It seems like so great things keep happening to me, that I hardly have time to sit and update you all about them! First, I will update you on my new job, then my new house!
Way back in March I mailed an application to Evergreen Christian School in Olympia, Washington, hoping that they might have an opening for me in their small junior high. Unlike most schools, they were kind enough to do a phone interview with me, just in case something came available. In July, they called to ask if I was interested in being considered for a 5th grade position, which wasn't ideal for me, but I said yes anyway because I wanted to teach, regardless of grade level. A week or so later they emailed me to say they had filled the position. I was disappointed, but not too badly. I knew that 5th grade was not really what I wanted, so I was ok losing it to someone who did want it. After that phonecall I didn't really give ECS another thought.
About three weeks ago, I had just gotten to Luke's house after a day of nannying and I just couldn't hold back the tears. I was exhausted and felt like I was wasting my time in a job that wasn't allowing me to use my talents or my degree. I knew the money I was making would barely cover my bills with absolutely nothing left over and I just felt like I was getting nowhere. God had called me to teach, I had obeyed the call, and now what? Nannying for $4 an hour? Not fair, right? Well God taught me a lesson I'll never forget...
Two days after my mini meltdown I got a call from the assistant principal of Evergreen Christian School. The beloved Mr. Bruce Newman, the junior high's history teacher for a whopping 34 years, was in a coma due to cardiac arrest. They had no idea if and when he would recover, but they knew they needed a qualified social studies teacher to take over his classes temporarily until he could return or permanently if he were to be unable to return. I had so many conflicting emotions, but I knew God's hand was in the whole situation.
My first day was the following Wednesday. I didn't really know how to prepare since I had no idea how long I'd be there. When I arrived at the school, the principal came to tell me that Mr. Newman had passed away the night before and that as October 1 I would become the new salaried junior high history teacher. It was a rough first day, I'll tell you that. To start the day they gathered the 6-8th graders in the chapel room and updated them about Mr. Newman. They had options after that - they could go to the grief counselor, they could stay and talk with their friends, or they could go home. I sat with the students for a while and listened to stories about Mr. Newman before we went back to the classroom. For the rest of the day, as classes changed, I introduced myself to the students, let them talk about themselves for a few minutes, and then spent the rest of class just chatting with them about the school, their lives, etc. By the end of the day I was exhuasted, but so glad to be in a school.
The last two weeks have been much easier. I am settling into a routine with them and we are moving right along with the material. All of my classes have already taken their first test with me! I teach 2 classes of 7th grade World History, 1 class of 8th grade U.S. History, and 1 class of 7th grade Math - Pre-Algebra! Who ever thought I'd be a math teacher??
I love teaching more than I thought I would. It's a lot of work, at school and at home, but I wake up every morning and thank God that he made me wait for this job. I know that He knew the plan all along, even while I grumbled and asked why He wasn't giving me what I wanted. I appreciate my coworkers and students (and my paychecks) more than I ever would have had I gotten the job over the summer. I feel like a new person now that I get to do the work God has called me to do.
Last weekend, in the midst of getting settled in my new job, I got to get settled in my new house! I moved into the duplex next door to Luke and in about 6 weeks, my neighbor will be my husband! Exciting, huh? The house is really nice and it's fun having my own space to decorate and settle down in. I had a cleaning day this Saturday to get everything straight and nice and it's amazing how fast that goes when the only person to clean up after is yourself! A couple spritzes of 409 and Windex and you're done! The only things left to do are buy bedroom furniture and hang the pictures on the walls. Oh... and buy shelving. There isn't much storage space in this place, so everything is either in stacks in the spare room or sitting on the cardboard box bookshelf I built. Not too shabby, really. It hasn't fallen down yet!
So today on this Monday afternoon, I am going to go home and take a nap because after a weekend of cleaning, errands, and prepping for this week at school, I'm exhausted. Later this afternoon I'm riding to the dump with Luke and maybe conning him into fixing or buying me dinner. We'll see how that goes! All in all, life's great. My only wish is that you could all come out here and enjoy life with me in person. See you all soon!
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