Ten Years in Perspective

It's hard to believe that ten years ago tonight, Ryan Engelland helped me (Tim) to pack my stuff before we headed for the airport around 3AM the next morning. A number of colleagues and students graciously woke up to see me off, and I don't think I'll ever forget that send-off(or the wonderful folks who were waiting for me in Paducah about 24 hours later).

I've previously reflected some on my time in Thailand, so I won't repeat that here. However, teaching in Thailand opened up a number of doors in the years that followed, and eventually led me to Wheaton College (and, through Wheaton, to South Korea).

Ten years ago, I had no idea what the next few years would have for me. In July of '99, I accepted a one-year teaching/mission opportunity in the Boston area. This was partly a continuation of what I'd been doing earlier, and also something very different. That year seemed to fly by, and then I was back in Paducah. After about ten weeks at home, I moved to Chicago to work for the Vietnamese Association of Illinois(VAI). I had a number of additional teaching-related opportunities at VAI and worked with some great folks as well. Though most colleagues weren't believers, I feel I learned quite a bit from all of them (especially those who had suffered imprisonment and difficulties during and after the Vietnam War).

After about two years at VAI, I began to sense God's call to return overseas. However, I knew that additional education was a necessity before I ventured out of the US again. I looked into some state universities in the Chicago area, but continually sensed God leading me to Wheaton College. After a year-long struggle, I began classes at Wheaton in the fall of '03. I learned much there, and originally thought I was getting better equipped for service in Thailand. However, changes in my previous mission agency's geographical focus meant this door was closed for me by August '04.

Thankfully, my head professor at Wheaton suggested I consider a small university in Pohang, South Korea. I'd never seriously thought about Korea, but knew rather quickly that God's hand was on my application to Handong Global University(HGU). Less than three months after graduating from Wheaton, I began teaching at HGU. I had many educational, ministry, and administrative opportunities while in Pohang, and will forever be grateful for that time. Further, I shouldn't neglect to mention that Gana and I met while preaching at a church there.

As you know, we moved to Incheon this past February. God has already been opening up numerous doors in this area, and Gana and I are both grateful for our new life here. This is definitely where God wants us at this point in life, though we remain open to following Him wherever He may call us to go in the future.