This Is My Story...

 My story, or should I say God's story.   This is the story of why and how I came to teach at International Christian School of Budapest.  

It begins when I was four years old and my family became missionaries to Ireland.  This time even though I was very young and short left and big impression on my life.  After returning from Ireland, my father was the head of the mission's committee at my church.  Missionaries are always being talked about.

I went to college, graduated in 2003 and dreamed of someday living overseas.  I had no intentions of being a missionary as that was only for "super" Christians or "special" Christians.  I would get a job at a international school, be paid a salary and teach.  Upon looking for these type of jobs internationally, I soon realized that most of them needed two years of teaching experience and there were my large college loans to consider.  So, I put the dream on the shelf.  God lead me to a job here in my city that I fell in love with.  I got to be part of something big that I had only dreamed about, starting a new school.  It was an exciting and growing time.  I delved into my job full force and loved every minute of the chaos. (Well perhaps there were a few that weren't so fun.)

After a few years, my dream of teaching internationally began to resurface.  I'd spend a few days searching the web and looking at schools all around the globe.  Then I'd remember my comfortable state and appreciation for the school I was at and stopped looking.  This continued for a few years.    It's now been five years since I graduated from college (about 2008) and this dream was still floating around.  Of course, I thought of all kinds of excuses for why not to go teach internationally.  I love my job, my students, my small-town life.  I really desire to be married, so maybe I should wait until after that.  I am so close to my family.   God began tugging on my heart a little stronger.  

It was the fall.  My church always has a week long global outreach focus in the fall.  Many of our global partners share, our pastor gives a call to those sensing God's leading, and other special events.  Well, I had just begun volunteering to serve at the Wednesday night meals when I sat down next to a women and began to talk.  She asked me what I did.  I replied with enthusiasm, "I teach 2nd graders!"  She smiled and asked, "Have you ever considered teaching overseas?"  WOAH!!!  I thought, have I ever and who is this woman?  I replied, "Yes."  "Have I a place for you!" she continued.  She went on to tell me she was on our church's global outreach team.  She had connections everywhere.  That encounter definitely shook me up and got me thinking again.  Sunday rolls around.  I know our pastor is going to give a call for those who feel called to go serve globally.  It is no surprise.  He tells us at the beginning of the sermon and I've been around long enough to know that's what happens during Global Outreach week.  The moment of the "call" to come forward to get more information and be prayed for arrived.  I am not even sure what exactly happened but I knew that I needed to get out of my seat and go forward.  God was calling me to strongly consider going overseas for two years.  So, I climbed over my parents who were sitting next to me to go to the front of the church with a handful of other people while the congregation sang "We Rest On Thee." (For those of you who do not know, that hymn was sung by Jim Elliot and the other 4 missionary men before they left and later were martyred.)   I had tears running down my face as I said, "Ok God, I'm not sure what you are doing but I am here."  I began attending the monthly missionary meetings at my church as often as I could.  (They were hosted by the women and her husband who I had sat next to at Wednesday night dinner and asked, "Have you ever considered teaching overseas?" Funny how God is!)  It was at these meetings that I met a new friend, Amanda.  She was planning on going to teach in Hungary. (You can read about her here.)

Soon, I learned of short-term ministry opportunities through my church.  There was one that involved teaching third culture kids (children living in a different country than their parents country) at conferences.  It excited me to think about teaching these children.  I had a small connection with them somehow.  I had lived, for a short time, in another country.  I desired to go.  Summer of 2010, I went with a team of twelve people from my church to SE Asia to run a kids club Bible program during a week long conference.  I had the joy and privilege of teaching the elementary kids, specifically the 8-11 year olds.  What an experience!  It was full of faith testing and building.  I returned home and in a whirlwind of a few days was preparing to teach 2nd grade again at my school.  It would be my seventh year there however, something had changed.

By DeceMy story, or should I say God's story.   This is the story of why and how I came to teach at International Christian School of Budapest.  

It begins when I was four years old and my family became missionaries to Ireland.  This time even though I was very young and short left and big impression on my life.  After returning from Ireland, my father was the head of the mission's committee at my church.  Missionaries are always being talked about.

