way. too. long.

Friends, first please let me apologize for NEVER posting! I had really good intentions, but unfortunately, they didn't last long. So, six months later... here we are!

It is extremely hard to believe that almost a year has past. I absolutely LOVE living here and have been blown away by all that God is teaching me! I want to share with y'all a bit about the school I'm teaching at, International Community School (ICS). We are a Christian school with American curriculum and students from over 25 countries in Pre-K to 12th grade. You can check out our website.

I feel so blessed to be able to do the job that I love, teaching math, while also sharing the love of Christ and discipling my students. While I knew God was calling me to Singapore to teach at ICS, I really didn't know what to expect once I got here and how I would adjust to teaching middle school. Part of the reason I haven't posted much, (not to make excuses!) was that in some ways I've felt like a first year teacher again. My perfectionist habits have surfaced and I've been quite overwhelmed with the task of teaching and writing curriculum for 3.5 new subjects! I'm thankful that God has provided strength and friends to help me through! (Along with some vacations to relax and recharge along the way!) Even in some of the very busy and difficult times, I have still been so thankful for the opportunity to teach at ICS! To highlight a few things:

• I teach five classes every day, my smallest class is 12 students and my largest class is only 18 students!
• I have a mimo portable interactive white board that I get to keep in my classroom 24/7! (like a smartboard)
• My students are from all over the world: USA, Canada, New Zealand, Korea, China, Japan, Russia, India, and some local Singaporean students too!
• Every morning I start off the day with a devotional and pray for my students. I can openly talk about Christ, it's awesome!
• My students are really hilarious and super sweet! There are a few 7th grade girls that faithfully give me a hug every day!
• My students are also really good kids and the majority of them excel in math! I love how they raise their hands, they have so much energy and can barely stay sitting in their seats... it's too cute!

Also, here's a promotional video for our school. What an awesome place to service our Lord Jesus Christ!

He is faithful

Hey Friends! This blog is long overdue and I’m very sorry! I’ve joked with a few friends that I’ve written this blog several times in my head while on public transportation… but just haven’t had a chance to sit at the computer and type it! So… I’m finally finding the time this Saturday morning… here goes nothing!

The past month or so of living in Singapore has been a very fun and exciting time. I’ve had the opportunity to see many interesting places, eat lots of good food, and build many new friendships. But in some ways, it has already been very difficult and my faith is already being stretched!

It’s been a season (and I think it will continue to be… ) of learning to trust in God’s faithfulness. In so many ways, God has shown himself to be faithful towards me! One weekend in particular, God got my attention… One Thursday night, after leaving school, I walked over to the shopping mall close to school to pick up some groceries and other things that I needed. While walking back to the bus stop, about a 10 – 15 minute walk… I was praying and just talking to the Lord. As I walked down a residential street, one thing I prayed for specifically was opportunities to talk with Singaporean people. I prayed and asked the Lord for the chance to meet believers so that we could mutually encourage each other. I also prayed for opportunities to share my faith with unbelieving people. It’s difficult to meet local people here for several reasons. One is that I spend so much time at work and with the international community. This is not a bad thing, but I just don’t want that to be all of what I do while I’m here. Another reason is because of the culture here. It’s not that people aren’t friendly, but it’s just different… for example, while walking down the street people don’t look you in the eyes and definitely don’t smile. So I prayed and sought the Lord…

The next Saturday morning, I had planned to leave pretty early to go set up my bank account and later that day, my cell phone plan. When I woke up, a friend of mine was online, so I ended up skyping with her, which threw off “my schedule”. So, I hurried to get ready (wanting to avoid long lines at the bank) and ran out of my flat and hopped on the lift to go down to ground level. On the twelfth floor, a Singaporean lady got on the lift and to my surprise, she smiled at me and asked if I lived in the building. I, of course, said yes and we got to talking. She asked where I was going and I told her that I was going to take the mrt (mass rapid transit… aka, the subway) station. She asked if I knew the short cut to the station from our building and offered to show me the way. So I took her up on her offer and we walked to the station and then rode the mrt together. Come to find out, she was on her way to church for an outreach event that her church was hosting! We had a great conversation and I was so encouraged! Once we headed our separate ways, I remembered what I had prayed two days earlier… I praised the Lord and thanked Him for answering my prayer! He is faithful!

