How I Met Sam Part 3

A year after moving to Wheaton and working as a piano teacher and other part-time work, I began to evaluate where I was heading in life, and discovered real lack of direction. I decided to go back to school to try for a teaching degree. This was mostly from the encouragement of my parents. It wasn’t a bad idea actually. While I took some classes to transfer when I found a program to become certified in, I became quite interested in Chinese and Russian History. I then concocted a plan to become a teacher, then take evening classes to get a master’s degree in either Russian or Chinese History and then attempt to study in either of these two countries. I liked academia, finally. And I was a much better student when I chose to go to school, than when I was told I must. I got high grades and felt I could excel in higher education, and perhaps be a college professor one day.
During the summer of 1999 my parents phoned me from Hong Kong and told me there was a program offered in Hong Kong to be certified in Teaching English as a Second Language. It was offered through the prestigious Cambridge University in the British Council of Hong Kong. In a short 10 weeks of intensive study and training, I could be certified in TESL. I thought it might be a good idea, and I missed Hong Kong. I felt for some reason that God wanted me to go. I also thought that I might end up staying there and finding another direction in life and maybe this was the next step in God’s direction for me. It was with a bit of trepidation that I made the trip. Especially since 3 days before leaving I had badly sprained my ankle and would have to travel in a wheelchair and walk on crutches. Hong Kong is not a great place to navigate with crutches. There is lots of walking, stairs, hills and the like. But I set my face to the wind and went forward.

Follow this link to Part 4:
How I Met Sam Part 4

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