'm sooo thankful for my PAD girlies. they have really been a support system for me this year. It's so good to be with some girls who are so different from each other but yet we seem to understand and support each other. God has really blessed this group and accountability.

I found out that I'll be teaching Grade 8 in a couple of weeks in Newmarket. I'm excited to experience a new class and school. Hopefully it will give me a new perspective on teaching. Ahh, but before that, i'll be busy with applications and recruiting fair :S I know that God will work in his own way and in His own time. i'm just waiting. But sometimes it's so hard for me to be relaxed about my future. (maybe it's part of my type A personality --> i'm such a planner). Oh well, we'll see what happens.

And Ricky, if you're reading this... i miss you! haha... talk to you soon k?

some of my favourite pics of my favourite people... (in no particular order haha)

hehe... what do you get when you put one egyptian, one korean and one chinese girl together? haha... MADNESS and lots of loooove... hehe, our jokes are always at another level. A level where I don't think I should type on this blog... haha... YELA and SA DANG HAE!!!

hehe... Kingston would not be as fun without the random outings and random events that happen on those outings. This has been a great year to watch ENDLESS hours of tv, cook, play games and chill with. Thanks girls and Peter! haha

"The Family"- from Agape to graduating university, we have seen each other grow in many ways. Whenever C and E get married, this will truly mark the milestone in our group. Haha, becuase it was when we used to hang out at First Markham that it happened! haha, i love the girls even though it's harder to see each other becuase of school. God bless!

My family. I thank God for them. They are always there to support me financially, mentally, spiritually. Truly a blessing from God.

OH Oxford House... we all started out not knowing each other in first year, but by the end of fourth year we had so many memories. Each one of us had a role to play in our beloved house. Judy as the house-maid who made sure everything was spotless and sterilized. Mel as the treasurer who made sure that we always had money. Elim and Gigi as the house bums... haha, both either playing games or watching tv. All I can say is that it was a pleasure to be your House Prez... haha... miss you girls!


For the past 3 years, this has been the source of my laughter, tears and growth. It's amazing how different we were but yet, I think that we have a way of filling in each other's weaknesses. I am so amazed at everything that we've been through. Distance is something that is only short-term as long as we are following God's calling. Thanks for everything P!

Friends forever... no matter how long we are apart, I can always count on having many laughs with these people. Truly a family to me.

I love playing mah jong with friends.. haha, truly one of my pastimes and it's the best with someone who makes fun of everything you do... haha... miss those times at the cottage :)

spirituality in education?!!

For the past couple of weeks I've been taking a "Spirituality in Education" course. At first I wasn't interested in it, but then my housemate Doris and Angie were taking it and persuaded me to take it. It was quite interesting and different than any other course that i've taken before. We started out the class with a "Ritual" chant in a dark room with a candle in the centre. At first I was a little uncomfortable with this becuase I had never really seen myself being the "chanting" type of girl.
However, the issues that are brought up in this course have really helped me to reach deeper into myself and realize more about my character and personality. As a teacher, what is my personal philosophy about the spirituality of my students and the spiritual presence within my classroom? Do not mistake "spiritual" in a sense of a particular religion, but it is a more abstract concept that I'm still trying to grasp. How are students viewing life? Do they ever wonder about questions without answers? For example, some of the questions that we brought up were:

Why are some people so rich and others so poor?
Why am I here on earth?
What is my purpose?
Can I make a difference?

This last question was my favourite question becuase that's a question that I often ask myself.
I think that in order to answer this question "Can I make a difference" we must first determine what scale of difference do we want to make? Do we want to make a positive difference or a negative one? A lot of people who have made big differences have often never lived to see the results/impact of their actions. On a similar note, one small action can also make a big difference in others. These were just some of the things that got me thinking about what I want to do and the ways that we make a difference in this world.

on another random note, haha, for this course I have to learn a new skill. I choose to learn a new language. At first I wanted to learn korean. But my roommate Van persuaded me to learn Mandarin. Haha, so here we both are learning new languages. She's learning Korean and I'm learning Mandarin and it's HILARIOUS becuase we're both sitting in our rooms and reciting random words and noises... hehe

Urbana 06

I remember contemplating whether to go to Urbana 3 years ago. My excuses were that it was too much money, i didn't think i would get much out of it and frankly I didn't want to waste my holidays away from all my friends and family. Well, God has a funny way of doing things and 3 years later, I found myself going to Urbana 2006. This was the best possible time for me to go to a mission's themed convention becuase I have more opportunities to think about long-term service and ways to serve God with my occupation.
I know i haven't blogged in a long time and for those of you whom I've vented or shared my frustrations/anxieties with, you'll know that in the past couple of months I've been struggling a lot in terms of big decisions for next year. I must admit that I'm a perfectionist who likes to plan ahead and know things ahead of time. I prepare for my future always in advance and like the feeling of being in control. In addition, I have always set out certain goals and dreams for myself to achieve (in terms of a career etc).
But after Urbana, I think God has really helped to confirm my fears and steer me in a different direction. I had always had plans to apply for grad schools for the coming year. It was my dream, my ambition and something that I was eagerly looking forward to. However, over the past couple of months, I have gotten signs from God, friends and family about different options. It really frustrated me that I was in a way "giving" up on things for God.
At Urbana, the theme was "Live a Life worthy of the Calling". God spoke to me in big and small ways to let me know that He has other plans for me, different than any I would have ever imagined. I don't know the details of where He is calling me exactly, but I have learned that the only response that I am able to give is "HERE I AM LORD". I was scared before about the uncertainties and lack of control that I had over my life, but now I understand more than ever that my life is in complete control. But instead it is controlled by God. I don't want to settle and make a name for myself. I don't want to say no to God. I don't want to wake up when I'm 60 and feel like I've accomplished absolutely NOTHING for the Kingdom of God. I want to say "Yes, Lord".

