Friday, July 02, 2010

Until the Very End


A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.  ~Henry Adams

I was sitting in the Royal Garden at Prague Castle one evening reading, when I looked up and there was no one else in sight; no sound except for the fountains and the birds. It was utterly tranquil. In the peace and solitude I reflected on all the centuries that this city has seen in its tumultuous history. The glory, the oppression, the violence, and the liberation of the past have shaped Prague, and they characterize it even more than the stone bridges and towering spires. It made my one year of teaching here seem so insignificant, and I had to wonder whether Prague will even notice I was here.

I won’t be remembered as an outstanding teacher or a charismatic mentor. On the other hand, in a culture where words aren’t cheap and friendship is hard-earned, I’ve managed to connect with some of my students on a level that makes saying goodbye so touching and sad that it both warms and breaks my heart. I have to constantly remind myself that this year is not about me and my experience, it’s about every interaction I have with the people here. At times I’ve been able to encourage, at other times to share ideas, and in a few instances even to challenge and to explore spiritual topics. Tonight I’m meeting again with two of my former students (and close friends) who I’ve had the honor to give Czech Bibles to and discuss faith with. However, that’s not how most of my time here has been spent. I’ve simply had the privilege to be a part of my students’ lives and to help them in any way possible.

I’ve had years that have been less productive and packed with activity than the past few months, so I’ll just give you the highlights. I took a group of students to a Model United Nations Conference in Oldenburg, Germany for a week at the beginning of June. I teach a seminar on International Relations, and this was a great chance for them to put the ideas and theories we study into practice. They did brilliantly at the conference, I was really proud. I stayed with a kind and generous German family and ate very well. Traveling by train across Europe and being responsible for a group of teenagers was quite an adventure in itself. I’ll never forget running for our last train from Berlin to Prague as it prepared to pull away from the platform and lunging for the door handle yelling “halt!” with as much authority as I could muster.

The photos above are from a trip that some of the teachers in the Czech Republic took to a charming town called Český Krumlov, which is famous for maintaining its medieval charm even today. While there, we took part in a popular Czech tradition: rafting down the Vltava River, which involved a lot of stopping at pubs along the riverbank, taking in some breathtaking natural beauty, and braving the weirs, man-made drops in the water level that send some plummeting into the river. We also had an end-of-the-year teacher trip to a town called Benešov just outside Prague, where we got to reflect on our year, consider what we’ve learned, and encourage those who'll be returning next year. We even got to visit Konopiště Castle, the famous last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
The last few weeks have been a blur of completing grades, cleaning, organizing, and attending goodbye functions. I’ve been humbled by unexpected emotional displays of gratitude from students I never knew I had affected. If I can offer you one piece of advice: take every opportunity to bless those around you; show them love, deserved or undeserved.  Truth be told, we will probably all look back on our lives and lament, like Oskar Schindler, “I didn't do enough!” Thank God we aren’t measured by our works.
Thank you all for believing, for giving of yourselves to such an unlikely cause, and for demonstrating grace and love to the Czech people in such a tangible way. God is working here, I promise you that, and you are all part of his workforce. I'll be on a plane home in a matter of weeks. It will be wonderful to be reunited with many of you, and to begin whatever chapter is next in life. Please don't hesitate to reply or leave a comment if you have any questions.

Every exit is an entrance somewhere else. ~Tom Stoppard

In Christ,
Richard