Yesterday we welcomed another teacher to our team here in Funehiki. Her name is Ashley Z. We're all very excited by her coming and eager to make her at home. It's been a very busy few weeks with with most of us doing extra teaching/coaching for students doing a big English test (STEP/Eiken Test). We haven't had much time to think about Ashley actually joining us, but now suddenly, she is here. She and Lis arrived in Funehiki Sunday afternoon, and though she was understandably tired, she visited our Bible study meeting just to say hello before settling in.
For some time the program has been planning to add another teacher to our team of 12 (making it now 13 international English teachers working with the program). The reason for this change is that the responsibilities have slowly grown, especially for the teachers working at the English school. They currently teach elementary schools, the kindergarten, after school classes, and evening classes. It's gotten to be quite a lot of work, and though the other jr. high teachers have tried to help share the load, the time had come to add another position. We're still not sure exactly what Ashley's role will be, but it seems that she will be full-time English teacher at the kindergarten ( She's pretty lucky to see the munchkins every day). She may help alleviate some of the burden on other Wakakusa teachers as well, but I think that there are still some other details yet to be decided.
For now, we're just happy to make her acquaintence and try to help her feel at home. It's always strange, and a little refreshing, to hear the reactions of someone who has just arrived. I think the day-to-day numbs us to how strange and different this all is from our experience back home. We begin to take things for granted. When someone with 'new eyes' joins us we have a chance to relive that joy of discovery all over again, if only vicariously through them. It makes us thoughtful, thankful, and gives us a chance, by comparison, to check how we ourselves are doing in this great adventure of cultural exchange and adaptation.
Please keep Ashley, and our team as we receive her, in your prayers. We've just started reading 'Life Together' as the team Bible study, and our hope is that God will build us together as one strong, unified, and healthy team...with Him at the center.
