This morning was the last day of school with my students, and it was bittersweet. I am so terrible at saying goodbyes, because I am just a bucket of emotions. We had a lot of fun this morning and I didn't want to drag out the goodbyes. Some of my students tackle-hugged me though and wouldn't let go. One of the boys in my class started getting tears in his eyes, and I knew I was going to lose it. I kept it together and didn't cry (big success) and he had tears running down his face (even bigger success). Note: Usually if other people start crying, it is a dominoes effect and I usually will cry soon after. I know that sounds pathetically emotional, but I don't care. It's the truth.
I spent my afternoon attending graduation ceremonies at the school for the grades 6,9 and 12 students. Simultaneously I adding 'sweating to death' to that category in your brain of viable ways to unwillingly die. It was super grossly hot out today, and after being in Thailand for a year there is a new definition to "super grossly hot" in my dictionary.
After that I created a facebook account for my students only. I had told them what my fb name would be, but had yet to create that account. Of course, I should have known that all of my students would leave school and IMMEDIATELY try to add me to facebook. I came home after an afternoon of graduation ceremonies to find 5 emails in my inbox. All from students so concerned about not being able to find me on facebook. I quickly made an account and added some likes, some photos and made it official. Just in case you were wondering the things that I liked included: writing, reading, dogs, and global english school. I am considering adding rainbows, but I might have to do that at a later date. I chuckled at how ridiculous this fb account will be, but know that my students will love it, so thats all that really counts.
Now I am sitting here reflecting on some things, and I have this gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach. I realized that tomorrow is a "school day" but there will be no students in my classroom and nothing left to teach for the year. At this point of the school year for a teacher, this is time for a much needed break, and I am definitely happy for a break. The thing that gets me the most, however, is that for the first time in a long time I will not get to start my day by sharing the gospel with a group of kids. I got to wake up every day of this school year and walk into a class of students and tell them about Jesus and how real He is to me. I got to walk alongside them as they struggled with who God was to them and not being able to experience God in a real way. I prayed every single day for my students this year and I prayed that God would reveal himself in a tangible way that was specific to that student.
This morning I got the chance to pray individually for each student as a class. At first some of the students didn't want to be prayed for, but then within minutes after hearing others being prayed over, they wanted to be next. When I asked them who wanted to experience God in a real way this summer 7 of them raised their hands. Of these, I asked them who had experienced God in a real way before, and only 3 of them raised their hands. There are 4 students who have never experienced God in a real way, but believe that it will happen. I know this is a doorway for God to do big things in their lives and make them see things that He has already been doing in their lives. This alone was the best parting gift a teacher could get.
I have realized that there is one thing in life that I want to be able to do every morning. I want a job where I get to wake up and share the gospel with young people. I want people to be able to see Jesus in me wherever I am in life, but I specifically want to be able to work somewhere where I can teach students about Jesus. It will be tough to wake up tomorrow without this part of my life. My days as a teacher here are over, but hopefully my students have been impacted by what they have learned about the gospel and the reality of Jesus in my life and others at this school.
Conclusion: I have been one lucky girl. Waking up every morning to share the gospel with a captive audience of young minds. Praise the Lord for the work that has been done here this year, and continues to be done in the hearts and minds of these students over their summer breaks and into the coming years.
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