“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

Here is a short list of some of the other ways that the Lord has been faithful… (I’m sure that there are more, but… I can’t think of them at the moment!)

The Lord has been faithful in providing me a wonderful place to live at a good price. I am thankful for my roommates who are easy to get along with and a blessing to live with!

The Lord has been faithful in providing me friends who enjoy working out. I am very thankful for a group of girls to workout with every day after school. This is such a huge stress relief and is keeping me healthy!

The Lord has been faithful in providing me a job at the International Community School. I have dreamt of teaching overseas for a long time! So just the opportunity to be here in Singapore and to do what I love to do, teach math, is a huge blessing! I am thankful that the Lord does give us the desires of our hearts. (“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 34:7)

The Lord has been faithful in providing a close friend in only a short time. It usually takes me a very long time to open up and have a close friend. But, God in his faithfulness has provided me a friend, Tara, who I am already becoming close with!

So, I take this time to rejoice in God’s faithfulness! I am thankful that He is intimately a part of our lives and provides for His children in the big things and the small things.

Closer to Love

After leaving PFO in Southaven, I returned to Houston to say my goodbyes and prepare for the big move to Singapore... it was three weeks of craziness! (that's why it's taken me so long to blog, sorry!) That time was probably one of the busiest times in my life, but also one of the sweetest! As I said my goodbyes, I realized how many amazing people the Lord has put in my life and how truly blessed I am!I was able to meet one-on-one with my close friends and share a meal or coffee. And in that time I was able to tell each one of them why they are special to me, how they had impacted my life, and let them know that I love them! For me, this was SO MUCH fun but also very draining! I think my love languages are quality time and words of encouragement... so naturally, I loved doing this... but, I'm also an introvert, so all the people time made me very exhausted! (side note: I was so exhausted that I slept 15 hours out of the 24 hour trip to Singapore, so when I arrived I was well rested!)

I also had two very special parties thrown for me, one by my homegroup at church and another by my friends/roommates for the summer. I was incredibly blessed by both of these times, especially all of the kind/encouraging words from my church body at homegroup. I want to share a couple of verses to affirm and encourage you to continue in what you are doing!

"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Romans 12:4-5

"... to equip the saints for works of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12

I am so glad that I have been able to see each of you grow individually and as a body of believers. We are one, united in Christ, but God has also gifted us each in a unique way. It has brought me such joy to watch each ofyou use your gifts for God's glory and to build up the body. You have encouraged and challenged me to do the same! So continue on in the Lord's strength and seek to live out Acts 2:42-47! I pray that God will be quick to lead me to a body that is seeking Him with the same fervor as you! This is just the beginning...

So friends, this blog is dedicated to you! Because of all of you, I am closer to understanding love. "you pull me closer to love... " -Mat Kearney

my summer roommates... praying at homegroup

final meal in the states... riding to the airport

all of my friends from church who came to my last meal in the states!

the guys grilling in the rain at my goodbye party

love you girls and thanks for the goodbye party!

