Back

September 9, 2021

How National School Prepared Me for College in My Passport Country

In May of 2013, I walked out of a very familiar gray building—my Czech high school—for the last time as a student. The relief of completing my final cumulative exams sunk in, and then a twinge of sadness washed over me as I realized that it wouldn’t be long now before I moved away from the place I called home. After growing up as a missionary kid in the Czech Republic my entire life, I was college-bound and moving to my “passport country.”

Before college, I had never experienced formal education in English, my mother tongue. As a Third Culture Kid (TCK), the longest continuous stretch I spent in the States was three months. I sometimes wondered if I was behind my American peers when it came to college preparation, considering the differences in language and education systems.

Many missionary kids (MKs) in Josiah Venture (JV) attend national schools here in Central and Eastern Europe. We learn all of our math, science, and grammar (among other subjects!) in our second languages, with a high focus on memorization over writing or creativity. Might these aspects of national schooling, among others, be a disadvantage to us in college?

Over the years, we’ve been surprised to find that most TCKs in JV—who go to national schools here in Central and Eastern Europe and then transition to college in North America—have thrived in their new academic settings. School in a second language can feel like a constant uphill battle. Yet, the Lord uses our experiences to prepare us, in unlikely ways, to navigate North American college academics.

Every JV Kid has a unique story of their education. Here are four valuable lessons God taught me throughout my own education story that helped equip me to transition from national school to college in my passport country.

Adapting when I felt uncomfortable

Czech school was all I knew before college, but it still managed to keep me on my toes constantly. I found myself guessing at how to respond to various cultural or academic situations. I didn’t always understand word problems in math class. I didn’t know what snacks I was supposed to bring on school trips (kids often brought potato salad and schnitzel sandwiches if anyone is wondering). When it came to Czech writing, my vocabulary never measured up. My only way to survive was by listening and observing, then adapting to any given situation.

I spent my first semester of college figuring out the system of syllabi, learning the correct way to use citations, and navigating group projects. Each professor had different expectations in class, so I had to listen closely. The experiences of adjusting to new and unfamiliar situations in Czech school made this transition feel more natural than I would have expected.

Receiving help and digging deeper to understand

My parents did their best to help me with my schoolwork, but we didn’t always understand the assignments or materials in our second language. Because of this, I had a Czech tutor from second grade through my senior year of high school. Having a tutor was a lifesaver. Sometimes I felt embarrassed telling my Czech classmates that I had a tutor because it highlighted that I was different and needed help. At some point, though, the Lord softened my heart. The support of this tutor made it possible for me to make it through schooling in my second language.

My tutor helped me study, understand homework questions, and practice my Czech grammar. However, his help had a far more significant impact on my life. He taught me a valuable skill — digging deeper to find answers to questions. My tutor had experience teaching history and Czech classes but was as confused as me about chemistry or biology. When I didn’t understand the material at school, we would spend an entire hour Googling explanations, comparing articles online with my textbooks, watching YouTube videos, and making sense of the subject matter. I learned to dig deeper to understand confusing concepts and words.

I needed all of these skills in college. There were plenty of times when I didn’t understand assignments or concepts in my college classes. So, I did what I always did in Czech school — I asked for help and dug deeper. My older brother coached me through research papers, and my professors were always willing to clarify assignments or questions I had after class. I discussed challenging concepts from classes with my friends. And, yes, sometimes a Google search helped clarify things as well.

Memorizing information (lots of it!)

Much of our national schooling system revolved around rote learning. This meant that I spent hours each week reading and re-reading my notes and textbooks to memorize dates, lists, and whole paragraphs of information. It was challenging in my second language, even though I spoke it fluently. While memorization is tedious, doing it often taught me how to approach memorization creatively. This skill came in handy in college while studying for exams.

Most of my college education relied on critical thinking and understanding concepts and ideas. However, even college courses sometimes involve memorization. If I had to memorize a list of definitions or theories, I would feel strangely excited. While it could take hours to write an essay during my freshman year of college, memorization was one thing that felt familiar and came naturally to me, thanks to the national school in Czech.

Relying on the Lord in my weakness

National schooling was hard. If you ask TCKs in JV what the most stressful part of life is, they will almost always tell you that it’s school. I felt this way throughout my childhood as well.

As a student, I didn’t always get a lot of heads up before our written and oral exams, so had to be prepared at all times. My parents prayed for me and with me for school since day one. The seemingly never-ending cycle of studying and exams caused a lot of stress in my life as a kid and teenager. That was tough. God showed his kindness in redeeming these difficult experiences by developing muscles in me that I ended up needing in college and even in life as an adult. I learned to run to the Lord when I felt pressure or anxiety. I knew I couldn’t handle everyday life on my own.

