When I received an e-mail from my good friend Kimberly Parker saying that she was moving to China, I thought it was a hoax. But when the e-mails kept coming and the Go Fund Me campaign began, I knew this was real. One thing I know about Sister Kim -- once she sets her mind to it, there's no stopping. After she left for China, I read her e-mail updates with great joy and admiration. I thought her story was so amazing that I asked if she would share with my readers.
Most people find it challenging to fathom my story. How I ended up in China is most unusual but
100% true. I didn’t choose China. China chose me. In January 2013, I literally woke up one
morning and with pure spontaneity said, “I want to teach children English in
China.” While I was surprised by my
utterance, the feeling attached to those words was indescribable. Prior to that revelation, my only affinity
with China was purely based on the splendid job they did hosting the 2008
Olympics. However, I knew God was trying
to tell me something that morning, so I took massive action.
The Vision
First, I created a vision board with these words: ‘Get to
China FREE.’ Not long thereafter, I contacted a school in China and submitted
my résumé. To my disappointment, I did not
qualify. At the time, they required teachers to have a degree in English (mine
was in Management Studies), plus a couple years of classroom experience, neither
of which I had at the time.
Keep the Faith
Throughout the year, I never lost ‘that feeling’ I had when
I woke up. I kept the flame burning
brightly in my heart so my dream would not die.
I continuously affirmed to my husband and children and even myself, “I
want to teach children English in China.”
I’m grateful that they always encouraged me by saying, “OK. One day you will.” I couldn’t quite explain my passion, I just
knew it was real and that one day it was going to happen.
On October 23, 2013, I received an email from the same
school stating that their requirements changed and they wanted me to re-apply. It was at that very moment I knew my dream
would come true! I re-submitted my résumé
and immediately received a call for an interview.
The Law of Attraction
During the interview, the Director of Studies asked me to
tell him a little about myself. I
proudly shared who I was from the inside-out and that I was a wife of nearly 20
years and had four amazing children. He
then asked about my community service experience. Still proud, I shared information about my
seven years of joy as the volunteer Trips Abroad Coordinator at my son’s French
Immersion School. Upon learning that they
spoke French he said, “If hired, would you consider bringing your daughter with
you? She could learn Chinese as her
second language.” I was speechless
because it was an unspoken desire I held for many years! Believe it or not, when she was three years
old I affirmed in my heart Chinese would be her second language. She is now eight years old. The Law of Attraction was working overtime
for me that day!
Four days after the interview, I was hired! One of the requirements for employment was to
take a 100 hour Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Online
Course. So, on November 13, 2013, I
began the journey. Time was of the
essence; my start date was less than two months away. On average, it takes six to twelve weeks to
complete this standard six month course.
However, I wrote in my journal, ‘I will finish this course in one
month.’
The online course was wonderful and offered me the
flexibility I needed. I worked
diligently on assignments as early as 3:00 am and as late as midnight,
sometimes beyond. One day I sat at my
computer for 12 hours straight and only took water and bathroom breaks. Well, in just 28 days, with well over 100
hours of online learning, I successfully completed three modules, 27 quizzes,
28 test, 25 essays, and watched 21 videos.
The grade I earned was a beautiful ‘A.’ I also completed the optional
English Grammar Course and earned a certificate! I thank God for the support of my husband,
family, and friends. I could not have
done it without them.
Our time here has been extremely rewarding. Through the generosity of family, friends,
and strangers alike, I raised over $6,600 which took care of our flight as well
as supported us since we’ve been living here.
Those funds have even been used to bless others in need because giving
always opens the door to receiving. My
daughter attends an international school and earned all ‘A’s and ‘B’s on her
report card, with an ‘A’ in Mandarin.
The locals marvel at how well she speaks Chinese and often say she has a
very good Chinese accent. You should see
her haggle for the best bargain at markets and stores!
The Magic of Gratitude
I wake up every single day with a heart full of
gratitude. There are times when I’m
waiting for a bus and say, “Wow! I’m
waiting for a bus…in China!”
My life is forever changed.
The life of my family is forever changed, too. My children saw how I nurtured my dream and
never stopped believing it would come true.
Because I’ve set this example for them, they have learned to apply The
Law of Attraction and the magic of gratitude to their lives and are watching
their dreams come true, too. They now
know and passionately believe that the sky is not the limit because I am
teaching them, through words and action, infinity belongs to them!
If you would like to contact Kimberely Parker, you can visit her website Writing Momma or e-mail her at kimberlyk.parker01@gmail.com.
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