My evening classes finished for the term last night. One more week of morning classes and then I am on break.
Last night as my students and I were talking. I thought about how I met one of them two and half years ago and also about what I have been through during that time.
My student came here two and a half years ago as a refugee. He survived the genocide of the Yazidi people in Iraq. He and two of his cousins came to a Newcomer Refugee class I substitute taught in the summer of 2017.
That summer I was in the midst of medical tests and doctors appointments to try to find out what was wrong. That was the first diagnosis- Celiacs Disease.
My student came back to me in an intermediate ESL class this past Spring. I was going through more tests and appointments. The diagnosis- Fibromyalgia.
My student will go on to a bright future in America. He will start college soon. One of his cousins just got engaged. The other one continues to improve her English.
The past few years have been a woven fabric of focusing on teaching and ministry while going through medical tests and appointments with various doctors.
I put my hand on my student’s shoulder and told him I am proud of him. I encouraged him to keep going. I told all of my students they did a good job and I was happy to be their teacher.
My students, my classes, and my ministry are the reason I keep going. I never tell my students things like I had to come home for a while in the afternoon and take a nap because I am so fatigued all of the time. I don’t tell them why I keep a few of the lights off in the room which is because my eyes are so sensitive to lights at times. I never tell them about frequent doctors visits that seem to come in clusters, pain, or fatigue. In fact, yesterday was one of those days I had to come home and take a nap because I was wiped out
I am looking forward to a four week break in the evenings, writing in my book, relaxing, sleeping A LOT, and meeting people for coffee. After the break there will more teaching, ministry, and yes, more tests and doctors because perhaps there is one more thing to diagnose.
Through it all, the reason I keep going for my ministry, classes and students is because Jesus gives me the strength to do so. He is the reason I push through.
Thank you for reading. God Bless.
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