my new job
well, i am sure of at least 2 people who are curious about this new turn of events in my life...so here are all the details!:
in november, i was referred to a website (ccca) by anthony, a boss of mine at camp eagle. he knew i really wanted to get involved in camp ministry, and there were no open positions at eagle, so he was trying to help me out. it's a really cool website...you can search for jobs, post jobs, and post your resume...it's just cool. anyway, you can search for jobs on the site using specific criteria. for example, you can specify if you want full time, part time, or summer; if you want to be paid, to work as a volunteer, or to raise support; what state(s) you would be willing to work in; and what kind of position you are seeking. well, i knew what i was looking for so i ran a pretty specific search and the only thing that came up was sky ranch in van, tx. no offense, but i just was not looking to move to east texas. and the position wasn'ts really what i wanted, either. so i didn't pursue that.
well, as time passed, i talked with friends about different camps and applied to a camp in fort collins because a friend of mine recommended it to me. however, the position was not full time (it was for the summer) and i was disappointed about that...
this brings us to about a month ago. one morning as i was reading my Bible, i really felt like i should search the ccca website again for the job i wanted. i finished reading my Bible and praying and just didn't act on it, but i thought about it all morning. finally that afternoon i opened up ron and got to work. i ran a very specific search, and i was almost positive that it would not yield anything i was really interested in. however, when the search results came up i was surprised to see a position for an outdoor education specialist open at an incredible camp in colorado. i clicked on the description, and it was everything i had been hoping for and more! another plus was that i know someone who has worked there and they absolutely loved it! i went to their site, downloaded the application, printed it, and began it that evening.
the next morning i got an email from jennifer, the director of the outdoor education program at the camp, asking me if i had any problems downloading the app and if i had any questions. that day i spent most of the day filling out the application. it was incredible! there were so many deep questions that really made me think hard about what i believe. i had to do some serious research in the Word, and it was just amazing! i was also forced to take a good look at myself (i am SO not good at answering questions about myself) and analyze a lot of things. at the end of the day, i scanned the application and emailed it to jennifer. the next day she emailed me to let me know that she had read my application and wanted to schedule a phone interview...and so we scheduled it for that friday morning...which happened to be my birthday! our interview lasted for more than 2 hours, but it went really well! we were both sick, so it was kinda funny!
after speaking with her, she said legally they could not go any further in the hiring process until all my reference forms were filled out and returned to her. that was good because it gave me some time to think and pray about it all. i really struggled with certain aspects, like it is a 17 hour drive (at best) from my house to camp and i have never lived that far from home before. it is difficult for me to leave my dog because he is neurotic and emotional, and i am afraid he will think i am abandoning him (even though my family takes great care of him when i am gone). the two things that i struggled with the most were that 1) i was having trouble getting health insurance and you have to be crazy to work at a camp without health insurance (at least if you are me...!)!! and 2) the job doesn't pay much at all...in fact, all full time staff raise support (like missionaries do).
i really learned a lot about myself in the process. i was so torn between different emotions. excited because i finally found a job that suited me to a T. excited because i would get to live in a state that i have dreamed of living in for years (and i would be around MOUNTAINS and SNOW and OTHER OUTDOOR-LOVING, JESUS-LOVING PEOPLE!). terrified because it is so different from any big decision i have made before. anxious because i wasn't sure if i would even get the job. worried about money because i know nothing about raising support. and curious about what on earth God was going to do with this situation! i wish i could say that i had complete faith and trust in God and didn't worry about a thing...but that would be a lie. i worried a lot actually. and stressed a lot. i was an "o ye of little faith" person. ridiculous. i prayed a lot. i wanted so badly to take the job, but wasn't sure if i was supposed to or not (keeping in mind that i still hadn't even been offered the job yet, either). and i had a lot of time to think about everything, too. like how i felt lead during my time with the Lord to go back to that website and run a search months after the first time i had heard about it. how i ran a very specific search and found something exactly like what i feel called to. how everything just seemed to fall in to place. how God would take care of me financially and in every other way, and if this was truly the place He was leading me to, He would make it all happen.
all my references finally made it in about a week later, and last wednesday i got the call from jennifer saying, "i hope you would like a job because i would love to give you one!" i accepted the job that night, and from then on, things have been crazy!
