Wednesday, January 30, 2008

things should not be this difficult!

So for the past week or so I've been trying to sign up for a class in a university, just so I can have a presence on campus and get to know the college students of this culture. I returned yesterday, after taking a written and oral exam last week, to fill out paper work and pay for the class. Last week during the testing I had asked the professor questions about all I needed to do to be ready for this class, etc. She gave me info and I thought I was good. Well, as I proceed to do what I've been told...calling the school, no one can direct me where I need to go. On top of that, no one knows who I need to talk to!!! So yesterday I go up to the school at 6:30am to see if I can't have more luck in person. When I get there I find that the one office I need to get into does not open 'til 8:30am. Wonderful. So I wait. At 8:30 I enter the office and somewhat explain my dilemma. I am then left to wait another 30 minutes, at the end of which I'm told that they can't enter me into the data base because last Friday was the last day to register for classes. They then send me to the other side of the campus to talk with the department head and see what can be done. She informs me that she will send an email to explain my situation in hopes that someone will pity the poor foreigner, but cannot assure me of anything, She then sends be back to the office I was first in. When I return I speak with another worker in the office. He tries to get me into the program, when unsuccessful he calls the administration asking for permission to register me. After another 30 min wait he tells me that he has no idea when administration will give him a definite answer and for me to go ahead and leave and they will contact me when they can tell me "yes" or "no".
I left the office quite frustrated and down-hearted. Thinking to myself that never in the states would simply signing up for classes two days late be such a hassle when it was the professor who gave me wrong info in the first place!! These people want more students right? They want me to give them my money, no? Then what's the problem!!
At this point I must admit that I had a cultural revolt going on inside me. I could not stop thinking how things should not be this difficult and that everything is so much better and more simple in the US!! After calming down and refocusing, I know that is not necessarily true and that the Father more than likely is trying yet again to teach me patience among many things. There are always difficult moments and circumstances in life that we are not in control of, but we do control how we react to them. ~Father, help me to rest in You and trust You in these moments. Not letting my personal frustration cloud the way You would have me to respond, that is, with Your unconditional love. Amen.