Clarifying God’s Call

Kim Free, a short-term missionary presented at Missionworks in October 2012

Kim Free, a short-term missionary presented at Missionworks in October 2012:

A six-week teaching immersion in China last summer helped Kim Free gain clarity about her call.

Preparing for her mission in the Summer English Program in the town of Ya’an in Sichuan Province, Free says she asked herself “Why does this feel so right?” “Why does this seem so exciting? Why do I feel so driven? I realize now what it means to feel a call.”

Free, of Portland, Oregon, joined her husband, a friend and a diverse representation of nations and denominations to teach conversational English to 100 Chinese middle- and high-school teachers.

“A lot of the teachers had never taught an English class in school there,” says Free. “They are good at reading it and writing it, but they’ve never spoken it.” China’s education system requires that all students must pass an English exam in order to be admitted to college.

“We taught for three periods, then took a long break. In the afternoon, we did skits and conversational exercises from the teachings of that morning. A lot was culture sharing.” Everywhere we went they called us ‘the English experts.’ That’s a lot of responsibility. They were honored to have us just be there with them.”

I was away from my home and my possessions for six weeks. I realized I didn’t need ANY of those things. Without them, there was that spark again: the spark of God’s call glowing in me.