A mixture of trepidation and excitement.
A thousand thoughts flying through my head.
It's hard to think straight and it's hard to wrap my mind around the reality of my current state. Is this really happening? Can I handle it all?
As I sit in the SFO airport, waiting to board the plan that will take me to Taiwan - and, eventually, to Sydney - I can't help but smile inwardly to myself. As I imagine how I will be moving to Australia and starting grad school a week later, I wonder at what I ever did to deserve this opportunity. I can only say that God has blessed me tremendously - not only because He paved a way to grad school for me, but also because He has given me the full support of my family and friends.
In all honestly, the human, sinful side of me is terrified. As much as I tell myself that I trust in God's will for me and that He will take care of me... in reality... it is difficult to ignore the sometimes overwhelming feelings of doubt and anxiety.
But I am reminded of all the family and friends that are encouraging me and rooting for me, and I am reminded of a verse my best friend shared with me many years ago. At the time we were both still in undergrad, and I was still in the first few months of my freshman year.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
Granted, I wasn't facing the same issues as Joshua... I'm not filling the shoes of a prominent leader, and I most certainly am not leading all of the Israelites into a new land. But I take heart in knowing that God is at the forefront of my journey, and that, whatever challenge may come... I'll be able to overcome it because God is at my side.
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Mar 4, 2015 (9:00 pm)
It's officially week two of my new adventure in Sydney!
It was an overwhelming week in Australia, and already my eyes have been opened to so much more. During my first week in Australia I settled all of the logistics of living here: housing, bank account, phone, bus card, etc. Much of which would not have been accomplished if I did not have a friend helping me throughout the whole process. :)
School started this past week... and I came to the conclusion that my Japanese is woefully inadequate. It was truly by God's grace that I was even accepted into this program and given the opportunity to do translation with my level of Japanese (*cries in the corner*).
Regardless, my professors have also been extremely encouraging in emphasizing that no translator/interpreter is perfect from day one. That, in order to succeed, there has to be a lot of hard work and dedication, not just linguistic talents.
Well, I guess this blog is going from arts and crafts into everyday diary...
But I'm hoping I'll be able to do more interesting things like post pictures and share stories about my life here in Australia. Perhaps I'll be able to invest in some arts and crafts things as well... if time allows.
Some of the more interesting things I've learned in Australia...
"It's my shout" = "It's my treat"
"Rocket" = "Arugula"
Aaaaannnddd.... that's all I can think of for now.
For now, you can enjoy these pictures (which are totally out of context...) from Taiwan! :)
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| Too bad dried meat can't travel internationally... |
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| Empty space in the sky; packed like sardines on the ground |
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| Evening sky at Tamshui (淡水) |
Till next time! Thanks for reading!
:)
I missssss youuuuuu joyyyyyyyy!!! Post more about your life so we can live vicariously through youu! Roger and I have been watching youtube vids on how to speak with an Australian accent. We'll practice on you when we see you next! :)
ReplyDeletep.s. i've tried to post this like 5 times...apologies if it does actually post that many times...