Preparing Your Minds for Action

Well, I'm finishing things up here at PFO (Pre-Field Orientation or pifffo). I leave tomorrow afternoon to head back home to Houston. I had hoped to blog more while I was here, but with the busy schedule and writing a reflection paper... it didn't happen! So, here are a few thoughts to sum up my time of training to prepare for the mission field. The past two weeks have been a very intense time of looking at myself and my relationship with Jesus Christ. Some people have joked that we are receiving "free counseling" and they are totally right! We've dealt with all kinds of issues, including our personalities, communication, transition, third-culture kids, teaching Christianly, culture, and purity. I have learned so much (feeling a little brain dead) and now I feel much more prepared to make the move to Singapore! I am a nerd and I do love to learn new things BUT, that hasn't been the best part of PFO. The sweetest part has been... the PEOPLE!!! :) I have been so encouraged by the hearts and lives of the people going through training with me! It has been a really neat experience to be surrounded by other educators who love the Lord Jesus Christ and want the nations to know His Name. We've bonded in a special way as we prepare for this new adventure of serving in an international Christian school. I am so thankful for the encouragement they have given me through their joy, laughter, and genuine love! I know that I have been forever changed this week because of what God has done and I can't wait to see what He has for the future!

(and on a less serious note, "hey girl" will now be said ALL over the world as a result of the past two weeks!) :)

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and bring sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 1:13

me and steph... she will be serving in Suriname... LOVE this GIRL!

my small group at Graceland :)

having fun with my new group of friends at PFO

walking along the Mississippi River with my Singapore friends!

Third Culture Kid

Have you ever had one of those days when something just clicks in your mind? Well, yesterday was totally that day for me! In my training for teaching at an international school in Singapore, we spent the majority of the day talking about "Third Culture Kids" (aka TCKs). The funny thing is that I didn't realize that I AM ONE!!! So what is a TCK? A TCK is...

"[A] person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background."

I lived in Indonesia for three years, while I was in 6th through 8th grade. I knew that this experience changed me, but I didn't fully understand how much until yesterday. As the presenter was explaining TCKs, I began to understand myself better. The feelings that I had when I moved back to the states in 9th grade and that I have had since were completely validated! It may seem dramatic, but for one of the first times in my life, I felt like I had a place to "belong", a people that understood me. Since living overseas, I have never felt totally comfortable here in the United States. Many of you know that I don't know much American pop culture. I think that part of the reason why is because I don't place the same value on it because of my love for other cultures (especially Asian cultures!). It's hard to fully explain, but here are a few characteristics of TCKs that may help you better understand us:

Benefits:

• Adaptable, Flexible, and Confident in Change
• Recognition of the importance of NOW
• Sense of Realism (loss comes to all)
• Independent (self-reliant)
• Culturally Tolerant and Adventurous

Challenges:

• Rootless, Restless, Migratory Instinct
• Guarded (reluctant to let people in)
• Emotional Flattening
• "Quick Release" Response (pull away quickly from relationships)
• Isolation and/or Alienation
• Uncertain in Passport Culture ("Own" Culture)

It's hard to completely explain all that I experienced yesterday, but let me tell ya, it was HUGE for me! I really wish I knew about TCKs sooner, but I am glad that at least I do know now! I am so excited to have a classrooms full of TCKs and to be able to help them understand what they are going through! May the Lord Jesus use my experiences as a middle schooler in Indonesia to speak to my students! All for the glory of His Name!

Pre-Field Orientation

So... from June 21st - July 2nd, I will be in Southaven, Mississippi (just outside of Memphis) for PFO. We're learning all of the important things that we need to know to be ready for moving overseas. All the soon to be missionaries with NICS are here, around 150 people, who will be going to the 20 different schools all over the world!

I arrived yesterday afternoon, so today was my first full day. I plan on blogging a few times while I'm here, but to get us started, here are a few of my first impressions:

• It's really encouraging to be around like-minded people! Seriously, everyone here has been SO nice and friendly. How easily we forget that there are people all over the US (and the world) that are living for the Lord! In just the short time that I have been here, it has been cool to hear stories of how God has brought people to this place in their lives. I've got one story in particular that I will probably share in a later post. And of course, it's been fun to meet the other new staff members who will be going to Singapore... they all seem super cool!!!

• We are going to be doing a lot of studying in 1 Peter. Here are two verses that were shared this morning that stuck with me. "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live as strangers here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:17) "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11) The speaker was encouraging us, as we are about to be foreigners, to live a life above reproach; to be holy and fear the Lord. He explained how as we live in another country, our lives will be in the spotlight and many will look at us to see what Christianity is really like. It is challenging, but also exciting to think of the impact we can have!