I went to college, graduated in 2003 and dreamed of someday living overseas.  I had no intentions of being a missionary as that was only for "super" Christians or "special" Christians.  I would get a job at a international school, be paid a salary and teach.  Upon looking for these type of jobs internationally, I soon realized that most of them needed two years of teaching experience and there were my large college loans to consider.  So, I put the dream on the shelf.  God lead me to a job here in my city that I fell in love with.  I got to be part of something big that I had only dreamed about, starting a new school.  It was an exciting and growing time.  I delved into my job full force and loved every minute of the chaos. (Well perhaps there were a few that weren't so fun.)

After a few years, my dream of teaching internationally began to resurface.  I'd spend a few days searching the web and looking at schools all around the globe.  Then I'd remember my comfortable state and appreciation for the school I was at and stopped looking.  This continued for a few years.    It's now been five years since I graduated from college (about 2008) and this dream was still floating around.  Of course, I thought of all kinds of excuses for why not to go teach internationally.  I love my job, my students, my small-town life.  I really desire to be married, so maybe I should wait until after that.  I am so close to my family.   God began tugging on my heart a little stronger.  

It was the fall. My church always has a week long global outreach focus in the fall. Many of our global partners share, our pastor gives a call to those sensing God's leading, and other special events. Well, I had just begun volunteering to serve at the Wednesday night meals when I sat down next to a women, named Julie, and began to talk. She asked me what I did. I replied with enthusiasm, "I teach 2nd graders!" She smiled and asked, "Have you ever considered teaching overseas?" WOAH!!! I thought, have I ever and who is this woman? I replied, "Yes." "Have I a place for you!" she continued. She went on to tell me she was on our church's global outreach team. She had connections everywhere. That encounter definitely shook me up and got me thinking again.  Sunday rolls around. I know our pastor is going to give a call for those who feel called to go serve globally. It is no surprise. He tells us at the beginning of the sermon and I've been around long enough to know that's what happens during Global Outreach week. The moment of the "call" to come forward to get more information and be prayed for arrived. I am not even sure what exactly happened but I knew that I needed to get out of my seat and go forward. God was calling me to strongly consider going overseas for two years. So, I climbed over my parents who were sitting next to me to go to the front of the church with a handful of other people while the congregation sang "We Rest On Thee." (For those who do not know, that hymn was sung by Jim Elliot and the other 4 missionary men before they left and later were martyred.)   I had tears running down my face as I said, "Ok God, I'm not sure what you are doing but here I am." I began attending the monthly missionary meetings at my church as often as I could.  (They were hosted by the Juice and her husband. Funny how God is!) It was at these meetings that I met a new friend, Amanda. She was planning on going to teach in Hungary. (You can read about her here.)

Soon, I learned of short-term ministry opportunities through my church. There was one that involved teaching third culture kids (children living in a different country than their parents country) at conferences.  It excited me to think about teaching these children. I had a small connection with them somehow. I had lived, for a short time, in another country. I desired to go. Summer of 2010, I went with a team of twelve people from my church to SE Asia to run a kids club Bible program during a week long conference. I had the joy and privilege of teaching the elementary kids, specifically the 8-11 year olds. What an experience!  It was full of faith testing and building. I returned home and in a whirlwind of a few days was preparing to teach 2nd grade again at my school. It would be my seventh year there however, something had changed.

By December, I was restless. I had picked up a small book titled Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. by Kevin DeYoung. It was simple, short book but so profound. It told me that there was no magic formula to find out what God's will for my life was. Instead, it reminded me that God's will for my life is to become more like Jesus. The other advice it gave was love God, know and obey his word, and do make decisions that align. Don't sweat and deliberate over decisions- if they are not in disobedience to God, make it! God used this book to nudge me to e-mail my friend Amanda, the one I met at the monthly missions meetings who was teaching in Hungary. In January, I began to ask questions. Questions about ICSB, Hungary, other schools in Europe, about being a missionary. She was kind and quick to respond and excited I was thinking about teaching internationally. After a few e-mails back and forth, more research about schools and sending agencies I knew that I had to make a decision to either apply and see what God did or to not apply and bury this dream of mine. A week of wrestling with it went by finally I decided to apply for an elementary position at International Christian School of Budapest and with TeachBeyond. The application for ICSB was complete and sent in February followed by an interview in early March via Skype. A week later I had a job teaching 2nd grade. My application process with TeachBeyond got started a little later. I was interviewed in late March and accepted a few weeks later. I was cleared to begin support raising in May. And here I am a few months later waiting for God to show his faithfulness once again. 

I left on 20 August 2011 for Budapest and arrived 24 days before school began. God was faithful to help me arrive before school started and help me in the quick transition.