Reflections

Being the 6^th of January already, it’s probably time to write up some of my reflections from 2013…

What kinds of things did I learn or experience in 2013 you ask? What were the highlights of the past year? How did I grow in my relationship with God and others? Good questions! Let me enlighten you.

Things learned…well, this is a tough question. I have seen growth in my life, but I’m not sure I can say that I’ve completely learned anything…there’s always room for more growth and learning, right? :)

Maybe the better question is how have I grown? Looking back over this year, one of the things that I can see growth in is in my confidence…I am more confident in my ability to teach English (thanks, in part, to further training, and also due to more experience). I am more confident in my role as Regional Representative. I am (a bit) more confident in speaking Czech. I am more confident in knowing what my role looks like here.

There are probably other ways I’ve grown too, but those are the ones that come to mind right away.

Highlights of 2013 include:

• Not 1, but 2 trips back to the US. The first one was work-related (with vacation tacked on to it), but the second one was simply holiday. I was blessed this year to be able to spend Christmas with my family. Instead of buying my parents a Christmas present this year, my siblings bought a plane ticket for me to join them and the festivities. Mom and Dad were completely unaware and completely surprised! It was great!! You can check out the video on Facebook (here) if you haven’t seen it yet. I am so grateful to my siblings for this gift
• Receiving a teammate! It had been a while since I’d had a teammate here with me, but as of August 2013, I have one again! It’s been great to have Jan here and to explore this fine country with her.
• Multiple friends visiting and being able to show them around Prague and my work here. What a fun thing for me to do! So, if any of you have the desire to come to Prague… ;)
• Finishing my first year at the Family Center (June) and starting a new year (September). I learned a lot through this experience and have really enjoyed my time there.
• Relationships…both meeting new people and deepening prior relationships. I am so grateful to have so many great people in my life – both here in the CZ and around the world!

Ways I’ve grown in my relationship with God and others? Beyond the confidence piece, I hope that I’ve become more sensitive to others and to their needs. I hope that I’m becoming more aware of the world around me, and not simply focusing on myself and my wants/desires/needs. I hope that I am becoming more like Christ each day.

As I look to 2014, I foresee a number of changes or transitions…mostly exciting, but maybe a bit scary too (signing up for a second term and starting Grad School to name two). My hope and prayer is that I can believe God for the things He’s promised and completely trust Him to bring things about in His way and in His timing. Here’s to living in complete trust in Him in 2014 (or at least trying to)! :)