Charity's Chatters: August 2014

It's hard to believe that a little over a month ago I arrived back in Indonesia. In a sense, it has been like I never left. My house for the most part was the same thanks to my sweet sister who kept it up for the year. My room was all set-up including a new paint job that helped turned my white-on-white walls into a lovely shade of blue. The city and the school were pretty much the same. Even among my staff, 99% of my teachers returned from previous year. I only had one new teacher for art, and she was a friend of mine that I already knew from a previous school in Bandung. Overall, it was a very easy transition back.

Yet, despite the normalcy of returning home to Indonesian, I could tell there were things that had changed. First and foremost I had changed. My year in the states helped grow my perspective spiritually, socially, and academically. I returned as a state certified administrator with training in educational leadership. My graduate school studies had given me a better understanding of my job and many ideas of ways to work smarter not harder. I had returned with a better sense of how to be a principal as well as with a better sense of the need for balance and rest. For anybody that knows me I am a work-a-holic. After my year in the states, I realized I needed to do a better job of resting, of finding time for family and friends, and of simply leaving the office even through the work was not all done. The number one comment that I kept getting from people since being back was that I looked different. So many ways, people were saying I looked better than when I left. My answer to them was - this is what "rest" looks like.

I am not the only one that has changed though. In small and subtle ways everyone around me has changed too. Some of my dearest friends are gone. My entire admin team has had a turnover. My staff has grown and changed personally and professionally. Many of my teachers have told me last year was both a great year and a very difficult year. Each day I seem to run into a policy that is slightly new or an event that is slightly different. There is this strange sense that I know what is going on and yet in reality I am completely lost.

Thankfully this is my second time returning from a furlough in the states. It is pretty normal to be both completely familiar and completely lost when coming back home. Because of this, I have tried to put a couple things in place to help my transition. First - I have committed to not jump in right away and volunteer for anything. Instead, I want to slowly learn the new things that are happening at the school and take time to rest and reacclimatize to life in Indo. Second - I have slowly been going on a listening tour with my staff. One by one, I am sitting down with all my teachers and my office staff to hear how their year was last year and to listen to their expectations for me and for the year to come. My hope is that by taking time to listen I can learn about how life is different and how I can fit back into a community that changed while I was gone.

Overall - I am extremely glad to be back. Many of you know that during my year home, I wasn't exactly looking forward to coming back to Indo. I knew though that when the time came, God would give me peace about coming home. That has happened. I love being back. I love rooming with my sister again. I love my teachers, my students, and my parent community. I even love my new admin team. This has been the biggest blessing, since I was very close to my previous admin team. All in all I am so thankful for God's faithfulness and His leading. Once again He has proven "He who calls is faithful, and He will do it." I Thess 5:25.

Prayer Requests -
- Pray for my transition back. That I can find balance between work, home, rest, and exercise.
- Pray for more students to join our school. We have almost met out enrollment needs for the year.
- Pray that I have wisdom to lead and that I don't overwhelm my staff with all the new ideas I have from grad school :)
- Pray that God will show me what to get involved in now that I am back.

Praises -
- My trip back to Indo was safe. All my luggage arrived, and I only had to pay for an extra bag 1 time.
- Staff orientation and the first week of school went really well.
- I have enjoyed reconnecting with friends at school and in the community.
- All our teaching positions are filled this school year, and we added over 20 new students to the school.
- The political situation toward international schools has eased a bit even though we were required to change our school name to Bandung Alliance Intercultural School rather than Bandung Alliance International School. (Long-story :)

First week of school pics...

- For staff orientation, the admin treated everyone to a homemade pancake breakfast.