For the past few days, weeks actually, I have been wishing someone could just tell me what I'm supposed to do with my life and the directions I'm supposed to go...but no matter how hard I wish it isn't happening! So finally I decided I would post about some of the decisions I'm trying to make and see if there is any advice anybody has. I've been praying aobut this a lot and either I haven't discovered the way I'm supposed to go yet, or all of the decisions are good, because I'm not getting any huge answers to prayers yet! So here it goes...
(For those of you who may not know I'm an elementary education major) So if I go as always planned, the normal route, I will go to school this winter, finish up on campus in fall semester, and then student teach in Winter semester and graduate winter of 2011. But lately I know I need a change and I really want to do something with the time I've been given. I'm 20 and single and as of right this second I have no prospects for marriage (don't worry family, and mom, I'm not worried that I'm never getting married I'm just stating a fact!) But because I'm single I have more time right now then I will ever have as a Mom so I want to take advantage of it. My teachers on campus have mentioned an endorsement you can get here called the TESOL. It stands for teaching English as a second language, which I have become really interested in as we've talked about it in all of my classes. If I were to do this it would mean I would need to go an extra semester, so I was thinking I could go in the summer and not get behind track. If I went in the summer it would mean I would have a 7 week break in between semesters where it would be pretty difficult to find a full time job. At the same time, my Aunt Brenda informed me that it is something I could get while I was teaching, so it's not something I have to do now. So then I've really been thinking how I want to experience new things. I love Idaho Falls, I love my family, but I have lived there my entire life and as much as amazing my parents are I want to experience something new. I do not want to move home this summer, that's why I was thinking I could work on getting the TESOL this summer, but at the same time, if there's some other great thing I could be doing that would be amazing! I do not want to go on a mission, I do not see that as something for me at all. I've been looking in to teaching English in Mexico for 4 months and searching around for other opportunities like that. But, even if I don't do something grand like that I would really love to move somewhere and experience something new....so this may seem really jumbled and confusing and if it is I'm sorry. It's just that I register for next semester on Friday and I feel like I need to make sure to sign up for the right classes in case I'm going to do something big or different with my life. If you have ANY ideas please post them and help me out! I LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks!
7 comments:
I don't know if this will really help you, but I am just telling you a personal opinion! I think that getting away and teachin english is a great oppurtunity! Getting away from sheltered Idaho Falls and Rexburg has taught me so much!! It makes you realize how the real world is and how much missionary work there is outside of our hometown!! But then again, finishing the semester and having your teaching degree sooner would be awesome... but then again you'd only be a semester behind. Another thing is there may always be other oppurtunities that come up in the future for you to travel and live somewhere new, and that could even be when you are married! So basically I feel like I didn't help you at all... but getting away is an eye opener, and a great learning experience!
This advice comes from someone who never took a "just for fun" class in college because I was so focused on getting done. You are young and you have a great opportunity to do something that may not be possible at any other point in your life. One of my seminary teachers once told me that the lord may not say "Do this" but he will tell you when you shouldn't. Plus working full time really isn't that great!
Wow, where have I been? I didn't even know you were thinking of all these things. We need to talk more. I just read Jenn's comment, and I agree. You will know if you are not supposed to do something. For me, if something is right, I always feel happy and excited about it. For me, I never went anywhere and did anything exciting, and to be honest, I don't really feel like I missed out on anything. I've had plenty of wonderful experiences and opportunities wherever I have been, even if it has been living at home with mom and dad. Good luck. . I will pray for you.
Don't you wish someone could make these decisions for you? Unfortunately you are the only one that can do it, and we all know you are very capable, with the Lord's help of course. I still believe, and have always thought, that you would be a wonderful missionary. I would hate to see you go away for that long but you are so amazing and have so much to share and why not share the thing that is most important to you!
You could probably go far away to find some great things like you mentioned, but I bet if you stayed close to home you could find some cool things as well. Maybe you need to work at the playmill in Jackson or West Yellowstone! Mexico scares me, it is not safe right now.
Good luck, we'll pray for you too. You'll figure it all out. You are like me, you like to have a plan, but sometimes it good to just go with the flow and trust tha things will work out.
Wow! Those are some big decisions to make. I totally understand the feeling of wanting to get away and experience something new. And I agree that once you start working full time you can't really take 4 months off to go live in another country.
Do you know Lisa Burt? She just got a new job with International Language Programs (ILP) in Provo. They do something like TESOL. As a student she went out and lived abroad as an ILP teacher. She is now their office manager- helping other students go. She would be a GREAT person to talk to about her experience and find out a little more. If you need her email (she doesn't check to often) or her phone # let me know. I know she would love to talk to you about it. Text me if you need her info. :-)
Personal opinion... get out and have some fun and experience something you cant ever do. From my experience...do something you have always wanted while you still can because sooner then later you will be changing poopy diapers and picking up after husbands! if you remember Hannah Walker, she went to China to teach and she loved every minute of it and cant wait to go back. Good luck!
Hi Melissa... I'm going to look up your email on FB so I can send you a longer note than anyone would want to read on here... What your letter and the comments tell me about you is that the Lord is very, very mindful of you and He is using all these confusing thoughts and feelings to move you in the right direction even though to you it feels really, really like you want to just scream... You'll know... and the answer will surprise you at first but then you'll realize you knew it all along! Interesting how those things work! I love you and pray for you! How fun that you are coming down next weekend!
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