Before I tell you my dream I have to tell you some background. How I discovered this dream.
I heard a sermon. It stuck. I wrote things down. I kept them on my fridge.
Here's what my tiny square of a paper says and how it made me think. (By Kory Sorensen on September 4th - I don't even know what year! I only know this because it's on my paper, but it's been in the last 4 years I believe - after I did my teaching degree).
1. God has given us a DREAM.
2. Accept that DREAM.
3. Pursue the DREAM.
4. Let the DREAM unfold.
5. The DREAM is always outside your own abilities. God: "Trust me, I'm either in it or not."
6. The how is God's problem.
7. Don't die with the dream still in you.
I thought about it. Do I have a dream that God has given me? I took my time with that. Not much because I do like to jump into things. I knew I wanted to go overseas again (a dream in its own right from God) and as a teacher. I knew I did not want to teach ESL classes overseas, nor did I feel the dream included teaching in an international (missionary) school - though this was something I was not opposed to doing. It didn't feel like the dream. I decided I wanted to help those children who most needed an education. I wanted to teach the teachers that taught these kids. If I could help the teachers I could help a lot of kids. That was my dream. Simply "teach teachers." I accepted it. I got my teaching degree (or I already had it?) I started to get teaching experience.
I was discouraged. Who was I to teach teachers? I've only been teaching a few years. But then I remembered #5. Hope renewed. And #6.
Then March came along and with it my good friend, Krista, who had found this awesome course to take that would ladder me to my Masters Degree. Made sense. If I wanted to teach teachers I should work to get my Masters Degree and I could even have some student teachers in my class eventually - when I went full time (after my kids were older). I started looking into it. I'd have to do this course (one that excited me about play-based learning) which would take 2 years. Then I'd have to do two more years after that to get my Masters. A 4 year commitment. It seemed like that was the next step. It made sense. I talked to my woman's bible study group the next time we met (March 6th) and asked them to pray for me that afternoon as I took time to seek and ask God if this was a commitment he wanted me (and my family) to make. My daughter went to preschool and my son took his nap. When all was quiet I walked into the living room ready to seek God's will. I felt a tug to go check the MCC postings online (which I hadn't done for over a month probably... getting discouraged!) I figured that was NOT God talking to me as I knew I'd fall into checking e-mail and facebook and not seek His will.
I read my Bible, I prayed. I listened. At the end of my time (just before I had to go off to pick up at preschool) I felt God saying, "Go check the MCC postings." So I did (since I had to leave in a few minutes anyways). And there it was. A job description of my DREAM. Better than I could have ever worded it! Including little things I had been thinking about (what would I take when they have so little resources, wouldn't it be fun to do up a "kit" of materials that they could easily get and use). Yep - that was in there the job description too! I talked to Andrew that evening and sent in my letter of intent the next day.
Then the process began. MCC asked us to submit a full application. Both of us. So 15 pages later we did. They sent all 8 of our references forms to fill out. We waited. They called us for an interview. We met at the MCC BC office on April 23rd. They recommended us to have an interview with MCC Canada and the country representatives in Zambia. That happened a month later, May 23rd via Skype. After that we didn't wait long. Just 4 days later, on the 27th, MCC sent us an e-mail inviting us to come to Zambia and work with the Global Family Project as a teacher mentor. We accepted the next day (mainly because we figured the office was already closed anyways).
Every step has been directed by God. There are still a lot of steps being taken by faith. Andrew especially as he's not sure what 1/2 time job he'll end up doing. (The kids are going to be his full time job)!
A couple God moments that I forgot to mention that I thought was encouraging for Andrew:
-sounds like there is a family with MCC Zambia nearby who has the mom / wife as the full time worker (nurse) and dad is home with the kids.
-there is a possibility that Andrew's 1/2 time job could possibly end up being teaching carpentry at a trade school.
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