Kayley in Ukraine: September 2021 Update
(side note: I wrote this post on October 1st, but did not finish editing it until today, November 23rd. So much has happened between October 1sts and now! But until I can write about it, this post is only about September and about the events and perspectives I was having at that time.)
It’s October 1st, which means that if you’re reading this, like me, you’ve made it through the month of September! Maybe September was just another month for you, or maybe it was a challenge. For me, it was definitely the latter! But as I was riding my bike home from teaching one day, I realized that despite the challenge of it all, I was gaining something valuable.
It all clicked as I rode my bike up the hill to where I’ve been staying. Riding a bike up a hill might not sound like much, but for me, as someone who grew up in the land of flat cornfields, making it up the hill was an accomplishment! It was the first time all month I had had the strength to get up so easily (usually I had to stand up to pedal and would feel as if I had barely made it at the end). As I rode my bike, I was proud to realize that though it had been painful to attain it, I now had a new strength - strength to make it up the hill. And in that moment, I also realized that God had been using the month of September to give me strength in more areas of my life than just the muscles it took to ride a bike.
Simultaneously adjusting to both a new culture and a new teaching job (and it’s my first teaching job) was harder then I would have expected. From adjusting to new curriculum, students, and school responsibilities to the cultural adjustments, like resetting my expectations for what/when I’ll eat or how I’ll get places, there have been a lot of changes that I’ve needed to make at once! Thankfully God has given us the ability to adapt to new situations. Though a bit overwhelming at first, I can see God giving me new strength as I adjust and become more competent at handling what was previously a lot for me.
I’ve also seen my strength growing spiritually, particularly in the area of faith. Even though I am happy to be here and even feel called to this region of this world, I really don’t know the bigger purpose of why I’m here. I thought at first it was so that I could improve my teaching skills. However, I actually don’t think that having a lifelong career as a teacher is for me, so that idea has been taken off the table. With this realization and some other things that have happened as well, I really don’t know why I’m here. It’s strange to feel this lack of clarity, but fortunately, it’s been pointing me to seek out God more - reminding myself to believe that He is faithful and has a good plan and purpose for me, whether I know exactly where my life is heading or not.
On a more fun note, I’ve also seen my Ukrainian get stronger this month! In the beginning of the month, I couldn’t really follow conversation during a weekly bible study we’ve had at the school. I could recognize a lot of words, but not enough to know what the theme of conversation was. This week, however, I was surprised to realize that I was aware of the theme of conversation as it changed throughout our meeting. Though I’m still far from catching the details, it was at least exciting to be able to follow a conversation!!