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 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.
6 Ways to Encourage from a Distance
May 3, 2021 11:14:44 AM Sarah Rymer Families, Hope, IDEAS projects, Life, Love, Relationships, Tips, community
To encourage means to make strong, to hearten, to give courage and hope to someone. Who in your life needs courage and hope today?
Hobbies - Have You Forgotten How to Have Fun?
Apr 12, 2021 10:44:48 AM Sarah Rymer Healthcare & Wellness, Morocco, IDEAS projects, Life
Growing up, I had a lot of hobbies. Then I got married and had children. I no longer had time for fun and leisure activities. My life became filled with work, family responsibilities, kids’ homework, running my kids to their after-school activities—life.
The Value of Unproductivity
Mar 29, 2021 12:01:34 PM Sarah Rymer Jordan, interesting people, Life, Living Overseas, Relationships, Culture, Transformation
Life is full of encounters that mold us and mature us. For me, experiences that have molded me and matured me are often accompanied with humility.
When a Stiff Upper Lip Doesn't Cut the Mustard
Mar 15, 2021 11:54:29 AM Sarah Rymer Tunisia, Life, Living Overseas, Learning
It hit me like a punch to the gut: news of another colleague moving on. However, rather than doubling over - the normal reaction to receiving a wallop to the entrails - I took a deep breath and turned to the next email in my inbox.