Accepting

The hubs and I have accepted the invitation to work in Costa Rica with the Peace Corps.  We will be working at our respective jobs for the next month and then pack, however, we would love to spend some extra time with friends and family.

This post is not about accepting our invitation though.  This blog is to document our journey together as a couple through the Peace Corps and whatever it may bring.  Well, the Peace Corps gave us an extension of time while we wait for our 2nd staging.  With this extension, I didn't know what I would do for work till we left.    But God has a weird way of preparing His followers and answering prayers.

Earlier this week, my school lost a dear teacher and mother unexpectedly.  K was our wonderful sixth grade math teacher at the school where I formally worked.  We will be saying our final good byes to her today.  I hadn't really accepted this until last night when I stepped into K's room.  K, you worked so hard on the room this summer.  It screams you.  You left the room just like you do everyday, knowing you will come back and continue working on the current project.  How I miss your smiling face.

To help our students and faculty, I will be subbing as the math teacher while they interview for a new one.  This answered so many prayers for my co-workers (what will we do while we look for a new teacher?) and mine (what will I do while we wait for this new assignment?).  But it doesn't make this loss any easier.

While no one wanted to say good bye to our K, God was preparing my coworkers and I for this hardship.  God has perfect timing for all things.  


K,
My last words to you were "See you later", I still mean them.  I hope I can honor your memory as I step into your shoes.  You have such an impact on all the students you taught.  You took the time to get to know them AND still had time to teach them.  You are extremely missed.  You were a wonderful teacher, role model, friend, mother, and wife.  Words cannot express my grief I feel when I realize you aren't here on Earth with me any more.  I pray for your husband and two beautiful kids. (I will work on my bro and your daughter...haha)

Love always,

E

Surprising

The wait is OVER!

We got a call this morning telling us our new Peace Corps placement.  The Hubs and I are going to.....drum roll please....COSTA RICA!  This was a huge surprise because we got told that it would take about a month for them to place us and that we probably would not get a Spanish speaking country.

This group leaves mid-February and we will be in an education program.  We have not officially accepted, however, Costa Rica is already more promising than El Salvador was.

Please continue to pray for us as we decide if we will accept this placement or stay and for the other potential Volunteers as they find out their new placement.

Celebrating

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the nomadic newlyweds!

Today we are celebrating the Hub's birthday.  In honor of his birth, we are playing laser tag with BOTH of our families.  We are blessed to have families that enjoy hanging out (and even working) together.  This has become a Christmas Eve tradition.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with friends and family.  

I am also celebrating another blessing from not leaving with the Peace Corps yet, I have an opportunity to sub in different school settings.  I have wanted to work at a school for at risk kids, especially pregnant teens.  Since I have the freedom to choose where I sub, I get to "test the waters" so to speak and make sure this is something I really want to do for my career.  So chalk it up to God's timing is perfect and wonderful.

I have to be honest that I have had to work to find the blessings in the second Peace Corps wait (as I kindly call it).  I am a worrier and planner and I tend to focus on the negative.  I am forcing myself to see the good.  

Here is my Christmas challenge for you... purposely look for a blessing in a bad or trying situation.  The holiday season can be hard but find one good thing, a lesson learned, or a silver lining.  If you feel comfortable, share with me.  Post about it in my comment box.  

Encouraging yet Confusing

God is showing His mighty hand today in many ways for the Hubs and I.  Not long after the whole having the opportunity to get me insurance faster, we have a place to live!

The Hubs and I notified our leasing office that we will not be renewing our lease a couple weeks ago.  However, after the news we received today about not leaving till after April, we decided we wanted to see if we could renew the lease after all.  I walked in to the leasing office to ask if we could renew the lease after all.  The manager said we had perfect timing.  They had just offered our apartment to a woman TODAY and she TURNED IT DOWN!  

I know God has His timing and it is perfect.  I have seen that a few times regarding our journey with the Peace Corps; UPS delivering our placement packet the day I cried to God about it not being there already, my school's office worker responding even when office is closed about insurance, and lady turning down offer to move into our apartment; yet, I struggle with seeing what God wants for us regarding the Peace Corps.  

Don't get me wrong, it is encouraging to see God care for the Hubs and I the way He has but it is still confusing.  Is He showing us that He wants us in the Peace Corps or at home?  Is He just showing me the lowly, undeserving human, that He loves me and will care for what is important to me?  

