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When COURTNEY LEHMAN ‘21 moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to teach English, she left behind much of what felt familiar—her culture, language, community, and routines. What she discovered was a deeper dependence on God than she had ever known before.
“To thrive, you need to be rooted,” Courtney says. “I’ve learned that most clearly in this season of life.”
Now in her second year teaching English to first and second grade students at School of Promise, a bilingual school in Thailand, Courtney has found that being rooted in Christ is not simply a comforting idea—it’s a daily necessity. “Daily dependence isn’t always easy,” she says. “Letting go of my own plans and learning to rely on God is something I have to choose again and again, but it’s in that surrender that I’ve experienced His faithfulness most deeply.” Whether stepping into a classroom, building friendships across cultures, or navigating the uncertainties of life overseas, prayer has become the foundation of everything she does.
Courtney credits LM and college in shaping her faith and her calling to become a teacher. Teachers modeled what it looked like to love students well and live authentically for Christ, while relationships with classmates and mentors encouraged her to make her faith her own.
Living in Thailand has also taught her the power of presence. In a culture where trust is built slowly through relationships, she has learned that showing up consistently often speaks louder than words. Through her teaching, classroom prayer journal, and daily interactions, she seeks to reflect Christ’s love to students and families.
Looking back, Courtney sees God’s faithfulness in His steady presence through every high and low. God has faithfully led her one step at a time.
More than anything, she now encourages students to anchor their identity in Christ rather than in their own plans or expectations. “Make Him your identity,” she says. “Get to know Him, really know Him. And then hold loosely your plans and the unknowns, because He already knows it.”
In a world full of uncertainty, Courtney has discovered that Christ remains the constant—faithful in every place, and steady in every unknown.
