A South Korean Seed
A lot of things to write about tonight.
A lot to think about.
A lot to pray about.
B and I have been discussing our financial situation recently.
Basically, if I continue at the job I am at, and if B gets a teaching job in fall 2009, it will take us three years FROM THE TIME HE STARTS TEACHING before we are able to get into a new house. This, of course, also affects when we will be able to have kids.
We could have another one next year, but it would still be tight living in a two-bedroom duplex with 2 kids under the age of 4.
Another option is for me to go back to work next year... full time. We would be able to move into a house sooner if I could make more money.
But, quite frankly, neither of those scenarios sounds right for us. We have seen, in so many ways, the Lord provide jobs for us at just the right time and in just the right way. He has taken care of us around every turn. It hasn't always been when we like it or in the way that we would like it, but He has always provided our needs.
And so... in the midst of all these considerations for the future, we have been praying for an open door... a creative alternative... a divine intervention.
And in the midst of all these prayers and conversations, one theme seems to come up over and over again - B teaching overseas... particularly in Asia.
So, off and on during these past couple months, we have searched online for job openings and average salary,etc.
But nothing has felt right.
And so we thought that is was just another one of those things that we would talk about and never do.
But tonight... a conversation that I had made it all too real.
There is a gentleman from South Korea that works with our old church (COTN). In particular, he works with one of my good friends from that church who writes Korean worship songs for his ministry.
He paid for an entire sound studio to be built in my friend's basement, and he pays her to write and help translate songs for his ministry.
He is paying for her and her 4-member family to travel to South Korea for a few weeks this summer, all expenses paid.
He has also offered to pay for any of her "Christian American friends" to come to S.Korea for two weeks in the summer of 2009. He and his ministry have rented out a park (a Korean version of Disney World) for an entire two weeks. He is promoting those two weeks throughout S.Korea as "English Camp." But in reality, he wants to use it to share the gospel. He has offered to PAY FOR ALL EXPENSES for any American Christian adults and children to come and "hang out" at the camp for two weeks, build relationships with the "campers," and share the gospel.
It is this man who asked my friend if she knew of any Spirit-filled Christian teachers who would be willing to teach at his school in S.Korea, all expenses paid, for a "handsome salary."
He said it is imperative that this person has an undergrad degree in teaching from a qualified U.S. university and that he or she is a Spirit-filled Christian who would be comfortable sharing the gospel in the classroom setting.
Hm.
My friend told SS.
SS immediately thought of one person - B.
And as she sat on my couch tonight, relating all these details to me, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the beginning God's provision for us for 2009.
I kept thinking about Mrs.S's first prophecy over us so many years ago... "Your husband has an amazing teaching ministry. He is an anointed teacher. I can almost see him, he is such an anointed teacher.... there will be teaching centers that you will be brought up in... I keep hearing teaching centers."
Of course, there is nothing we can do now.
I asked SS to get the gentleman's information so that B could contact him for details on the 2-week "English Camp" trip as well as the teaching position.
Maybe there would be something open for me too?
But somehow, I don't feel like I will be going.
I know this sounds silly, but I really feel like I will be staying here.
I don't know. It's just a feeling.
For the past several months (like, since the middle of last year) I keep having dreams and day-dreams about being a soldier's wife.
I keep thinking, "Now, how would I do this if Brandon were overseas, and I had to do this on my own?"
For a long time, I tried to rebuke those thoughts, thinking that they were just leftover fears from being raised by a single mom.
But recently, I have almost found comfort in those thoughts. Almost as if I was being prepared for that scenario.
Which, I realize, sounds ridiculous, considering the fact that my husband is not, nor will he ever be, involved in any sect of the armed forces.
I don't know.
And I'm not really stressing about it.
I'm excited.
Even knowing what it means for our family.
I just thought I would jot all this down while it's fresh in my mind.
Like I said, there is nothing we can do about it now. So there's no point in worrying about it.
But it's a seed.
Let's see what the Gardner does with it.