fulbright!

The laminated yellow slip in my mailbox informing me that I had a package did not raise any alarm bells, only a slight curiosity as to who sent me a package. When I exchanged it for a manila envelope from the "International Education Institution," I figured it was just another piece of junk mail, and proceeded to open it while I walked to my next appointment. The Fulbright letterhead immediately halted my stride. In a moment's hesitation I realized that six months of waiting was soon to be over. Upon receiving the news of this package, I would either be unbelievably elated or entirely depressed.

Back up half a year.

In October of 2009 I submitted an application for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant to South Korea through Fulbright. I had decided while I was studying at Oxford that I love international travel and cultural immersion and wanted to incorporate this into my future plans. I had heard of Fulbright previously, and so I began the application process involving choosing a country, filling out multiple forms, obtaining reference letters, writing various essays, and having an interview. There are two components to a Fulbright Grant. Grantees can either perform research or teach English in a particular country. The Grant covers travel, housing and food, and generally includes a living stipend. The purpose of Fulbright is to establish positive connections between different countries by sending people from the United States abroad and bringing people from different countries to the US. I decided that I wanted to apply for an ETA in South Korea because the country and people sound fascinating, I would be placed in a home stay where I would actually live with a Korean family, I would get to teach elementary children, and Korea has a relatively vibrant Christian community.

Back to the present.

Before scanning the first paragraph of the letter, I slightly collapsed onto a stone bench in front of the caf and slowly inhaled. For the past couple of weeks I would get nervous just opening my email because of the possibility of there being news regarding the Fulbright. The decision was life-changing.

"Dear Miss Baker:

On Behalf of the William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, I am pleased to congratulate you on your selection for a Fulbright award to Korea..."

I got the scholarship!!!

Elevated pulse, rapid breathing, flushed complexion, quivering fingers, wide eyes. I was incredibly excited and realized that I had to share the news with someone. I called family and friends and through the course of twenty-four hours, went through an emotional roller coaster.

I am going to Korea!
I am going to be away from my family for a year.
I get to learn Korean!
I have so much I have to do before I go.
I get to experience this new culture!
I won't see my friends for a while.
Am I really going? [pause to re-read letter] Wow, this is actually happening.

Details from Korea came in the mail the next day. I will be leaving 2 July 2010 and will begin with a six week language intensive training and the end of which I will be placed in a particular school. The scholarship will last twelve and a half months, with the possibility of extending it. I am nervous, but can't wait to get started.

This is the next step. I do not know all of God's plan for me, but I felt Him guiding me in this direction. I took a risk, applied, and am now going to Korea. Thanks to all who have been a part of this process and have prayed for me. I definitely will still need to lean on that encouragement and support.