To New Adventures

Last Friday after dropping of resumes at elementary schools, discussing life and possibilities with a close friend of mine, feeling discouraged about finding a teaching position, I sat upstairs with my puppy Lucy on my lap and browsed through St.Cloud Ed Post. The past 2 months I've checked Ed Post at least 5 times a day, and have applied for legitimately COUNTLESS positions...easily over 100. Well, one in particular looked interesting on Friday, so I clicked on a link that said, "VOLUNTEER NEEDED in AFRICA"...

There was a number on the link, and so I decided to call for more information, what the heck did I have to lose, right? I was connected on the phone to a sweet old man, who is a retired Superintendent from a school district outside of St.Cloud. After he retired, he started to volunteer with an organization called IFESH, International Foundation of Education and Self-Help. He did a 17 month stint with his lovely wife in Namibia and now that he is not in Africa, he works to recruit volunteers. After a 30 minute phone conversation, he told me that he wanted to get this process moving and he really felt that I could be great for the position. Since he was taking his wife to a baseball game on Saturday which he informed me, he asked if I would meet him in Monticello 2 hours later. Soooo...I said yes! The phone conversation started at 2:30, and I was meeting him and his wife at 4:30. Talk about an open door.

After our meeting, he spoke with the head of the organization and I spoke with the head of the org on Monday, then was offered the position on Tuesday. Two days later, I accepted the position. And now, I'm heading to Ethiopia on September 24th for 10 months to train teachers how to teach English, work with women and HIV/AIDS awareness and work with other NGO and peace corp volunteers. Holy moly, God is good.

The interesting thing, on Monday when I was called, I was also called from Rochester Public Schools, an Anoka Hennepin school, and an AmericCorp position all for interviews. I wasn't offered the Anoka Hennepin position, but was offered a supplemental program position in the school which is exactly what I would have needed to get my foot in the door. The interview was on Wednesday, I had a phone interview with Rochester on Thursday but then cancelled my face-to-face interview with Rochester which was scheduled for Friday.

Ethiopia is where I want to go, I want to be pushed, I want to grow, I trust that this is what the Lord has planned for me. Haiti prepared me for Tanzania, and Tanzania has prepared me for this adventure by myself. This has been one of the most insane weeks of my life but I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I've never felt legitimately called by the Lord, and there is no doubt in my mind that this door was opened by His doing, and I just have to trust. It was fast, it was spontaneous...2 ways I do NOT make decisions typically, but this time I think it turned out pretty dang well.

SO! Ethiopia here I come. Let the countdown begin. 

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