Vision
Have you ever had a vision? How about walking the cobblestone streets of Red
Square in Moscow or visiting the treasures of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg,
Russia? Our vision didn't start with Russia first, but we did go overseas
and found that the work was such a rewarding experience, that we have continued
going. Then we were a mere 56 years old, now we are 68.
When Does Life Begin? For some, life begins a forty, for Moses it really
started when he was eighty! For us, life really began in 1985. We had survived
the depression, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars. We had raised four children.
We had started two companies, (the first one when we were forty). Many people
would consider this a full life, but we were ready to tackle new challenges.
We did watch and listen with interest to expatriate presentations, but somehow
we could not picture ourselves with pith helmets in the wilds of Africa, South
America or Asia.
So what can ordinary Christians do overseas? For us, we first found
a job in Seattle, recruiting and placing Christians overseas. Later my wife
and I had a vision to start our third company, a Conversational English Language
School in Japan. After the school was started and profitable, we turned it
over to our Japanese partner, came home and joined Educational Services International
(ESI).
Educational Services International We chose ESI primarily because they
have a great training program. They could take our education, experience and
skills and train us to teach overseas.
When we joined ESI we didn't know that we would travel the world so extensively.
We knew that as we gave up our plans to the Lord that He would direct our
path. Although we missed our children and grandchildren we found new families
of young people in Japan, China, Russia, Kazakstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and
Hungary.
ESI contracts with various educational institutions to provide teachers of
English and business. The teachers are provided with housing, a stipend for
some expenses and in some cases, transportation costs. Our students range
from undergraduates to post-graduates. They all want to learn, so they are
highly-motivated.
A little bit of gray hair goes a long way in these cultures. You have immediate
respect from the students and staff. In most cases, teachers get VIP treatment.
The institution is encouraged to introduce foreign teachers to the country
and the local area. Also, tours and trips are planned and they are very helpful.
You only work through the school year (about 9 months) with a long semester
break.
Although touring these countries and seeing some of the great wonders of the
world is very special, our main reason for going is to build friendships with
people. Again, we can both say that this is the most rewarding work that we
have ever done. Reaching out to 15-30 students, who we consider gifts from
God, meeting with them 3 hours a day, 5 days a week can gave us instant rapport
and many significant one-on-one conversations.
If you have ever had a similar vision, please don't suppress it. Go for the
gold! Believe us you will not come back the same! How far does your vision
take you? Think big!
