I"m moving to Taiwan!

Ok... So I have not blogged since Spring Break. That is entirely too long, but I do have a excuse. When I got back from Spring Break, I found out that due to the crazy government and budget cuts that my job was in jeapordy. So basically from the end of April to the end of May I was sick with worry over my job. I did not want to blog because I didn't want  my worrysome thoughts to end up in cyberspace until I knew one way or another. Worry... yes! I fought it so hard but I really learned a lot about trusting God. At some point during the month between when I found out it was a possibility and the day I found out, I realized that I had to give it to God and stop worrying because I was making myself sick. I wasn't sleeping well because I was worrying about what to do next. I was an emotional wreck who cried at the drop of a hat. Well anyways I finally gave it to God and had this amazing peace. And yes... I did get let go or at least I didn't get hired back.

The day I found out was very emotional for me. I had accepted the fact that I might not be back, but it still hurt because I love Thomasville and all the people there. My job was hard, but I did enjoy it for the most part. But I am so thankful for my time there and the relationships I made. I am also so thankful for the experience I gained there. I learned so much about teaching and about human nature in general. Some people may think that this is not a good thing, but I saw how fake and mean some people can be. I tend to be very trusting and naive about people. I will allow them to hurt me over and over again, hoping that they will change. I learned about this and gained the confidence to say "No, You aren't going to do this to me again."

I also learned that I can make it all on my own. I lived on my own, paid all my own bills and had to deal with problems when they come up. I know some 30 year olds who can't do this. I also had the opportunity to experience so many new things. I had the opportunity to be deeply involved in theatre at the school as well as the community level and learned that I LOVE IT! In fact that is the thing I am going to miss the most. I also had opportunities to work with the cheerleaders and mascot and I ran the scoreboard for the baseball team! I also got to be there when the football team won the State Championship!

So what now? When I first thought about not being rehired, my plans changed about every day. Some of the plans involved moving back to Livingston and getting my masters immediately. Another involved finding a teaching job literally anywhere I could. One involved moving home and working while I got my masters online. About two weeks before I found out that I was not rehired, my mom came to see me. On the drive back from Monroeville to Thomasville she asked me had I ever considered teaching overseas. I told her yes, but didn't really think that much about it. Well the next day my best friend, Mallory sent me a text asking me if I would consider teaching in China. Blow me away!!! I had never considered going to China EVER! She knew someone who was over there teaching and they were hiring another English teacher. From that moment on, I had a real peace about what I was going to do in the future. It was like... "oh yeah. I could do that." Something inside of my chest unclenched and I knew this was what I needed to do.

So I had several different options. I could go to China, Morocco, Paraguay, Indonesia and a few more that I never really considered. I prayed extensively and very deeply and decided to pursue China and Morocco. Then literally a week and a half ago my good friend Alicia called me and told me that she knew of a job in Taiwan that would be perfect for me! She herself was going to Taiwan and we would be close by - a few hours away at the farthest. I prayed about it because going to Taiwan would cause me to miss the weddings of two very good friends. I talked to them and they gave me their blessing and I applied!

So literally two weeks later I accepted a job teaching English in Taiwan! I will be in the city of Tainan which is in the southern part of Taiwan! I am terrified, but so excited. I will leave around the second week of August which is sooooo quick it scares me! Until then, I am living at home part of the time and in Thomasville part of the time. I am participating in the Community theatre's presentation on Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, which is going to be very fun! July is going to be insane as I will be going to rehearsal many nights and trying to pack and declutter while I am at home as well as going different places every weekend to see people one last time.

(I know this is a super long post, but no one reads it anyway right...)
It is really crazy because while I was student teaching I pursued the Journeyman project with the International Mission Board. I was denied for medical reasons which crushed me. I had been so certain that God wanted me overseas to do missions work! For a while I doubted God's calling on my life and what I was supposed to do. I know that God wanted me in Thomasville for the year and a half I was there. I don't really see any big difference I made, but I know that normally comes later. But now it's like God was saying, "Not right now. Just wait a while. I have something huge for you!"

While I was in Tville, I knew I was still called to missions. Every time Bro. Ty would talk about missions or I would read something about missions, my heart would clench and would reaffirm that I was called to that. I remember praying and telling God that I knew I was called, but that he was going to have to work it out because I didn't know how it would ever happen. Well he did!