i got health insurance (a miracle in itself), and my parents offered to pay for the insurance my first three months at camp as a donation...their form of sponsorship. so blessed! then i found out that my insurance doesn't cover me in that area, and i quickly crashed into a despairing attitude, thinking "i knew this was too good to be true, i can't believe i let myself get excited about this...". that attitude lasted for a night, and then in the morning my parents helped me figure out that i will still be covered, it's just that everything will be out of network and quite a bit more expensive. but i will still have insurance. i then felt stupid for despairing so quickly. i am constantly reminded of how human i am and how imperfect i am...how desperately i need God!
so here i am, just 2 weeks away from flying out to start a new chapter of my life in colorado. i am exceedingly excited! i am still a bit nervous, but i have finally reached the point of "this is actually happening"! i realize that to a lot of people, my choice may seem...unwise...because i just graduated college and instead of starting a typical job in which i can earn a decent amount of money, i have chosen to work at a camp in colorado earning next to nothing and having to raise support. the thing is, though, that i am positive this is where God is calling me to be. i don't know for how long, and i don't know why. i just know that i must got where i am called, and this is it. raising support will be difficult for me. i don't know how to write a support letter. i don't know who all to send one to. i am not good at asking for things, especially money. it is like missions work, though, so by supporting me, people will be supporting ministry. it's just...hard to ask people for money. i guess that will be a lesson in humility...?? ;)
as far as what i will be doing, i will be living in the san juan mountains of colorado working as an outdoor education specialist at a wonderful Christian adventure camp. i will get to work with public, private, and homeschool kids, doing fun outdoor activities such as canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, etc., and teaching them lessons in all different subjects, all while meeting the colorado state education standards (very much like the TEKS). i have committed to being up there at least through may, and am praying that God would show me His will for me after that. i have been assured that if i would like to stay through november, i can, but i want to make sure this is God's will for me before i committ to that. so yes, i could use a lot of prayer right now.
and believe it or not, as detailed as that story was, that wasn't the whole of it...but near enough. God is so good!
in november, i was referred to a website (ccca) by anthony, a boss of mine at camp eagle. he knew i really wanted to get involved in camp ministry, and there were no open positions at eagle, so he was trying to help me out. it's a really cool website...you can search for jobs, post jobs, and post your resume...it's just cool. anyway, you can search for jobs on the site using specific criteria. for example, you can specify if you want full time, part time, or summer; if you want to be paid, to work as a volunteer, or to raise support; what state(s) you would be willing to work in; and what kind of position you are seeking. well, i knew what i was looking for so i ran a pretty specific search and the only thing that came up was sky ranch in van, tx. no offense, but i just was not looking to move to east texas. and the position wasn'ts really what i wanted, either. so i didn't pursue that.
well, as time passed, i talked with friends about different camps and applied to a camp in fort collins because a friend of mine recommended it to me. however, the position was not full time (it was for the summer) and i was disappointed about that...
this brings us to about a month ago. one morning as i was reading my Bible, i really felt like i should search the ccca website again for the job i wanted. i finished reading my Bible and praying and just didn't act on it, but i thought about it all morning. finally that afternoon i opened up ron and got to work. i ran a very specific search, and i was almost positive that it would not yield anything i was really interested in. however, when the search results came up i was surprised to see a position for an outdoor education specialist open at an incredible camp in colorado. i clicked on the description, and it was everything i had been hoping for and more! another plus was that i know someone who has worked there and they absolutely loved it! i went to their site, downloaded the application, printed it, and began it that evening.
the next morning i got an email from jennifer, the director of the outdoor education program at the camp, asking me if i had any problems downloading the app and if i had any questions. that day i spent most of the day filling out the application. it was incredible! there were so many deep questions that really made me think hard about what i believe. i had to do some serious research in the Word, and it was just amazing! i was also forced to take a good look at myself (i am SO not good at answering questions about myself) and analyze a lot of things. at the end of the day, i scanned the application and emailed it to jennifer. the next day she emailed me to let me know that she had read my application and wanted to schedule a phone interview...and so we scheduled it for that friday morning...which happened to be my birthday! our interview lasted for more than 2 hours, but it went really well! we were both sick, so it was kinda funny!
