Three months ago—in the middle of a global pandemic—I left the safety and security of my family, community, and well-paying job in California to move across the world to Tunisia. Here’s a glimpse into what I've learned in my first 90 days as a new IDEAS Associate.
What's Your Legacy?
Jul 26, 2021 11:21:02 AM Sarah Rymer Healthcare & Wellness, Education, Agriculture, Community Development, Business & Technology, Hope, interesting people, Life, Living Overseas, Transformation
A few years ago, I invited an American friend to come with me to visit my home country, South Korea. We both taught together at the same school in the Middle East. I was excited to see my friend fully enjoying the culture and people of South Korea.
How Sports Bring Cultures Together
Jul 20, 2021 10:32:34 AM Sarah Rymer IDEAS projects, Living Overseas, Relationships, Culture, community, Multiple Locations
After the Covid hiatus, international sports are back, and I’m enjoying them even more after numerous cancellations this past year resulting from the global pandemic. I’m aware now, more than ever, how much I love being connected to the rest of the world through sports.
How a Pill Gets Uphill: A Medication's Journey
Jul 13, 2021 10:09:12 AM Sarah Rymer Myanmar, Healthcare & Wellness, Hope, IDEAS projects, Life
How does medicine make its way to those who are sick in remote parts of the world? Come along on a medication's journey to the jungles of Myanmar!
God of Loss and Love
Jun 29, 2021 10:28:38 AM Sarah Rymer Hope, interesting people, Life, Living Overseas, Love, Relationships
Yesterday I unexpectedly found myself by a lone bench on an empty ocean front. A boat was just off the shore, solitary but securely anchored in the sea. I ached with the unexpected beauty, the symbolic solitude of the boat. I felt like this boat.
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Jun 22, 2021 8:39:32 AM Sarah Rymer Education, Hope, Life, Relationships
There is a difference between satisfaction, joy, and contentment. I have rarely been satisfied in my life. Unsatisfied with choices, unsatisfied with circumstances, unsatisfied with people, and mostly unsatisfied with myself.
4 Tips to Transition Well
Jun 14, 2021 11:04:34 AM Sarah Rymer Tunisia, Hope, Life, Relationships, Tips, community
This season of life is a time of transition for many of us as the school year ends, as life opens back up, as new opportunities become available, and as many people relocate. Any transition involves ending one chapter well in order to step into a new beginning.
Did you know that local ownership is one of the goals that IDEAS projects work towards? Training local practitioners to own a project that meets the holistic needs of their community takes patience and time but leads to long-term sustainability and transformation.
Mirrors and Doors: Books for TCKs
May 24, 2021 12:02:01 PM Sarah Rymer Jordan, Education, Children, Families, IDEAS projects, Learning, Culture
As a librarian, I love to see the excitement when readers discover books with characters who are like them. Third-culture kids (TCKs) have a unique identity, not tied to any one place, growing up in one or more countries that are not their passport country.
The Power of Forgiveness: A Refugee's Story
May 18, 2021 12:02:55 PM Sarah Rymer Healthcare & Wellness, Cyprus, Community Development, Business & Technology, Hope, IDEAS projects, community, Transformation
Forgiveness is a journey of grief and courage that involves honestly tending the painful wounds inflicted by another. In my own journey of forgiveness, I wrestle with resentment and ways to bring about justice in my own way and timing.