Today's events has made my faith in Him stronger, however, I still don't know His will for our lives.  I will thank Him for the home and insurance and will try to remember them always.  

Waiting

It is official-we will not get our new placement until next month or so (nothing is ever set in stone with the Peace Corps).  Our placement officer can't verify how long our wait is, where we will be placed, or if we will get Central/South America like we want.

We are playing the waiting game.  I am so tired of this game.  I want something for sure for our future.  We have played this game since getting married.  I am scared of all this unknown.  And I know God has his perfect timing.  But  I still struggle with waiting for that timing.

God showed me his handiwork today.  The Hubs and I decided to put me on his insurance from work since I don't have a job or insurance after this month.  They needed some info from my former work, however, the school's office is closed till school starts again.  But I emailed who I needed to anyways.  Well....the person is getting the info to me tomorrow!  Hopefully won't be any lapse in my health insurance now!

Please continue to pray.  There are over 100 people needing to be re-placed with the Peace Corps and none of us will leave before April of next year.

Upsetting

This past Friday the hubs and I found out that the Peace Corps is not sending any more volunteers to El Salvador for security reasons.  The Peace Corps will be re-placing us (our whole group going to El Salvador) in different programs for different countries as soon as they can.

We found this out on my last day of teaching.  I had already resigned my position as a sixth grade science teacher at a local middle school.  We found this out on the day that the hubs was planning on putting in his two weeks notice.  It was terribly hard to handle that day.  Needless to say I was not responding extremely well with this news.

Within minutes of hearing our news my co-workers, family, and friends of family were brainstorming ways to help us maintain until we do leave.  I have learned many people care for my husband and I.  I am starting to see that this was a blessing itself.  Thank you for all of those wanting to help us while we wait for further news from the Peace Corps.

While we won't know what the Peace Corps will offer us for a little bit, how far off that leave date is, or if we will even accept this second offer;  I know that God has placed amazing people in our lives to support us.  This is another opportunity to practice patience and trust both of which I struggle with.

For today, I am at peace with this situation.  Please pray for the 28 of us who were supposed to leave January 24th for El Salvador and the Guatemala group that was suppose to leave January 3rd.  Please pray that they find peace, work, and a place to live while we are in limbo.

Remembering

I believe that waiting to start this new adventure is the hardest.  We have two months of living in limbo...moving out of our first home together, moving in with parents, saying long good byes, savoring moments with family and friends, wishing we could be here for the changes in our family and friends lives.

I think every day how I will miss my students (even on bad days), how we won't get to see my younger brother graduate college, miss the baby brother's proms and high school graduation, not know who our siblings date, see one of our dearest friends' first child born, miss friends making great accomplishments in their lives, treasure family time.  It is so hard.  And scary.

I try to remember moving to Houston.  It scared me silly to live on my own truly for the first time of my life.  But because of the move to Houston I found my passion, my husband, and hardest trial ever that molded me into me.  Houston is the reason I feel hard for Capitol Hill  (our church family), I teach, I desire to work with teen moms, and have the hubs.  If I didn't do that because I was scared, I don't know where I would be today.  Houston was not easy.  It challenged me, made me extremely tired and frustrated, but every day I thank God I had the experience to work with Impact church of Christ in Houston.

I hope I have the same experience with the Peace Corps.  I try to remember God never leaves me.  I believe this is the plan for us and I know this because so many things have fell into place that shouldn't have.   I try to remember my best friend will be by my side as well as family and friends supporting us here.

Following

I am following my best friend to another country.  This has been a desire of my husband's since high school...volunteering in the Peace Corps.  I married him knowing this was part of not only his future plans but now OUR future plans.  We have prayed, stressed, fretted, worried, and waited for this, fearing it would never get here.

But here it is, it's really happening.  We are in the final stages, saying good byes to family and friends and enjoying the last holiday season with them for a while.  We are leaving in two very short months.  I am excited and cannot wait for it to get here, but I also want to freeze time and savor the moments with my family, friends, and students.

For me, I believe I am not only following my husband but also God.  The hubs and I have always had a strong desire to serve others.  I know that this is what God is pushing me towards-serving outside of my comfort zone and leaning on Him.

I want to use this blog to share with our family and friends our experiences, growth, and even the trials.