Decisions

Since returning to Ohio in February, I have been trying to get "settled" back in Ohio life and culture while trying to figure out where God wanted me to go next and when that would be. I have been praying. I have been talking with my missions pastor and mentor and others. I have been searching opportunities that God has brought my way through contacts with people and with The Finishers Project website, as well as others. I had gotten to a point where I had a good feeling about 3 different opportunities which could have taken me to about 7 different countries. This was too broad for me. So, what do you do when you feel God has put this many items before you? You take it to Him and ask Him to narrow it down to the ONE He wants. And that's what I did.

Last week, I decided to devote 2 days of prayer and fasting over this decision and asked God to give me the answer by the end of the 2 days. James 1: 5-6 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." I asked God for wisdom to know His will for my life- and I had no doubt that He was going to give it to me. I emailed as many people as I could, asking them to join me in prayer of this decision. By the end of Wednesday, I had my answer.

As hard as it is for me, I feel that, for right now, God does not want me in Venezuela full-time. He is calling me to another place. This does not mean I will never be returning. But for now, I will be going somewhere else.

Doulos Discovery School- Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Doulos is a private, Christian school in the middle of the Dominican Republic. They work to get children out of the horrible public school conditions and into a Christian education where they can be educated in the values of Christianity and go on to lead the country with Christian values and beliefs. It is a private school, so the students have to pay tuition. However, most of the students are on some form of financial aid/tuition assistance. In order to do this, all of the teachers (missionaries) raise their own funds and salaries. Here is a video so you can see a little more about the school.
http://vimeo.com/1896385?pg=embed&sec=

The director of the school told me that they have been praying for a special education teacher and was excited when I told her I wanted to apply for the position. They have never had a special education teacher in the school and have no special education program in place. But they do have 2-3 children per grade with special needs (PreK-12). My job there would be to develop and implement a special education program based on the needs of the children while sharing with them the love of Jesus and His plan for Salvation. Of the 210 children in the school, about 200 of them are Dominican. The future leaders of the Dominican Republic will be sitting in my classroom, hearing how God loves them, and how they can share this with others around them.

I am excited to see how God is going to work through me in this opportunity He has brought my way. Provided I can get my funding by July, I will be in the DR by early August. Please pray with me for the children of Jarabacoa and the teachers at Doulos Discovery School and please pray that if it is God's will, that the finances I need will come in so I may begin this new adventure that God is calling me to.

Patience and guidance

For the past nearly 2 months, I have been trying to get re-acclimated back into life in Ohio while searching for where God will send me next. I have been praying and looking through various ministry opportunites that have come my way. Some would have me out of Ohio by this August. Others would have me in Ohio for probably at least another year or two.

I signed up on a website called Finishers. This is an organization that helps team up missionaries with mission organizations. I put my profile on there and have been having organizations contact me, telling me that they think I would work out well with a need that they have. It has been really strange having organizations contacting me. Its like having several companies call you, all inviting you to work for them.

Right now, I have many different options that I could pursue. However, the thing I am pursuing the most right now is guidance from our Lord, and patience while I wait for His perfect timing.