Continuing my life journey and how I was led, Part 6 deals with our experiences in South Korea. It is another part of an upcoming book or website section entitled Divinely Led.
Part 6: Teaching in Korea
Gail: A Remarkable Woman of God
This is a tribute to a remarkable woman of God.
Gail was far more than our boss and fellow teacher at Korea Nazarene University. She had been the mother of us all – the students, the young teachers straight out of college, the middle-aged teachers, and those close to her age or older. Like a devoted mother hen, she always hovered around, making sure the “chicks” were OK. She was always ready to listen, to help, to give. She fought not only for our rights as foreign teachers in a culture where employee demands could border on exploitation; perhaps even more often, she fought for our desires. She shared what she had – her home, her office, her time, her material possessions. She always thought of others’ needs and offered help.
The university was the only one where students with disabilities were accepted. In Korean culture, those with special needs were usually kept out of sight, but at KNU, they were welcome. Bill and Gail has a soft spot and special love for such people because of their own experience. As such, they were real pioneers.
Gail would do whatever was in her power to ensure that we were all happy and comfortable, even at the risk of making herself unpopular. She tried her best to smooth out squabbles and differences when things weren’t ideal and attitudes weren’t the best. She was always kind and gentle, even when needing to correct matters.
She kept us informed of what was important to the best of her ability. In her late-night emails, she shared things straight from her heart – a little akin to the “stream-of-consciousness” style in modern English literature. With her informal communication, we all appreciated her care and concern. She always signed off with “Love and prayer, Gail”, and we all knew that she both loved us and prayed for us.
It is amazing what she as one person had been able to accomplish. In preparation for her and her husband Bill eventually returning to their homeland to retire, Gail tried to scale back her responsibilities. She delegated some of her tasks to several Koreans, and they became overwhelmed!
It had been a wonderful privilege to work with Gail for nearly four years, to also get to understand some of her trials, and to therefore doubly appreciate her God-given love and compassion for all those around her.
For other information on divine leading, see Spirit Helpers and Guides
Here is a short reflection on being divinely led.