Focusing

This exciting move to India and the condition of my home (sorting and packing) can make the day to day tasks get pushed aside. Teaching is such a passion and the class I have right now is every teacher's dream class. Everyday for every student is so valuable that I need to focus before school, during school, and after school. Routines are difficult for me so keeping everything to a time schedule as far as going home is next to impossible. Yet, to be able to accomplish all that is laid out for me at school, and in my preparations for India, I must use every minute wisely...and here I am at home, sick...

Then I step back and look at every trimester when assessments are finished and report cards have been completed and I see the Lord's hand right there with me. It was as tho' time stopped, words flowed, and it all was completed on time. He has always been faithful and it will be no different now. As Paul states in Philippians 4:6 - 8: "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Yes! Focus!!! "But Lord, I need to..." I will fix my thoughts on what is true: don't worry, pray, and tell God what I need. His peace will guard my heart and mind. Yes, now I will sleep.

The Beginning

As sixty years of age approaches, with little or nothing saved for retirement, I began listening carefully as others shared about their financial investments. Nine months ago a teacher was sharing how two friends of hers were going to teach in Europe. They were going to teach in an international school, the school would pay their rent, and the potential to save would be tremendous. I started investigating international schools and organizations.

After researching, I found an organization who checks out many of the schools. After getting a passport, writing two essays, getting written recommendations, gathering transcripts, my file was placed where international schools could access the information. My first self-test: I took a train to Wisconsin so that I could see if traveling alone would be comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My next step was to pray about the location where I could be a benefit to people and a church in the area as well as meet the needs of a first grade class. At first I thought that I'd end up in Germany or The Netherlands because they generally think of religion as an institution rather than a relationship. But, God had a different plan. The Head of School in India contacted me. We emailed back and forth, talked on the phone, and met at a convention in San Francisco, CA.

At this point in my adventure, it is exciting, overwhelming, fantastic and full of a lot of little details. I can already see God's hand in this and that makes me curious as to what is instore.