I'm going to the Dominican Republic...like SOON!

YES!! That is right! On Monday I will be flying to the Dominican Republic where I will be living and teaching at Jarabacoa Christian School!!! These past two weeks have been the craziest, most stressful, most emotional and most reassuring of God's presence that I may have ever experienced. Even though I did not have neon lights telling me to go, I believe God has spoken to me in His still small voice. Though the journey of job searching has been long and rough, He has reminded me that He is in control.

I just bought my plane ticket tonight so it seems more real to me now. However, I still feel like I may pee my pants at any second!! Okay...so I should probably start with...how did this all happen?!?!?

As many of you know, I was offered a job in Burkina Faso after student teaching there this past fall. I felt like God was telling me, "not now." So, I said no. At the time I thought "not now" meant that it was going to be far off...at least a year before going to teach overseas. I NEVER would have thought that "not now" meant...in a few months!! I started applying to schools in the spring and then made it a full time job through the summers. Applications are everywhere in my room and all over the house. I cannot even begin to think how many I have filled out. Then there were the few interviews. They all seemed really promising, like many of the other situations. However, each door was closing. In the middle of the summer I remember asking the Lord if He was closing these doors to show me I was supposed to teach overseas. Around that time I got an email from Natalie...my soon to be roommate and co-worker and also former TU student...who wondered if I would be interested in teaching in the DR. This thought stayed in the back of my mind, but it seemed logistically out of the question. After all, I passed on a really good financial offer to Burkina already. Well, more doors kept closing, and I thought more about this opportunity. One day while praying while sun bathing in my pool, I thought of what was holding me back. Because this is actually where my heart is. I realized that student loans were the only thing. So, I did some research and realized that I could put my loans on hold for a year without being penalized. Everything from that moment seemed to keep falling into place. My heart was growing more and more fond of this idea and the more I thought and prayed about it, the more I realized this may be exactly where God wants me this year. It was so neat when I realized that all of the things that I was hesitant on about going to Burkina were not the case here:

Problem 1...I didn't know French and really didn't have a desire to learn....Spanish is the language of the DR. One of my life goals is to learn Spanish fluently because I have a deep passion for this language.
Problem 2...I didn't want to live in another country alone....I will be living with Natalie and another girl!
Problem 3...The students are not locals so I didn't feel like I got to be a part of the actual country and people of Burkina--the Burkina I love...I will be teaching local Dominicans and be able to form relationships with them and their families!
Problem 4...I didn't want to make a two year commitment....this is only a one year contract
Problem 5...Plane tickets are so expensive so if there was an emergency I couldn't come home and my parents probably wouldn't be able to visit....flights to the DR are MUCH cheaper and affordable.

So...based on just these little things...I was and still am at total peace with this new endeavor. I promise this is the end of this long story...but the last confirmation I had was when the door to a school in Indiana closed...actually it slammed shut. I prayed specifically that God would open and close doors for me to either go or to stay. I want to be where He wants me and that is it! The day I prayed this...last Wednesday, I got called for an interview in Indiana. "Ok, Lord, I hear you!" So I went to Indiana, interviewed, came back, and waited to hear the verdict. Well, for some reason it took forever for them to get back to me...and finally I found out that the positions had been filled. I truly believe that the Lord has clearly opened this door for me to go to the DR. He knows my heart and what is best for me. I am so thankful for that!!!

Now, as I prepare to pack up my life and to say good-byes and start planning lessons for my little kiddos, I need your prayers! I'm so thankful that I have the weekend to spend with my whole family...even little Dylan and Jack! :) Please pray that things during this time would go smoothly and that God would comfort my family and our hearts as we prepare to say good-bye for nine months.

Well, buenas noches!!! :)