I was just asked to write the following article for The Eagle’s Eye, a yearly magazine distributed to our entire school system. It was really difficult to write about myself, so I hope it turned out well!

A visitor to my classroom, the Middle School Digital Media Lab, might think that he’s walking into a strange new world … dozens of slick computers sit on the desks and thousands of shiny CD’s and colorful music posters cover the walls. While I’ve enjoyed teaching thousands of CHCA’s fantastic young men and women in this vibrant setting for for the last five years, I am even more excited to be stepping out into a new classroom halfway around the world next year … in China!

Several years ago, God began cultivating in my heart a desire to grow in compassion for God’s children and awareness of His global kingdom. After visiting some friends at a trilingual Moroccan school in 2003, I began to research missions organizations, international schools, and non-profit organizations that send teachers around the world. I applied to programs in Africa, South America, Asia, and the Pacific, learning many important intricacies of teaching and living overseas.

Eventually, I discovered WorldTeach, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides opportunities for individuals to make a meaningful contribution to international education by living and working as volunteer teachers in developing countries. Based in the Harvard Center for International Development, WorldTeach quickly impressed me with its organized training, support structure, and highly-regarded reputation in the countries where it operates. After further research, my initial impressions were confirmed through numerous references, web resources, and conversations with past WorldTeach volunteers.

While my heart wasn’t set on a particular geographical area of the world, it quickly became obvious that the WorldTeach China program was the best fit for my needs and gifts. Subsidized by the Hunan Provincial Education Department, this program is designed to place volunteers in areas of the province that desperately need English teachers. I applied for and was accepted to this program, which will send me to the city of Changsha in August for three weeks of intensive in-country language and culture training.

Once the training is complete, I will travel to my yet-undecided yearlong teaching placement to take up residence in a very different classroom. Even if the walls are bare and the room has no Internet connection, however, I am still looking forward to teaching conversational English to some wonderful 11 to 18-year-old Chinese children. The school will also provide me with a western-style apartment, and WorldTeach has already organized an extensive network of field support and continued training throughout the year for the 20 other volunteers in the country.

I am also very pumped about the personal adventures and challenges that lie ahead. China is a country rich in culture and heritage, and I hope to immerse myself in the community and travel the beautiful country as much as possible. The food in Hunan is fantastic, and learning the language (I currently speak no Mandarin) should present some fun and memorable challenges. I will also have the opportunity to complete my Master’s degree by the end of the school year, and I am thrilled at the Sabbath-time that awaits next year as I spend more time with my heavenly Father and open my eyes to His global masterpiece.

And while I don’t expect to go and “change the world”, I eagerly anticipate seeing the fingerprints of God next year. The impact of Christianity on Chinese history is anything but sparkling, and the government has a history of using its laws and administrative rules to stringently control religious expression, organizations, and publishing. Nevertheless, there are up to 100 million Christians in China and Jesus is vibrantly grasping new hearts every day, resulting in an astounding change in the culture and climate.

Ultimately, I am sad to miss a year in the life of these wonderful CHCA students but eager to pursue the exciting new adventure that God has designed. The support and encouragement from the CHCA family has been overwhelming, and I look forward to seeing how my experiences in China shape my teaching and relationships back in Cincinnati next year!

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Lance Webel has been teaching Digital Media in the Middle School since 2001. You can see stories and photos from his adventure next year at http://webel.net.

Posted to webeldotnet on Friday, June 16th, 2006 at 9:58 am EST in China & Education (comment feed). If you refer to this post on your blog, please trackback. Thanks!