It is surreal to think that I have been living in Malaysia almost three months! These months have been full of highs and lows. About a month ago, I hit an all-time low. My demeanor normally is positive and happy; however, I was feeling sad, depressed, and always on the verge of tears. The loss of my mom was setting in even more. Combined with my loneliness, I was down in the dumps. Daily I was reminded of all of Christ's blessings in my life. He blessed me for twenty four years with a godly mother who loved me, with godly parents who love(d) the Lord and loved one another greatly, with family who loves and supports me, with the knowledge that I am following His Will for my life, and much more.
What makes living in Penang a challenge is the absence of family and friends, the amount of work, and the occasional cultural frustrations; however, I have found that being here alone has been the biggest trial of all. The time change has proved to be a bit of a challenge as well. Thirteen hours difference creates interesting times for Skype dates. Going from talking to your family daily through texts and quick phone calls to a Skype call once every two weeks is quite a change.
Despite feeling lonely, God has provided! I had a few friends visit for a week from Indonesia. Then I had a friend that's working in Korea stay for a week. It was so nice spending time with people who already know me well, as opposed to explaining myself to the people here.
My biggest joy is my students. Each one of my students brings me joy. During Bible time, I have started playing Youtube videos of praise songs with lyrics. My kids have come to cherish that time and LOVE to sing while doing actions. They also truly love Bible class. We have had very good and deep discussions for a third grade class. I cannot say enough good things about my class! The one thing my students are working on is talking too much when I am trying to talk... :) My class knows that when my parents went to my parent/teacher conferences they often heard, "Jodi is a great student. Talks to much in class." Ha ha! I can definitely empathize with my students, as I know exactly how tempting it is to chat with a neighbor in class. :)
Thank you for all of you who have continued to Facebook me, e-mail me, and Skype with me. I am trying to respond in a more timely way and figure out when I can Skype with people. Your support and prayers mean more than you know and are truly coveted by me.
In Him,
Jodi