• We did the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and I am a "INTJ", which stands for Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, and Judging. I was actually pretty surprised at how well the test fits me! I think they hit the nail on the head! So you're probably wondering, "What does INTJ mean?" So glad you asked! haha... Here's a quick summary: Theory Based, Skeptical, "My Way", High Need for Competency, Sees World as a Chessboard, Independent, "Everything has room for improvement". Also, on the results sheet it says: "They have great powers of concentration, and are so determined to see their vision become a reality, they will work with tireless energy to turn out a flawless idea or product." and "Because of their sometimes impossibly high standards, INTJs tend to be perfectionists." So, there's a little insight into me, kinda scary!

Ok, that is all for now... more coming soon!

Support Letter

I am going to be moving to Singapore to teach with NICS, Network of International Christian Schools. Below is my support letter. It will give you a little background into how the Lord called me to Singapore! The good news is... that in just over a month, God has already provided all the support for my traveling expenses and set-up costs. God is GOOD! :)

Dear Friends in Christ,

I hope this letter finds you doing well! There is only a month left of school and it’s hard to believe that I will have taught in Cy-Fair ISD for four years! When I graduated from Texas A&M University and moved to Houston, I had no idea what blessings God had waiting for me here. He has given me precious friends, a body of believers at Houston’s Northwest Church, and has blessed me with hundreds of loving, precious students that have marked my life forever!

I have loved teaching math at Cy-Falls High School and being a curriculum coach at Langham Creek High School, but this past year I have felt God changing the desires of my heart. I prayerfully considered what God might have for me and the Holy Spirit strongly impressed upon me that He did indeed have somewhere else for me to serve Him. For many years, I’ve dreamt of living overseas and doing mission work. So, in mid-February, I stepped out in faith and went to a job fair in Southaven, Mississippi with the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS). At the job fair, I saw how God is using this organization to reach children and families all over the world with the message of Christ. The more I learned about the schools, the more excited I became!

NICS was founded 20 years ago to serve missionary families in South Korea. Currently, NICS has 20 schools in 16 countries with around 4,300 students from over 100 countries. The schools also open their doors to the international community. Diplomats and international business people from countries all over the world enroll their students in NICS schools. These families are made up of a wide-range of non-Christian religious backgrounds – including Islam, Hindu, and various eastern religions. These parents seek an English-speaking school for their children to attend where their child will be loved and accepted. They sign an agreement stating that they understand their child will be exposed to Christian teaching and the gospel message. At this time, 30% of the student body comes from missionary families, while 70% are from the international business and diplomatic communities. The opportunity to work with this diverse student body and share Jesus Christ with students who do not know Him is very exciting!! After much prayer, I agreed to accept the job of teaching middle school math and bible class at the International Community School (ICS) in Singapore for the next two years. I cannot wait to combine my passion for teaching math and love of children with Biblical truth that can radically change lives for eternity!!

All the teachers at the International Community School in Singapore are there serving as missionaries. They do receive a salary from the school, but need to raise funds for initial set up costs (plane ticket, setting up an apartment, etc). ICS partners with the umbrella mission organization, NICS (www.nics.org). All gifts are made out to NICS who then manages the teacher’s support, health insurance, etc… I need to raise $5,000 in initial set up expenses in 3 months time!! This may sound impossible – but we serve a BIG GOD!

Would you prayerfully consider how God might want to use you to partner with me in this very unique ministry that has the potential for HUGE impact? I covet your prayers most of all, but if you would like to help by making a one time gift, you can do so by simply filling out and returning the NICS support card included. All new teachers are to report to ICS the end of July, and in order to go, 100% of our support must be raised. Thank you so much for your quick response to this wide-open window of opportunity! May grace and peace be yours abundantly!!

Much love in the Lord Jesus Christ,

Kara Stucky