Yes. It's been a while. I won't make excuses, but I do hope I will be more regular at posting here...
Last month I was interviewed by Marie Cooper at Redeemer Christian High School. She asked me to share my journey...and thought I would also share it with you! Thanks Marie for letting me "reprint".
Enjoy.
Interview with Sheila Dykstra, by Marie Cooper
“Christian schools acknowledge Jesus as Lord over all creation”, says Sheila Dykstra, a graduate of Redeemer Christian High School, 1994. “Every corner of creation belongs to Him and our entire school curriculum is a study of God’s creation, be it science, math, English or music.”
Sheila certainly speaks from experience, having attended Community Christian School in Metcalfe for grades 4 to 8, Redeemer Christian High School for grades 9 to 12, and then Redeemer University College, where she received her Bachelor of Education in 1998, majoring in French and minoring in missions. After university, Sheila taught for three years at Knox Christian School in Bowmanville before moving to Nigeria, Africa, where she taught for four years at an international missionary school and two years at an American International School. Since 2008, Sheila has been serving as a career missionary in Nigeria with Christian Reformed World Missions as a Christian Education Specialist for West Africa.
Sheila firmly believes “Christian schools equip students to see the world from God’s perspective. We can’t separate God from His creation and no knowledge is neutral or separate from God”. Put simply, she feels “our faith cannot be separated from how we do business, how we care for those around us, even how we drive our cars!”
As a teacher herself, Sheila explained that “Christian schools teach and model for students what it means to have a vibrant relationship with God. Each of us is on a journey to know God and make Him known to others. How a Christian school teacher teaches, how we relate to students, how we deal with pain, sin and disappointment must always point students to the saving knowledge of Christ.”
Truly passionate about Christian education, Sheila feels Christian schools engage students to fulfill their God given roles as citizens on earth and citizens of heaven. “God has called each of us to the tasks of caretakers and developers of His creation. We live the redemption message through every part of our lives. As architects, bankers, teachers, parents, pastors, lawyers and engineers, we are salt and light through words, thoughts, and actions. Christian schools equip students for this great task of living out their faith in every aspect of their lives.”
Sheila feels her current position in Nigeria as a Christian Education Specialist is a culmination of all the experiences God has given her up to this point in her life: a variety of Christian education experiences, a love for Africa and African culture, the ability to communicate in French, a love for teaching and children, and the opportunity to serve and walk with national teachers and friends.
“I love what I am doing now,” says Sheila, “and I find great fulfillment in seeing teachers who were struggling implement things they have learned, resulting in happier and more engaged students in their classrooms.”
When asked about her dreams though, Sheila said “Someday I’d like to be part of a school project that implements best practices in teaching from an African Christian worldview – embracing and using the great things about African culture as learning and teaching tools, like community learning and storytelling. I’d love to see a school that is built and run and funded by Africans for Africans, where all students can attend regardless of their economic or intellectual abilities, where there is a teacher training component and people can come and learn and dialogue, where students and teachers all have a deep sense of justice and integrity, and where everyone leaves empowered and implements what they have learned in each sector of society God places them.”
When I initially contacted Sheila about doing a story on her for this newsletter, she gave me copies of some articles she had written about her life and her experiences. As I read these, strong themes emerged. First, I noticed Sheila’s gratitude that her parents chose to give her a Christian education. Secondly, I saw Sheila’s desire to really live in the story of God’s love – this is her motivation for loving and serving others. Thirdly, I read about her passion for teaching from a very young age, and her realization that for her, as a teacher, it is important to be able to lead her students into the light of God’s world and word. And lastly, her writings revealed her passion for missions.
In one of her articles, Sheila wrote “God has a plan for me and it is greater than I could ever imagine. His strength will be made perfect in my weakness. It’s all a little exciting and a little terrifying at the same time, but with the King of heaven and earth at my side, who am I to be afraid? I’m eager for what the future holds!” May we all share the confidence that God has a plan for each of us and an excitement to see it unfold.
We are thankful Sheila was happy to share just a bit of her interesting life story on her visit home to Canada. We wish her God’s blessings as she returns to Nigeria after Christmas where she’ll continue to work with Christian school teachers. Anyone who would like to know more about Sheila and her experiences may contact her directly via e-mail: sdykstra@crcna.org
