The beginning of August marks 1 year in Sweden. How does one evaluate a year?
Anya: As a parent, one key aspect is the well-being of one’s offspring. Anya has thrived, but not without reasonable and typical challenges. She has matured and become more independent in many ways. She is looking forward to going back to school and resuming pole vaulting this month.
Professionally: The major challenge is being limited in Swedish, but generally, things seem reasonably effective in the classroom. The language issues are somewhat compensated by collaborative classroom learning, growing bi-lingual PowerPoints, and just that the students know that I deeply care for them. There were some good classroom moments, to balance out the perpetual language limitations and challenges. More on language below.
There were some good opportunities for professional development, including trips with speaking or presentations outside of Sweden in Norway, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and USA. There were also four academic conferences attended (with one paper given) in Sweden (three completely in English) and a couple Swedish Evangelical Mission conferences with a bit of speaking. The year includes 3 papers and a dissertation in the final stages of submission for publication.
Overall: I am right now in quite a good spot with good contentment, meaningful work, cherished colleagues and others friends for a growing sense of community, a sense that I can contribute to make a difference, and good health with regular exercise.
The main challenge is the Swedish. I dreamed last night that I was back in my Swedish course at Uppsala University, and I had shown up in my pajamas. It doesn’t take too much to interpret my sense of humiliation in that course! Ugh.
I did an online vocabulary test this week. I have the equivalent of an 8-year-old vocabulary. However, my speaking fluency would be less.
My professional reading and writing is still overwhelmingly English. So, it will be a slower on-ramp to fluency.
I also love the summers in Uppsala. There is a mellow pace with a lot of people gone, and the average high is 73 degrees in July. It is lovely. I can sit in the hammock and read at least for part of most of the days. Recently it was a bit rainy, so more indoor reading. And the last book I read, one for fun on my vacation time. (I read several work-related books on my vacation time too.)
Thanks to you for all the prayers and encouragement over the past year. I still need the prayers on the language learning. I’m sure other things will be challenging as well. But, I do see why I’m here, and see the contribution I can make as part of an educational ministry.
Prayer request: On Wednesday, my mother fell down the stairs while bringing laundry up from the basement. She broke an ankle and is still hospitalized. Other doctors are still figuring out the best plan for treatment for her recurring cancer for when she is able to begin treatments. Please keep her in your prayers.
With blessings,
Beth
Just to let you know we are praying for you on Friday nights as well! Thanks for being so faithful in your blogs so we can feel up-to-date.