In November 2017 just three weeks before my tenth birthday, I packed my favorite clothes and essential belongings (like Lego), while everything else was donated or thrown away. On the day of our flight, I alternated between excitement and fear during the ride to the airport. The humid Okinawan air felt like a sauna as I stepped off an exhausting fifteen-hour flight. Making my way through the airport to our taxi, the sweet yet spicy curry smell wafting from the food court lingered in the air. New sights and sounds surrounded me and I sensed that my flexibility and mental resilience were going to be tested. I knew my life was going to change when we moved to Japan; I just did not realize it was about to completely restart.
The day after we arrived, my family and I visited my new oceanside, Christian school. My jetlagged self urged me to persevere as my pencil dragged across the paper during my placement test. Having never attended church, Bible class presented an immediate challenge. My classmates had memorized countless quotes that we discussed in class. I felt like I could not contribute to conversations about the Bible or even participate in the class. Putting effort into this new subject seemed hopeless and, needless to say, I did not do well. There had to be an alternative to memorizing quotes verbatim. Luckily, the next year, my new Bible teacher accepted slideshow presentations, video recordings, and interpretative essays as a way to demonstrate my knowledge. This new approach helped me to retain information. Soon my grades improved, and Bible class became one of my favorites.
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