If you asked me two months ago where I'd be teaching in the fall, I would have told you I didn't have a clue. I would have told you that I'd hopefully be teaching in a school somewhere in or near my hometown, but there were no openings so I would most likely be substitute teaching for yet another year. However, things quickly changed after I returned from my 2nd mission trip to Lima, Peru in mid-June.
You see, since graduation in December 2008, I have prayed each day that God would provide me with a teaching position and that I would be willing to go wherever he would have me to go...even if that meant leaving my comfort zone. I believe this prayer is what lead me to seek openings in North Carolina. I went as far as taking a long weekend to fly with friends to N.C. and attend a job fair. The whole time I told the girls that something just didn't feel right to me. I was not certain that N.C. was really where God wanted me. Still in my mind, I thought this was one more piece of evidence that I was supposed to remain in Northern Indiana. Little did I know, but God had a very different idea in mind. After returning from Peru in June, I felt a pulling against my better judgement and began to seek out teaching positions in or around La Molina where the Kids Alive home is located. I wasn't sure this was really where God wanted me, and I turned down about 5 offers due to the amount of support I would have to raise. However, God spoke to me one evening and gave me a more open mind towards missions teaching, and the next day he provided an opportunity that more closely matched my needs.
I have accepted a temporary teaching contract with Lima International School of Tomorrow (a.k.a. LISOFT). This is a Christian based school with my emphasis in modern technology and teaching methods. I am going as a missionary teacher; the school provides the housing and pays me a small wage, but I must raise support to cover some of the costs such as flights, insurance, etc. I will be co-teaching grades 1-3 with a Peruvian lady. I will live in on "campus" housing which sounds to be about the equivalent of a college dorm room. I will also be volunteering at the Kids Alive home some evenings and weekends. The school year runs from March-December (their seasons are opposite of ours), so I will be coming in during the second semester and finish out the school year. At this time, I will have the opportunity to sign a two year contract or simply return home and re-enter the job search in America.
I love how God moves when we open our hearts and minds to him. I have held the dream of teaching in a Spanish culture since about my sophomore year of high school; however, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would actually have this opportunity. I'm so excited to see God work and move throughout my next 4 months in Peru.
Please pray for me as I prepare to leave on August 12, 2009!
