Grace

Let me introduce you to Grace.

Grace International School is a world all its own. I don't know if you know this, but Chiang Mai is home to one of the largest concentrations of Christian missions and development workers in the world. Actually, I may have made that up, but there are a ton of Christian workers here. Folks who are working all over Southeast Asia set up camp here in Chiang Mai. And many of those Christian families, in one way or another, are tied to Grace. And let me tell you, these families are doing amazing things. Church planting, rural development, HIV prevention, rescuing children from trafficking, rescuing refugees from oppression, providing healthcare, ministering to the poor and needy, and the list goes on and on. What's the most admirable work you can think of? Chances are someone tied to Grace is doing it. When I moved to Dallas, I had to adjust my concept of the average neighborhood. We lived outside of Highland Park, among the top 50 wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. Driving past those million dollar homes everyday will quickly make you forget what normal is. It's the same with Grace. Being around all these faith heroes is quickly making us forget what it was like to be an average American Christian. Perhaps ignorance is bliss after all.

I joked with Justin that my culture shock didn't really start until school started at Grace. I was expecting to feel more in common with it. But this is worlds away from the position I filled back at Dallas ISD, for a million different reasons, the least of which being the fact that it happens to be located on the other side of the world. I loved hundreds of things about my coworkers at Callier. So many of them were and are amazing people; truly fantastic at their jobs. Here is something I already love about my coworkers at Grace: Every single one of them is here because of the pull they feel from the bigger picture. All the work they do, preparing lessons, grading papers, tutoring students; it isn't done for a paycheck. Everyone is at Grace because in one way or another they were called here, called into the service of missionaries and Christian workers who are doing amazing things.

And that, in my opinion, makes Grace pretty amazing.