I really wish there was some kind of prized for reading this all the way to the end! Sorry, there isn't!
I have neglected this blog for quite some time... I don't think it was on purpose, just not much of a journalist!
However, what may seem like a recent decision or opportunity, has really been a long time coming!
Back in 2003 I went off to start my college career. I declared "Elementary Education" from the beginning so I could learn to teach all the subjects! Obviously in college I met some amazing people, some of which I am privileged to call my family! :)
During college a girl/roommate named Melissa came in. We got along, laughed (a lot), worked together and cooked! :)
The Lord through different circumstances moved us around and the last time I saw or spoke with Melissa was back in 2009.
For me I was to graduate with a B.A. in Elementary Education & Bible, move home (California) begin teaching Sign Language, Science & Algebra with 2 local homeschool groups. I also started working for a before/after school program- while working there I started driving school busses for the different field trips (which is how this blog got started in Oregon! Thank you Jonathan B.) From there I moved home again and started working as a school bus driver- while working there I became a certified CPR/First Aid Instructor!
There's too many details to include everything the Lord was teaching me or taking me through... but I did everything I could to learn and do for all the places I worked and served (in different ministries within the church)
Through all of this I prayed the Lord would lead me where I was to go and He had, every step of the way! I'm so grateful for all the "adventures" I have been a part of!
In the last couple years of being back from Oregon I had the opportunity to serve more at my church (Reality VTA) and be a part of some amazing people's lives and some eye opening bible studies! (Thank you Jesus!)
This last spring (2014) especially I could feel a move coming and I kept hearing "you do too much, it's all good, but you're wearing yourself out". At first I thought it was to Reality San Francisco...NOPE- through wise council and much prayer I was asked why I don't spend some time in Lancaster with my parents and just take some time away. My knee jerk reaction was- no, God couldn't be moving me there! There's nothing to "do"! At the same time I was in a women's bible study and one of the days of homework the teacher was talking about "resting before and with the Lord"... as the teacher spoke on about that resting didn't necessarily mean being unproductive, rather that I needed to take time and be willing to have just "us" time. WHOA! I was thrown for a loop and I wrote in the margin of my book "I NEED THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS"
Around that time my "sister" from college called and we talked about going somewhere for a lil vacation after her/our sister's wedding in June! I agreed but the destination was TBD.
Later, I forced myself to "go away" to Lancaster to visit my parents (which was in God's perfect timing) and after all the internal unrest and the physical unrest, God softened my heart and I spoke with my parents about moving home for the summer and getting a part-time job somewhere local. But as we spoke my dad mentioned that he really needed help in his office for his business and that he would love to hire me back! Win-Win! Right around then my "sister" called and asked if going to Colorado to visit our college friend Melissa (from all the way back when) was a good getaway... I told her even though I don't like CO. I would love to see Melissa and get to meet her husband! So we made plans to visit the week after the wedding!
I then went back to the Ventura area wrapped up working for the school busses, finished my bible study, talked to and prepared my friends for me leaving for the summer. Everyone was asking what the plan was for the fall... and I said "since I'm a teacher, I'd love to find a school" some had mentioned that it was probably impossible for me to be a teacher this coming fall because schools have had their teachers contacts since the spring! I still obeyed and waited to see how the Lord would lead.
As of the first week of June... I moved back in with my parents, setup my room then drove to Arizona to help with wedding prep and be a bridesmaids! The Thursday night before the wedding (June 12th) I get a fbook message from a guy who says he knows my friend Melissa and that he's the headmaster of a private Christian school in the Denver area and had the need to fill the 4th grade teaching position and was I interested?
To say I was flabbergasted would be an understatement... wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing? Well I ended up seeing Melissa that night and I asked what was going on... she then explained that she knew I had a B.A. in teaching but want sure of what I was doing but that she told the headmaster about me and that my "sister" and I would be visiting Colorado after the wedding.
I didn't respond to his message right away, but I explained that I was praying about where the Lord would be leading me in the near future so I was interested in some of the details. His response "send me your email and I'll get an application to you".
We ended up meeting and he gave me a tour of the school right before we left to go back to Arizona. I was pretty neutral feeling through it all... till we were on the plane back! It hit me that this is where the Lord could be leading me and I didn't know what to say or do??
From that time we got back and coming back to California I felt like a mess on the inside! I'm so thankful God is so gracious, because He started reminding me of different prayers I've had or others had prayed for me and showed me how this would be the answer to them and how He had been moving me towards this for a while, I just didn't know it :)
Well I sent in my resume, personal references and nerves. The headmaster started checking my references and getting the scoop on me, while I was praying and seeking council while trying to rest and be quiet with the Lord!! I felt totally bipolar through this time! Yes- I wanted to be a teacher, No- I can't leave again! Yes- I wanted to go where the Lord was leading, No- I'm a California girl! Yes- I want to obey!
As all this back and forth was going on... I met someone who was struggling with moving back home to be closer with family and I was telling her "the Lord sometimes takes us away to prepare us to serve, like in the story of Jeremiah...etc... (you know how sometimes you're talking to someone and as you are, you realize...that YOU ARE NEEDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING! I really hate that fyi!) I ended up telling her... "your walk with Christ has to be more important than the comfort of your location!"
WHAT! TALK ABOUT A SMACK TO THE FACE!
On July 14th the headmaster emailed me and asked if I was available to talk... I wasn't! It seemed to early to hear a "yes" or "no". But we decided he would call the next day ( July 15th aka my Birthday)
We talked and he asked a lot of questions then ended the conversation with, "I'll email you later today, and by the way Cynthia, it'll be a positive email". Later that day he did email saying "they would like to welcome me to the staff and attached was a contract for the 2014-2015 school year, please let them know by the 25th!"
I cried, printed and signed the contract that day! Then sent it 2 days later! My first day will be August 18th, so the move date will be August 11th!
Obviously there are more details... but here's the long end of the short of it :)
Please be praying for me! There's so much to do in so little time!
P.s. we will have some kind of going away party! :)
