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Over the last three years I have had the opportunity to attend Dallas Baptist University and am two weeks away from receiving my Master’s degree in Global Leadership/Missions. I didn’t really picture myself attending grad school and if God had not thrust open the door, I don’t think I would have headed in this direction. I’m so thankful, however, for the lessons I have learned, the people I have gotten to meet and opportunities I have had while attending DBU. Here are a few things I am thankful for in my graduate school journey:
- Interaction with students from around the world: DBU has a huge international student population and I have had the privilege of meeting many of them in my classes over the years. These students amazed me with their desire to pursue their education in a foreign country, in another language, in order to be more effective in their work back in their home country. They often added a insight to our discussions that helped me see things from another point of view.
- Practical Professors: Many of the professors that I have had at DBU had not spent their life in the world of academia. Many were passing along their practical experience from ministry or overseas work. When the professors could back up their points with personal stories, I understood better and will remember more of what they were saying.
- Good Challenges: I enjoy having my mind stretched and thinking about things in a new way (most of the time anyway). I appreciated the challenge that grad school brought as I completed the assignments, listened to the lectures and discussions in class and looked at my own way of thinking in a new light. I’m not sure that I have radically changed any of my values or philosophies, but it so helpful to be pushed to think about things differently.
- Fun Stories: One of my favorite classes was Biographies of Outstanding Missionaries which I took last spring. I loved reading of missionaries throughout the centuries who served under all sorts of different circumstances. Some of them were not the best example but there was something to learn from each one.
- Defined Calling: When I started graduate school, I knew that I would one day serve in missions overseas but I didn’t know any details. Not only did school give me more time to listen to the Lord’s calling, but He used my Global Leadership Practicum in Cambodia last year to help define what He had next for me.
A Heart Like His 