Tip-Toeing Austrians and The South

AN UPDATE!

My classroom, those 2nd grade stinkers, have provided me with such an enriching and challenging experience that I honestly feel, pinky swear, that I could write a book. Or two. I may or may not have started already. Last school year was rock bottom. I often found myself on my knees, full-well knowing that there was absolutely NO way I was going to make it through on my own strength. I was planning my out - An Americorps position in NYC (fulfilling my dream, to say the least). Little did I foresee MY dream coming to a halt as another, unexpected dream came forward. My Oliver. I pinned something on Pinterest recently that went something like this: I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be. Oliver tip-toed his way into my life at exactly the moment I needed him most. With his support, encouragement, shoulder, and faithful ear, I survived.  The Lord and His timing.

Then there's this year.

While I love my home at Detroit Enterprise Academy, I've been feeling a tug toward something different.  I want the chance to take what I've learned from Detroit and apply it somewhere fresh.  In an interesting turn of events, apparently Oliver's Visa is also soon-to-be in need of a fresh face.  If he stays in Michigan, he will be under Austrian contract (as he has been), which states that, given at most a 4-weeks notice, they can bring him home if needed.  With our future in mind, he asked for US contract options.  The only department in his line of work which would be able to bring him on under an American contract and offer him a Green Card:

Charleston, South Carolina.

It is this, Michigan with unstable contract terms, or Germany.

With heavy hearts and our dreams in mind, we weighed the options.  I would love the opportunity to live in Europe, close to his family.  Their language, culture, traditions - all pieces of him I am eager to continue learning.  He, however, desperately wants a home-base.  Europe would still only provide short-term options.  So, with all of this weighing heavily, the day of his "Decision Meeting" came.  At this point, we were ready for anything.  We really didn't know what they would suggest - best to be flexible and relinquish control, right?  Right.  We would go wherever led.

They suggested he pursue Charleston full force.  Considering his role in my life, this means that we pursue it, together.  NO, we are NOT YET engaged.  Formal proposals and engagements are foreign to him - he wants to do things "his own way".  I trust him :) We do, however, know that we're stuck together!

As of now, I've applied for South Carolina teaching certification, and I've sent in a stack of resumes.  His company will provide him with an apartment, so we just have to arrange something for myself.  We'll be anxious to get a wedding in the works once there, I'm sure :)

All that to say this: Come end of July, I will be headed to Charleston.  I will continue to keep you updated as we thoughtfully and prayerfully navigate these new roads.

:)

My stomach is growling.

It's probably about time I update this guy.

Here's the thing - I'm still somewhat in this whirlwind of transition, so I'm finding that the details are still kind of hazy.

In general, everything has been going better than expected. I don't want to go too in depth, but all in all, the Foster's are great. They respect and appreciate me to the point that they're going out of their way, on a regular basis, to bridge me with connections that could help my teaching career next year. They treat me like the teacher I am, and value my knowledge and input to an incredibly high degree. They're genuinely nice people, and I'm thankful that we have such an open, honest relationship going.

The kids are...kids. The oldest, Elizabeth (13), is a typical pre-teen and has an incredibly sweet heart. The youngest, Katharine (9), is active and sporty, yet still manages to be alllll girl. She's adorable. Then, of course, there's Wells (11). He has a diagnosis that puts him on the Autism spectrum; therefore, life in the Foster house is always a bit interesting. He's a sweet kid with a lot of passion - very intelligent and perceptive. It's been great experience, even after only a few weeks, working with Wells individually, as well as within the dynamic of his relationships with others (especially his sisters). Patience, time management, conflict resolution, problem solving...These are things I could never learn enough about. Anyways, the good moments are outweighing the bad :)

One of my first nights here, Melissa and I met some of her friends for a barbecue on a beach a few towns over. When we walked up to the spot where we were going to sit, we noticed that, across the water (the Long Island Sound), the New York City skyline was visible. I can't explain what I felt - It was just so incredibly strange. I wasn't there, I was here. I wasn't beneath the buildings, I was beneath the trees. I wasn't in my comfort zone. Instead, I was in a place where objects are things to be desired, and status is something to be gained. I was frustrated and terribly sad. Hurt. What had I allowed myself to do? Why had I chosen to be here, and not there? No one could have thought me a bigger hypocrite than myself.

It's really hard for me to balance this passion of mine with what I feel I am being lead to do. My heart aches to be in a certain environment, yet I couldn't be more far from it at this point. And yet, I'm here with complete peace. Complete peace. I rest assured that I'm hear for a reason or two, and that becomes more apparent to me with each passing day. You wouldn't guess it, but this truly is the strangest thing that's ever happened to me.

With that said, I'm learning. I'm learning how to accept what I'm given with a grateful heart, and to do so with the understanding that there is a time and reason for things that, God forbid, I may not understand at the time. Sounds simple enough, but I think it's so easy to say we've gotten things mastered when, in all reality, the knowledge has never been tested. We like to think we're smarter than we really are, don't we? Try getting hit with a death in the family, divorce, illness, a deviation from the "Five Year Plan". We're not as strong as we think we are, either. If we were, where would be the need for reliance? At the same time, though, we've all got a strength in us that exists unconditionally. A beautiful paradox.

I'm rambling at this point, but I can say one thing - I never, in my life, have felt a deeper desire to be submerged in urban ministry and teaching than I do at this very moment.

By the way, how exciting is it that fall is here? Pumpkins, orange Mums, falling leaves, apple cider, cinnamon coffee cake candles, sweaters and hoodies, the smell of the heat in your car...so great.

:)