Beginnings Come In All Shapes And Sizes

Today I received tremendous news from a place very far away from home. I have accepted an offer to become a teacher at the International Christian School of Budapest. One of the key ways I learned about Budapest, ICSB, and the nature of their culture and teachers, was through missionary blogs. So this is the beginning of my journey to Budapest.

I have always seen myself living on the other side of the "lake". Growing up I used to tell my mother that if I were single and free after college, then pack my bags I would, and take off for ministry in some far away place. I never had a calling to a specific country like some people do. I've heard of some missionaries being called at the age of 16 or 17 to some specific country. Thats not how it has been for me. I have the desire and the willingness to go. Where to? Where ever He leads me.

It all began when I sat down at my computer while teaching at Mumford High School and began searching for teaching jobs in Texas. Naturally that took a turn for searching the entire United States in places such as Boston and Colorado. For several days I searched and wrote down countless school names and districts to pray over and talk about with my family. Then I stumbled upon a little site called MissionTeach and filled out a profile just to see what the outcome would be. MissionTeach is a site that connects teachers to different international Christian schools based upon their vacancies. I was immediately drawn to a vacancy at Bingham Academy in Ethiopia. I had been there before while visiting family who are missionaries with SIM. My cousins attended the school and I had always thought it would be a neat place to teach. Unfortunately after some emails, I learned that the position was not vacant and so I stopped searching for a while.

Then I received an e-mail through the MissionTeach website from a recruiter at ICSB. When I saw that the vacancy was in Hungary I chuckled and told myself I was not going to teach there, but I decided to check out the website just to see what it was like. And I was amazed at the students, the teachers, and the city of Budapest. I asked for more and more information which led me down a trail of prayer, and ultimately, faxing an application a week before I graduated from UMHB.

This very morning I received an e-mail from the school director offering me the opportunity to teach this next school year in the fall.

I was elated and so very thankful. God has been teaching me to wait. He has been teaching me to depend on him. He knows the desires of my heart and how to best take care of me. He has called my name and I will go. What a gift God has given me!