after speaking with her, she said legally they could not go any further in the hiring process until all my reference forms were filled out and returned to her. that was good because it gave me some time to think and pray about it all. i really struggled with certain aspects, like it is a 17 hour drive (at best) from my house to camp and i have never lived that far from home before. it is difficult for me to leave my dog because he is neurotic and emotional, and i am afraid he will think i am abandoning him (even though my family takes great care of him when i am gone). the two things that i struggled with the most were that 1) i was having trouble getting health insurance and you have to be crazy to work at a camp without health insurance (at least if you are me...!)!! and 2) the job doesn't pay much at all...in fact, all full time staff raise support (like missionaries do).
i really learned a lot about myself in the process. i was so torn between different emotions. excited because i finally found a job that suited me to a T. excited because i would get to live in a state that i have dreamed of living in for years (and i would be around MOUNTAINS and SNOW and OTHER OUTDOOR-LOVING, JESUS-LOVING PEOPLE!). terrified because it is so different from any big decision i have made before. anxious because i wasn't sure if i would even get the job. worried about money because i know nothing about raising support. and curious about what on earth God was going to do with this situation! i wish i could say that i had complete faith and trust in God and didn't worry about a thing...but that would be a lie. i worried a lot actually. and stressed a lot. i was an "o ye of little faith" person. ridiculous. i prayed a lot. i wanted so badly to take the job, but wasn't sure if i was supposed to or not (keeping in mind that i still hadn't even been offered the job yet, either). and i had a lot of time to think about everything, too. like how i felt lead during my time with the Lord to go back to that website and run a search months after the first time i had heard about it. how i ran a very specific search and found something exactly like what i feel called to. how everything just seemed to fall in to place. how God would take care of me financially and in every other way, and if this was truly the place He was leading me to, He would make it all happen.
all my references finally made it in about a week later, and last wednesday i got the call from jennifer saying, "i hope you would like a job because i would love to give you one!" i accepted the job that night, and from then on, things have been crazy!
i got health insurance (a miracle in itself), and my parents offered to pay for the insurance my first three months at camp as a donation...their form of sponsorship. so blessed! then i found out that my insurance doesn't cover me in that area, and i quickly crashed into a despairing attitude, thinking "i knew this was too good to be true, i can't believe i let myself get excited about this...". that attitude lasted for a night, and then in the morning my parents helped me figure out that i will still be covered, it's just that everything will be out of network and quite a bit more expensive. but i will still have insurance. i then felt stupid for despairing so quickly. i am constantly reminded of how human i am and how imperfect i am...how desperately i need God!
so here i am, just 2 weeks away from flying out to start a new chapter of my life in colorado. i am exceedingly excited! i am still a bit nervous, but i have finally reached the point of "this is actually happening"! i realize that to a lot of people, my choice may seem...unwise...because i just graduated college and instead of starting a typical job in which i can earn a decent amount of money, i have chosen to work at a camp in colorado earning next to nothing and having to raise support. the thing is, though, that i am positive this is where God is calling me to be. i don't know for how long, and i don't know why. i just know that i must got where i am called, and this is it. raising support will be difficult for me. i don't know how to write a support letter. i don't know who all to send one to. i am not good at asking for things, especially money. it is like missions work, though, so by supporting me, people will be supporting ministry. it's just...hard to ask people for money. i guess that will be a lesson in humility...?? ;)
as far as what i will be doing, i will be living in the san juan mountains of colorado working as an outdoor education specialist at a wonderful Christian adventure camp. i will get to work with public, private, and homeschool kids, doing fun outdoor activities such as canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, etc., and teaching them lessons in all different subjects, all while meeting the colorado state education standards (very much like the TEKS). i have committed to being up there at least through may, and am praying that God would show me His will for me after that. i have been assured that if i would like to stay through november, i can, but i want to make sure this is God's will for me before i committ to that. so yes, i could use a lot of prayer right now.
and believe it or not, as detailed as that story was, that wasn't the whole of it...but near enough. God is so good!
Comments
that is so great and gives me hope yet!
And send me a support letter!