In the midst of national school, the Lord, in his grace, prepared me for college in many unexpected ways. And more importantly, I could see his mercy and compassion throughout the daily struggles of going to school in my second language. I am so thankful he walked with me every step of the way.

From One TCK to Another

While national school did prepare me for college in many ways, my parents also made some investments into our education that made a huge difference. I took an online English writing course for four years, read books in English at home, and had a tutor who helped me with Czech school. A foundation of English reading and writing was the most practical supplemental education I received. All together, these three supplements to my education gave me firm footing and much more confidence in preparation for college.

Written by Claire Patty
September 2021

Claire Rothe International Team

Related Posts

Read Story

Discipleship, Evangelism, Stories

A New Generation of Missionaries

Dear Friends, “I am sending you.” —Jesus At the end of January, I spent a week with 52 new Josiah Venture missionaries at our winter Academy. Talking with them at meals and in training sessions, I was overwhelmed with the quality and passion of this next generation of missionaries. Let me briefly tell you a few of their stories. Klemen (Slovenia) trusted Christ at 16 years of age when his best friend—the son of JV missionaries—shared the gospel with him on a napkin and challenged him to put his faith in Jesus. With so few evangelical believers in Slovenia, Klemen experienced rejection from his friends and is still the only believer in his extended family. Because of his heart for young people, Klemen studied physical science and became a PE teacher but was so outspoken about his faith that the principal didn’t extend his contract. At that point, our JV staff challenged him to join the team, and he experienced God’s call into full-time ministry. Now, he is helping local churches develop outreach programs to reach the lost. Klemen’s vision? That 30% of Slovenia would become followers of Jesus. Gabriel (Romania) grew up in a Christian home as the son of a pastor. At a youth camp when he was 16, Gabe put his faith in Christ. From that point on, he spent all of his free time serving in church. He experienced God’s call into ministry at 18 and spent the next four years in theological study. However, as is typical in Romania, his church was very traditional and inward-focused. When he began to lead the youth group, there were just five attending—all from Christian families. Then, some members of the JV Romania team began to train Gabe on how to reach the lost using the tool of Fusion, a rock/gospel choir that builds community through music. Soon, the entire culture of the youth group was transformed, and unbelievers were drawn in, inviting more of their friends and coming to faith in Christ. The youth group grew to 100 in a church with just 200 members, and the entire community was impacted. Now Gabe has joined the JV team to equip other churches like his to reach the lost. “I would love for all the churches in Romania to experience this,” he said, “that the church can have an impact on the outside and share the gospel in a relevant way. That would change our country.” Kendra (Ukraine) is a second-generation JV missionary, raised on the mission field. After her graduation from Wheaton college in Illinois, she responded to God’s call to serve in a very challenging location—near the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, in the midst of war. It is a dangerous assignment for a young woman, but Kendra feels privileged to bring the light of Jesus to young people in the midst of physical darkness and great uncertainty. She learned the Ukrainian language in just 6 months, and is now experiencing open doors for ministry across her entire city. God is using her bold faith to draw many to himself. I can’t wait to see what God will do through these committed young missionaries! They can be sent because you stand with them through your prayers and generous support. Thank you. Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture
Read Story

