This has become my mantra. But let me give you some background on why this verse is so relevant. (Warning - this will be a long post).
In January, I received a Facebook message from a friend from college. This is someone I have not spoken to since senior year, so it was very out of the blue. She and her husband are serving at the Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya with Africa Inland Mission International. She messaged me because the school was looking for a choir director for the 2015-2016 school year and she thought of me. I was so taken aback it took me a little bit to respond to her message. After the initial shock wore off, I told her that I was very interested and would love the information for whoever I needed to contact.
After that message, I was able to connect with the school superintendent. He emailed that they were blessed with many inquiries about that job. This immediately made me think that I would never get the job; I am not certified, I have no teaching experience, I haven't been doing any music for the past couple of years. The superintendent also asked me to send him my qualifications. Honestly, I was really dragging my feet on emailing him back because I just knew that I was not qualified and not going to get the job. But the superintended kept pursuing me.
Finally I emailed him my experience and we set up a time to have a phone interview for the job. That phone interview was one of the best that I have had in the last year of my job search. The school was not looking for a teacher who was fully formed, but someone who would leave the school a stronger person and educator. They were not just looking for someone who was technical and only focused on education of the mind, but they wanted someone who was interested in discipling and mentoring these young believers. Getting off the phone, I worked hard to stay calm and not get too excited until I heard back, but I knew that this could be an amazing experience.
After another phone interview with the band director, and several weeks of waiting, I checked my inbox to find an email with the subject line "We would love to have you join our ministry team". It was such a rush of emotion to read that. The entire way through this process, it has been God opening the door a pushing me through. This is exactly what God had been making me wait for. He had been making me learn patience and trust and making me strong enough for this opportunity.
Of course, after the school had chosen me, I had to go through the process of applying with Africa Inland Mission International, which is the mission organization that runs the Rift Valley Academy. As of Tuesday, March 31st, I am officially approved with AIM to serve at RVA for the coming school year. Now, I am in thick of preparations and starting my fund-raising. It's a little overwhelming, but I am so excited about the new adventure that God is leading me on. It will take lots of prayer and submitting to Him, and a lot of preparation to be a choir teacher, and strings teacher, but I am ready and willing.
Prayer requests:
- Completing the many tasks I have to prepare for the move to Kenya.
- Fundraising and prayer support for the year.
- That I would prepare well to be the best teacher that I can for the 2015-16 school year.
"Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him."
Matthew 4:18-20
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