From Mourning to (Almost) Dancing

Orientation 2025 

“We had an amazing week of fellowship at Orientation in June of 2025, and we learned a lot about the realities of transition. There’s a lot of excitement and new firsts whenever you move to a new country. But there’s also a lot of grieving and adapting. And that’s where my story really begins: with grief.”

Stephanie Caramete is International Team Coordinator for our TeachBeyond English Camps in Moldova and also the Secondary ELL (English Language Learning) teacher at Bucharest Christian Academy in Romania. It’s difficult for her to process how much her life changed in just a matter of months.

A phone call changes everything 

You see, not only was she grieving the loss of home and missing her family, but just 3 months after moving to Romania, she received a phone call she never expected. 

“My father had suffered a stroke and was taken into emergency surgery.” She remembers helplessly lying on the bathroom floor, so that her skin could feel the cold tile, as a wave of nausea hit. “After 6 very long and trying days, my father went home to be with the Lord,” she said with her voice breaking. Nothing ever really prepares you for what it’s like to watch your dad pass away on Facetime. Or for the moment that you realize that airport hug would have been your last.” 

Running through her head was, “I hate being in this country. It took me away from my family. Why am I here?” 

A supporter immediately helped fly her home and she was able to be with her family for 3 weeks. But after that time was up, it was time to go back to the field. And truthfully, it was the last place she wanted to be.

Moving on, going back 

“At first, I was very patient with myself. I gave myself grace and I told myself that showing up, was enough. And at that time, it was.” The problem was that as the weeks and months went by, she really wasn’t moving forward from that headspace. She had completely given up and resigned herself to the fact that the school year was going to be a write-off. 

“What the Holy Spirit gently showed me, was that my thinking was wrong. I moved from focusing on Him, to checking tasks off a list.” What God lovingly reminded her, was that the call had not changed. “He knew I was going to lose my dad,” Stephanie shares, “even when I was busy making appointments and raising support before Orientation. God reminded me that He still wanted me in Romania. And that’s when my thought life started to transform.”

Seeing the fruit 

God tenderly spoke these things to Stephanie and also allowed her to see the fruits of some of her labor. “I’m so thankful that TeachBeyond President David Durance reminded us, ‘that the grand story, begins with the lives of the people that God puts on our path. And that our God, starts with the little.’ Because in the middle of this painful season, there has been one life in my classroom that has totally started to change.” 

S* is a refugee, who came to Romania 4 years ago. They’ve been in and out of school ever since, because of the trauma of what they’ve lived through.  “Just as I was starting to get over my own pity party, I received an email from their mom,” Stephanie said. For context, the class had just wrapped up a unit on travel and culture. And S told me about a national holiday from their home country that had just started. After explaining how their country celebrates, Stephanie realized that there had to be some yummy food involved. And so, she jokingly responded to S saying, “You’d better bring some in!” 

Then S did! After emailing their mom a “Thank You,” Stephanie says she received the most beautiful response. Their mom said, “I couldn’t refuse S’s request. It was them who wanted to treat you. This is very unusual for S’s behavior over the past 4 years. And I am very happy that they are gradually relaxing and wanting to share and communicate again. Thank you for your support and love toward our child”.   

It’s hard for Stephanie to wrap her mind around what the last 4 years have looked like for S; to know that this sweet child has been struggling with things that Stephanie couldn’t begin to imagine or explain. “And we’re finally seeing S’s spirit begin to exhale. They are laughing. They are telling jokes. They are sharing food with others and they are excelling academically.” 

Heavenly Reassurance

Stephanie says, “How kind of our loving father to give me that nudge of ‘I’m using you’ at a time where I was wrestling with a stink attitude and questioning all of my life choices.” She notes that it is God’s faithfulness and His faithfulness alone that has begun to transform precious S. “To enable them to receive love from others and reciprocate it in their own way. May they one day soon come to know, receive and believe in the love of our Savior. To Him be the glory.” 

*Name has been changed and the pronoun “they” is gender neutral in this story to protect the child’s identity.