The New Year always brings thoughts of changes, resolutions, and new things... This year, 2011 will bring Tim and me to a new country, a new culture, and new teaching jobs! We're moving to Egypt at the end of January!!
Since September, we've been applying for International School jobs and praying that the right opportunity would open up for us. We were hoping for a job that would start in the fall, so we were surprised to receive an offer to start in January! Everything happened really fast, and we definitely feel like God had His hand in it all. Angie and Norris (Tim's sister and brother-in-law) are in their 3rd year of teaching in Egypt at the American International School in Egypt. They recommended us for a few jobs that opened up in the middle of the school year because of some maternity leaves (including Angie's!!). Soon after they gave our resumes to their school, we were offered the jobs! For the rest of the school year, Tim will be a full time sub, and then starting in the fall, he'll be teaching 3rd grade! I will be teaching Elementary Music, and I could not be more excited! I have so many ideas already! We'll sign 2.5 year contracts, so we'll finally be able to settle in to a place for awhile. Also, with these jobs comes lots of vacation time, so we're excited to come home in the summer and travel during the year. I've already started planning some trips! We're excited to have jobs that provide such great opportunities, and we're VERY excited to be close to Angie and Norris!! We are so grateful to them for getting us these jobs, and we can't wait to hang out with them in Egypt! They're not only family, but really great friends, so I know we'll have a lot of fun! Plus, we're excited that we'll be there for the birth of their baby! There are so many great things to look forward to! I know Egypt will be vastly different from Korea, and I know there are things that will be hard. But I'm already prepared to love it, and to take the hard things in stride. We're so so thankful that God has provided!
While we're really looking forward to starting our time in Egypt, it breaks our hearts to leave Korea. It's a strange feeling to be so excited and so sad at the same time. Korea has become a home to us, and we LOVE the country, the people, our students, our church, our friends... Being in Korea has helped us learn more about ourselves and each other, and we have grown so much. We've been able to travel all around Korea, and also in China, Japan, and Taiwan. We've met so many amazing people who we've been able to learn from. We've gotten involved in a church that we love and will miss immensely. We've had awesome students who have made teaching so much fun. So many great things have happened here! Telling our boss that we would have to end our contracts was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. But she was really understanding, saying that she didn't want to lose us, but that she didn't want to hold us back from another opportunity either. Her response was another answer to prayer, and confirmation that we were doing the right thing. Now starts the month of packing and saying goodbye. We've always savored Korea and felt grateful to be here, so there are no regrets in that area. And I really feel like we'll be back someday, so it's not goodbye forever. But it is a goodbye, and those are never fun. We'll be living it up in Korea for one more month, and then starts a new adventure! We're excited to see what 2011 holds for us!!
Since September, we've been applying for International School jobs and praying that the right opportunity would open up for us. We were hoping for a job that would start in the fall, so we were surprised to receive an offer to start in January! Everything happened really fast, and we definitely feel like God had His hand in it all. Angie and Norris (Tim's sister and brother-in-law) are in their 3rd year of teaching in Egypt at the American International School in Egypt. They recommended us for a few jobs that opened up in the middle of the school year because of some maternity leaves (including Angie's!!). Soon after they gave our resumes to their school, we were offered the jobs! For the rest of the school year, Tim will be a full time sub, and then starting in the fall, he'll be teaching 3rd grade! I will be teaching Elementary Music, and I could not be more excited! I have so many ideas already! We'll sign 2.5 year contracts, so we'll finally be able to settle in to a place for awhile. Also, with these jobs comes lots of vacation time, so we're excited to come home in the summer and travel during the year. I've already started planning some trips! We're excited to have jobs that provide such great opportunities, and we're VERY excited to be close to Angie and Norris!! We are so grateful to them for getting us these jobs, and we can't wait to hang out with them in Egypt! They're not only family, but really great friends, so I know we'll have a lot of fun! Plus, we're excited that we'll be there for the birth of their baby! There are so many great things to look forward to! I know Egypt will be vastly different from Korea, and I know there are things that will be hard. But I'm already prepared to love it, and to take the hard things in stride. We're so so thankful that God has provided!
While we're really looking forward to starting our time in Egypt, it breaks our hearts to leave Korea. It's a strange feeling to be so excited and so sad at the same time. Korea has become a home to us, and we LOVE the country, the people, our students, our church, our friends... Being in Korea has helped us learn more about ourselves and each other, and we have grown so much. We've been able to travel all around Korea, and also in China, Japan, and Taiwan. We've met so many amazing people who we've been able to learn from. We've gotten involved in a church that we love and will miss immensely. We've had awesome students who have made teaching so much fun. So many great things have happened here! Telling our boss that we would have to end our contracts was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. But she was really understanding, saying that she didn't want to lose us, but that she didn't want to hold us back from another opportunity either. Her response was another answer to prayer, and confirmation that we were doing the right thing. Now starts the month of packing and saying goodbye. We've always savored Korea and felt grateful to be here, so there are no regrets in that area. And I really feel like we'll be back someday, so it's not goodbye forever. But it is a goodbye, and those are never fun. We'll be living it up in Korea for one more month, and then starts a new adventure! We're excited to see what 2011 holds for us!!
Godspeed! What a marvelous opportunity but, as you said, a bittersweet time for you.
ReplyDeleteYay! We are so excited and happy for you! You get to be there when Baby Ham is born!!!!!!!!!
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