What I'm Learning as an Instructor for the Karen
May 18, 2020 11:09:01 AM Sarah Rymer Thailand, Myanmar, Healthcare & Wellness, Hope, IDEAS projects, Love, Relationships, community, Transformation
Before coming to Thailand to become an instructor for Karen students training to become physician assistants, I had heard about how wonderful the Karen people are. Now that I have been in Thailand for a year, I can attest to this and how one student in particular has impacted me.
Adapting to a New Normal
May 11, 2020 9:54:25 AM Sarah Rymer Cyprus, Hope, IDEAS projects, Love, Relationships, community, Transformation
At 4:00am I hear my phone vibrate. A message appears: “Hi, my teacher. Are you ok? Can I get food?”
Work in the Time of Corona
Apr 13, 2020 10:43:54 AM Sarah Rymer Jordan, Education, IDEAS projects, Relationships, work, Learning, community, Crisis
I dedicate this blog to all the amazing educators who, with little or no advance warning, have stepped up to remotely teach the world’s children. The stories I share below barely scratch the surface of what I hear and see among the educators here in Jordan as well as across the globe.
Living in the Midst of COVID-19 in China
Apr 6, 2020 10:06:17 AM Sarah Rymer China, Hope, Relationships, community, Crisis
Living in China during the rage of COVID-19 calls on our family to be thankful. From the epicenter of this pandemic, we’re thankful for the grace of perfect, sovereign-directed timing that allows us to now encourage you with how some of our Chinese friends have survived possibly the world’s strictest (so far) approach to controlling the spread of the virus.
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After the Crisis Has Passed
Mar 16, 2020 11:15:57 AM Sarah Rymer Hope, Life, Love, Relationships, community, Crisis
If you are like me, you are receiving daily emails from every airline you’ve ever flown explaining all that they are doing to keep you safe if you travel with them. With constantly changing news and health and travel advisories, perhaps you, like many in IDEAS, have been forced to rethink or change your upcoming travel plans, conference attendance, and daily ...
The Therapy of a Language Class
Feb 24, 2020 9:55:11 AM Sarah Rymer Cyprus, Hope, IDEAS projects, Love, Relationships, community, Transformation
Last night I received a text from one of my English students. “Sorry to bother you, teacher. What does ‘capeesh’ mean? It’s not in the dictionary.”
My Thoughts Before You Go
Feb 10, 2020 9:39:33 AM Sarah Rymer Tunisia, Children, Families, Living Overseas, Love, Relationships
Today it hit me, wells of emotions came rushing from nowhere and shook me from the inside out. My son is going away from his family core to begin his own life away from us, away from what we call home at this moment in time.
What He Sees: An Optometrist in the Middle East
Feb 4, 2020 11:10:27 AM Sarah Rymer Healthcare & Wellness, Jordan, IDEAS projects, Relationships, Transformation
I am an optometrist living and serving in the Middle East. I examine refugee patients at two humble clinics situated within two local churches. I primarily see Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
How to Raise Your CQ
Jan 20, 2020 10:24:19 AM Sarah Rymer Life, Living Overseas, Relationships, Tips, Learning, Culture, Multiple Locations
Although we’re already halfway through the month of January, you may still be thinking about your goals for 2020 and for this new decade. Hopefully, you’ve not already given up on your New Year’s resolutions! As you think about the changes you’d like to make, maybe you are focused on the usual: losing weight, getting more exercise, or spending less time on ...
Keeping Grandparents Connected While Living Overseas
Jan 13, 2020 11:07:32 AM Sarah Rymer Children, Families, Living Overseas, Relationships, Tips, Technology
When my wife and I moved to Asia with our two boys many years ago, we knew that the only communication we would have with our family would be through letters. There would be the occasional phone call, but phone calls were expensive and the sound quality was poor. Our parents would experience their grandchildren growing up only though photographs and ...