One Leader Changed Means Many Lives Changed
By Jacob & Marcie Cantleberry, DAI Educational Consultants
We’ve all been there as leaders: feelings of hopelessness, discouragement and frustration. Tempted to give up. These are the feelings Tin expressed through tears at our women’s prayer group.
Tin is a teacher at the School of Promise, a small Christian school in Northern Thailand that serves children vulnerable to human trafficking, child labor, substance abuse and other forms of trauma. Tin moved from the Philippines to Thailand two years ago to teach at the school. But today she was feeling overwhelmed with the on-going trauma in the lives of her learners. “Why is the world so cruel for them?” she shared. “I felt so helpless because I can’t do anything more. I wish I could do more.”
God heard Tin’s cry. That same morning, a new friend had joined the prayer meeting. After Tin shared, Bethany explained that she works with SIL International and facilitates a course on healing wounds from emotional trauma.
Although she had never taught the course in a school context, Bethany thought maybe the course could be adapted to help teachers like Tin. As Educational Consultants with DAI, Jake and Marcie collaborated with Bethany to develop a three-part workshop for the staff of the School of Promise.
After the first session, teachers bubbled with excitement as they shared how incredibly relevant and timely the training was. Tin said, “I felt like a huge sack on my back was taken away.” Another teacher told us how these workshops have transformed his thinking as a teacher more than any other educational course or workshop.
There is so much to celebrate in this story. We are excited for the teachers’ renewed energy because we know their students will now receive a better education. We are also humbled to watch the Lord bring three organizations together in partnership to meet the needs of these dedicated teacher leaders. And finally, we rejoice in seeing Tin thrive in the calling God has given her.
Jacob and Marcie Cantleberry work with DAI and are based in Southeast Asia. They partner with the School of Promise in northern Thailand where they assist in faculty development.
