Replacement

The teacher I replaced is now replacing me. She had left the classroom to go work in our district's central office. Now, four years later, she misses working with students and is excited for the opportunity to return to the classroom. The two of us talked the other day about how perfectly God's timing has woven our paths together. We are starting to talk quite a bit, sharing ideas, etc. to ensure the smoothest transition possible. Sometime this week she'll probably come to one or two of my classes to meet some kids who will be in her advanced classes next year. A couple of my advanced students were pretty upset that I was leaving. As I've talked to them more about what I will be doing and assured them that I have a good replacement here, I've seen a big difference in their outlook. Friday the one who was initially most concerned told the others that the people in Mexico need me more than they do.

LaPlata FBC

Yesterday I visited FBC of LaPlata, MO where my dad is pastor Several members of the church committed to partnering with me in prayer. I am going to try to visit a few churches where I have ties to ask people to join me through prayer. I will also encourage these churches to pray about the possibility of forming a team to participate in Operation GO.

Question, Part III

For those who aren't familiar with Operation GO (Operation Gospel Outreach), here is a brief description:

Operation GO is a Gospel saturation effort to reach millions of homes in the Middle America and Caribbean Region. Volunteers, missionaries and national believers distribute Gospels of John or Luke in print or audio formats. Operation GO is a practical way to get involved in church planting.
(from http://www.macregion.org/)

As teams of volunteers from US churches make the decision to come to Mexico, my role will essentially include communicating with them throughout the planning stages for their trip, preparing for their arrival, and facilitating their time in country.

Questions, Continued

Along with the timeline, many have been curious about the time commitment I have made. I have committed to serve for 3 years. Those 3 years officially begin the first day of orientation in Virginia; July 27. That day also marks the beginning of my benefits and pay from the board.

Questions

I know that there are a couple of questions that people typically want answered after I tell them that I have been approved to serve through the IMB, so I will try to answer some of those questions through the next couple of posts.

One question is about the timeline. I will finish teaching this school year. While it is possible to break a contract, I don't feel like that is the way Christ wants me to represent Him. So, I will fulfill my contract and teach until school ends. If I didn't have this commitment, I would be able to start IMB orientation in late April. Instead I am waiting for the next orientation, which runs from July 27 until September 24 in Virginia. After orientation, I might have a week or two in the states, or I might leave immediately. The next step is language school in Costa Rica for about 6 months. After language school, I will finally move to whatever city in Mexico they decide. I believe I will then spend 3 months working alongside someone else doing the same job as me before I am "on my own." It is weird to think that it will still be a full year from now before I actually make it to Mexico, but I am grateful for all of the training (especially language!) opportunities the IMB provides.

On a different note, I submitted my letter of resignation to my building administrator and to my superintendent this morning and am starting to tell students today. It is kind of an emotional thing for me to do because I have loved teaching for 12 years and will genuinely miss working with some great students. The assurance that I am following God's leading doesn't change that fact.

News

While driving from school to SBU to teach a night class yesterday afternoon, I took a quick detour by my mailbox. I knew that IMB appointment letters had been mailed Friday, and I was eager to receive mine. It finally happened. The letter was there. I got my first choice job assignment (the one in Mexico)! I am very excited and hope to find time today to share a little more. Unfortunately, though, I have a mountain of work to do and need to get started now. :)

One Week Down, One to Go

I've been back from the conference for a week now, and I have one more week to wait before I should receive a definite answer on whether or not I will be sent out and, if so, where.

I've debated about this, but I think I am ready to share my job choices. Our objective through the week was to research and find two or three job openings that we felt might be a good match for us. To help us in this search, we had access to job listing binders, books, and representatives from each region of the world. In some cases, those reps also provided us either email or phone communication with people on the field. By the end of the week, I found two jobs to list on my form.

The first job is working with Operation GO (Gospel Outreach) in Mexico. The goal of this team is to get the gospel in every home where they work. To accomplish this, volunteer teams are brought in from churches in the states who can go door to door delivering the gospel. The job that needs filled is a person who will coordinate/facilitate every aspect of the team trips and to communicate with Mexican Baptists for follow-up. Since there is typically a new team arriving every three weeks, I would probably be at some phase in the process with around 8 teams at any given time. Some would be initial email contact, some would be preparing to come, and a team might actually be on the ground needing me to drive and guide them around. It amazed me how my experience with computers, communication, mission teamwork, organization, and several other things combine to make this job seem so uniquely fit for me. It was absolutely my first choice, and there is a very strong chance that I will be placed in this job.

The second job I found is working as a computer teacher at an MK (missionary kid) school which also accepts students who are not MKs. They said they have a lot of children of diplomats enrolled. It seems like a great place, and I would love the opportunity to minister to missionaries by serving and caring for their teenage children. I can imagine how stressful it would be to have to send your kids to boarding school, and I think it would help to feel good about the place they are going and the people who are working with them. This job is located on another continent.