One thing that really touched me was when I went to a seminar on "Christians called to Journalism". The seminar speaker was a Christian journalist who wrote for magazines. He basically outlined the importance of maintaining integrity in your "secular" writing. I really was fascinated at the amount of influence journalism had on shaping public perspectives and opinions. I was overwhelemd to think of the many oppotunities to live out Christ in any occcupation, especially journalism. Then, a girl raised her hand and asked the speaker a question. She said that she was interested in fashion journalism and wondered how the fashion industry had any relevance to Christianity and whether it was a career path worthy of God's calling. Everyone in the room laughed and joked about her question. However, I thought that it was quite a legitmate question becuase I had thought of it before. The speaker thought for a brief second and answered the question in a simple way that spoke profoundly to me. He answered "There are many industries and professions in our society that are darkened and have no light of God within them. If you can find some way to look at the fashion industry as a place of ministry for God. To change the definition of beauty and elegance in our society, then that is a HUGE calling that is definitely worthy of God." It was then that I felt the passion in my heart to do something one day with my profession to please God. I want to have a profession where I will impact others and also shed God's light in the darkened corners of these industries. I don't know exactly where or when He will give me the opportunity, but that is what I will be praying for.

When looking back at the sermons and bible studies at Urbana, I have come away with one profound lesson. That is that God will use me wherever, whenever and however. All I have to do is say yes to Him.

One of the scariest days of my life... a true miracle

well, i know if you guys are reading still... this blog has been untouched for almost a year! haha, sorry, but i've been too busy and neglecting this blog. Well, i guess now is the time to take it out and once again tell my random, maybe pointless stories.

Yesterday was a day that I will never forget. I'm currently teaching a high school in Toronto. I am starting to get used to being called "Miss Kwan" and have started coaching the girls volleyball team. It's amazing to see how some of the students have so much potential to become something great in the future. i can just see it in them. And as always, there will be those students who you just want to give a BIG wedgie for being brats (but that's another story :D).

This may sound cliche, but do you ever get any deja vues or "gut feelings" that something bad is going to happen? Well, on that morning, I was walking through the crowded halls of the school. And i thought to myself: "I wonder what I would do if there was ever a school shooting or hostage situation at this school?" I had this gut feeling that something was going to happen. But i just pushed it to the back of my head.

Anyways, there are 6 other Queen's teaching students that are teaching at the school with me. Usually we pick a day (Fridays) to meet up and have coffee at a nearby Second Cup. Well, this week, we had a meeting with the principal, so we decided to make our meeting on Wednesday and at an earlier time. As we were leaving the school for Second Cup, I had a sudden craving to try the new Tim Horton's Breakfast sandwich. So i told the rest of the gang that I would meet up with them at Second Cup.

I drove to Tim Hortons and bought the sandwich. Then i proceeded to the Second Cup. Well, 2 hours went by for our coffee date and we all got in our cars to drive back to school. As we were driving back, we found honestly DOZENS of police cars blocking off Yonge Street at every entrance to the sidestreets. I honestly thought that someone had died or gotten hit by a car. Well, it took 15 minutes to get back to school (what was supposed to be a 5 minute drive). When we got back to the school, I automatically went to the principals office for our meeting.

As we stepped into the office, I found a chaotic environent of students and phones ringing off the hook. Within a couple of minutes, we were informed that there had just been a Code Red in our school. Of course, I had never been through a Code Red before and asked what it was. Apparently there had been a bank robbery and bomb threat in the nearby plaza and the burglar was on the loose surrounding the school with a weapon. The school went into Code Red, which meant lights off, doors locked, windows closed, blinds closed and students hiding in a corner or under desks. This was scary stuff!! Some of the students were from war-torn countries and had to go through counselling after this procedure. But all that I could do was pray thankfully to God over and over again "Lord, thank you so much for protecting me and saving me!!!"

Later as I was talking with a teacher about the incident, she said that the bank that was robbed was right next to the Tim Hortons. The bank had been robbed about 10 minutes after I was there buying my sandwich. Wow. God really has his own plan for protecting his children. I was soo amazed and the perfect timing and miracle! God had really shown me his grace and mercy in protecting me from being in a possibly dangerous situation.
All I can say is that if you think situations like these are coincidences, they're definitely not. These are glimpses of God's miracles that ensure us that there is something greater than ourselves. Something Divine and All-Knowing.

my summer plans...

i know this is a long due post... i've finally finalized my summer plans :)
may - june : doing a practicum at an international school in HK... hehe, hopefully i won't get eaten alive by those smart, rich international students...

june: i got a job! i'm going to be a director/co-ordinator for a richmond hill community centre for july and august!! hehe, i'm soo sad to leave harbourfront though. For the past 2 summer, harbourfront has been my summer life. I would get up at 6 am, take the GO train and come home at 6pm. I really had no life, besides Harbourfront. I never saw anyone else except for my co-directors. But now, i won't have to wake up early and i'll have a life!!! haha... the community centre is literally a couple of streets away from my house :) praise God!

and then after the summer, i'm off to final year of b.ED!! YAY!!! haha, congrats to those who have gotten their acceptances, wow, the world is going to be taken over by teachers!

hehe...