Predictions Revisited

These were my predictions before I came to my site.  With the advice of a friend, I thought I would revisit them.  Let's so how far we've come!

• That my students will teach me more than I can teach them
• True.  I am met every day with smiles and an eagerness to take in all that my students can.  They are infectious and rub off on me until I can't help but join with them in laughter.  My students have also been wonderful teacher's for me as I learned a new language.  They were so patient and kind while helping me learn and feel like I belong.  
• That I will somehow learn to like spicy food
• I officially put some chili sauce in my friend noodles these days.  The ground up chili's in lime juice are still on my "too hard to handle" list.  One day I accidentally bit into a small red chili pepper and that was the complete opposite of a delight, especially because I ran out of water by the time this mishap happened.  
• That "service" will take on a whole knew meaning
• Need and service have indeed taken on new meanings.  Financially the people of Malaysia are fairly well off.  They are surrounded by an abundance of resources and with Family as the top priority of many people, many are able to get by just fine.  Beyond my role as an English teacher, I would say that my secondary responsibility is just to love on people.  Which is incredibly easy because they are so willing to accept me.  Also, I have been opening my heart to all sorts of people and learning alongside them.  This has been a great journey where I am able to walk alongside people and be with them in times of sorrow and joy.  I'm learning that service means sometimes all that is needed of you is to just be present.  
• I could get fantastic at hand-washing clothes (I'm super slow now)
• Mer-- I tried it for awhile, but we DO have a washing machine.  Though, I do soak all my clothes first and scrub them with a brush before tossing them into the washing machine.  
• Living in community will be a highlight of my year.
• This is for sure true.  For the last few months I have moved into a different room to be with one of my housemates who is the same age as me.  Being in community has its perks (cooking together!) 
• I will try things I would never try at home (food and more)
• This list is so long I just don't even know where to begin.  But- I do have to say, I still haven't made myself try liver or the strange fermented fish.
• Malay will become second nature (my language skills are still minimal)
• I officially struggle to transition back to English if I have been in my city for too long.  If I spend two months in my town, without seeing another native speaker it takes almost two days to get back to a suitable form of English.  
• Grace and Love will take on many forms and faces.
• I see this in my students and I see this in my friends.
• I will learn and grow in what it means to be me
• To be honest, the first half of my year I saw the most growth within myself.  This is when I tried all of the new foods, was doing devotions every day and was really transforming into what I think I was meant to be all along.  The second half of the year has been more of a struggle for growth.  I already know what I like to eat and all my devotion books are already finished.  Now everything I do has to be very intentional and that is where I am finding I am struggling.