Events, Stories

The Right Learning for the Right Person at the Right Time

Stop and think about the times in your life when you grew the most. What were you doing? What were the circumstances? What did you feel? What were you excited about, and what were you worried about? When I look back on my own life, I notice a pattern. Growth usually happens when the challenge in front of us is outside of our comfort zone or outside of our skill level. It happens when we’re stretched. I remember learning this in a very tangible way in college. I took a class called Experiential Learning, and, throughout the semester, we worked through various team-building exercises. At the end of the course, we went to a ropes course, which culminated in a challenge known as the “Pamper Pole”—a towering 10-meter telephone pole. The challenge was to climb to the top, stand on a tiny platform, and then leap to grab a trapeze bar. My professor had seen me go through most of the challenges fairly easily. Just as I was about to climb the Pamper Pole, he quietly walked up behind me, put something in my back pocket, and said, “Just in case you want a little bit bigger challenge.” I reached inside and found a blindfold. And I decided to put it on. I climbed the pole blindfolded, made it to the top, and then jumped. My hands hit the bar, but I didn’t grab it. Of course, I was strapped in, so I didn’t hit the ground, but that moment has stayed with me. Even though I didn’t “succeed” in the way I had hoped, I chose a harder pathway up, and I learned something important: growth often requires stepping into something beyond what we currently know how to do. The missionary life is a lot like that. When Brooke and I first stepped onto the mission field, we were eager and ready to say yes to whatever God put in front of us. We had vision, enthusiasm, and a desire to serve. But looking back, we didn’t realize how steep the learning curve would be or how much God still needed to form in us. Those early years were full of trial and error. We made countless mistakes and learned by trying something, realizing it didn’t work, and trying again. Over time, the Lord shaped us and grew us, but the learning curve was long. Some of the lessons we needed most came through hard seasons, and they didn’t come quickly. The Josiah Venture Winter Academy was established to help provide the resources necessary to give our staff a foundation for healthy, effective ministry that lasts, grounded in Christ’s strategy, and strengthened by shared language, practical tools, and a community that helps them grow through every season. This year, we gathered 52 Josiah Venture staff at our training center in Malenovice, Czech Republic, for a week of discussion, connection, and spiritual encouragement. Every staff member has the opportunity to participate in Winter Academy within their first year on the team (Year 1 track) and again within their second year (Year 2 track). At its core, Winter Academy is about helping our staff build a foundation that will serve them for the long haul, so they can be steady and fruitful through the ups and downs of ministry. Ministry is full of seasons. There are times of blossoming, when the work feels joyful and full of momentum, and there are times of drought, when setbacks and discouragement threaten to parch the soul. Some seasons even hold those highs and lows at the same time. Jeremiah 17:7–8 reads: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” These verses don’t deny hardship; they assume it. But it also points us to the keys to long-term fruitfulness: staying rooted and drawing consistently from the resources we have in Christ. Winter Academy was created to help staff establish those roots early. We wanted to shorten the learning curve so that new staff would be prepared for the obstacles they would inevitably face, and so they could respond with bold faith, with wisdom drawn from best practices across the team, and with perseverance, knowing they would have a team standing with them. Year 1 focuses on the path of a growing disciple. Our first-year staff get grounded in who we are as Josiah Venture and how Christ’s strategy shapes everything we do. They also learn the Five Challenges of Christ in a way that moves beyond theory into real life and real ministry. Year 2 is focused on ministry coaching through the Five Phases. Year 2 builds on that discipleship foundation and helps our staff grow in how they serve and multiply through others. Participants learn how to evaluate ministry health and direction as well as practice coaching conversations that help leaders take meaningful next steps. Once our staff complete Winter Academy (Years 1 and 2), we want them to know three things with certainty: I am not alone. I know who to turn to for help. I look to Jesus as my model for ministry. We’re grateful for what God has done through Winter Academy over the years, and we invite you to join us in praying that this event continues to deepen roots, strengthen faith, and produce fruit that lasts.
Read Story

Stories

Christmas Traditions

Every culture has its own Christmas traditions. Many of us already have our Christmas trees up, have begun playing our favourite Christmas music, and are checking items off our shopping list. In most European cities, Christmas markets have taken over town squares and observe their own unique traditions for Christmas Day. For example, in Poland, families prepare an extra place at the table in case of an unexpected guest; in Bulgaria, the oldest person in the house breaks open homemade bread with a coin baked inside; and in Czechia, children hide a fish scale under their dinner plate for good luck. Traditions are a wonderful thing as long as we remind ourselves why we keep them. One tradition that has meant a lot to my family and me for many years is lighting an Advent wreath. We usually make ours out of fir branches and four white candles, sometimes adding extra decorations like dried orange slices or pinecones. Then on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we read from the Bible, say prayers, sing songs, and light the candles in an increasing number: first one, then two, then three, and finally four. This tradition has its origins in the sixth century, and many European churches and Christians practice it. But after such a long time, it is easy to forget what it all means. Here is some of the significance. First of all, Advent derives from the Latin word for “coming, arrival.” It denotes the beginning of the year for Christians, who prepare our hearts for the arrival of God, by both remembering Jesus’ incarnation and anticipating his second coming. The circular shape of the wreath signifies the never-ending nature of God’s love for humanity. The fir branches remind us that, even in the dead of winter, God is at work to bring forth new life. And the successive lighting of the candles signals God’s determination to send his light into the world: the incarnation of his son. We love this tradition, but, to be honest, we don’t always keep it perfectly. This year, we had to dig out some old candles to use for our wreath, we have struggled to get through the Bible readings with our young children, and we often forget to light the right candle on the right day. But God is teaching me that this is alright. The season of Advent, along with its many traditions, is not made more or less meaningful by how faithfully I keep it. The season of Advent is made most meaningful because of how faithful God is at drawing near to us. The Apostle Paul summarised it well: “But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son… so that we might become God’s children.” (Gal. 4:4-5, GNT). This Advent, may you find renewed meaning in your traditions. And may you remember and rely on God, who is most faithful to draw near to those who need his light.