Something interesting happened when Jenn and I got
married. One day we had a conversation about where we would like to live. We
both said, without hesitation, Colorado. That’s been on our hearts for years,
although we eventually started thinking that God meant for us to retire there
or something like that instead of moving there now. Well, I guess we were
wrong.
God’s hand has definitely been on us with this move.
I had no idea that we would be heading to Colorado when I reopened the job search
in February. In fact, we made the decision to apply everywhere at first. I
applied to jobs in Alaska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Carolina and other
places. I even filled out paperwork for positions in the Virgin Islands and
China!
In the end, we narrowed down our search to a couple
states: Tennessee, Colorado and Ohio. I think I submitted applications for
every open social studies position in Ohio between March and early May.
However, only one school in Ohio called me in for an interview, and although I
did well, I wasn’t chosen for the next round.
Last year, I interviewed with 13 districts in Ohio.
This year, it was a different story. With that in mind, I braced for another
long summer, and quite frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to it. The job search
humbled me in many ways in 2013. I didn’t want to go through it all again this
year, but that’s what I was starting to think would happen one day when I came
home to several rejection emails from a single district in Colorado.
However, something was different this time. A
thought came to mind about a tiny district in Walden Colorado that I had
applied to two weeks before. I looked up the district’s phone number and
decided to give them a call. I’m not sure what pushed me to take action that day,
although I can make a pretty good guess. The phone rang and a recording noted
that the school was closed on Fridays. I shrugged and figured I’d leave a
message for the principal. Instead, I was surprised when she answered the
phone. Somehow, someway, I scored a 20-minute phone interview with her right
there on the spot.
The principal told me that she was glad I called,
because she had put my resume aside, hoping to learn more about me. She
remembered me as the Navy guy who sent her an introductory email a couple weeks
back. The principal then explained that the school planned on narrowing down a
list of interviewees on the next day. She asked me to sell myself on why I
should get an interview. I did the best I could to explain my background and
passion for teaching, and as we were getting ready to hang up, she asked me if
I could make it out there for an interview if I was chosen. Trusting God, I
said that I would.
I got off the phone knowing that I’d made a good
impression, but I wasn’t sure I would get an in-person interview. Knowing the
expenses involved, Jenn started asking God to close the door if I wasn’t meant
to teach in North Park. Well, I guess God had other things in mind, because the
principal called me the following afternoon and offered me an interview.
I flew out to Denver a few days later and drove
through the mountains to Walden. I prayed here and there along the way, and I
eventually arrived a few minutes before my scheduled interview. The principal’s
husband was there to greet me. He took me on a tour of the school and the town
as the interview board finished up with another prospective teacher. Soon I was
sitting in the hot seat in front of five different interviewers.
I’d like to tell you that I gave a perfect
interview, but I didn’t. I made some mistakes along the way. I’d like to tell
you that I felt confident as I drove back to Denver that night. I’d like to
tell you that the job was mine as I landed in Cincinnati the following Saturday
afternoon. The truth is that I went home thinking that I did alright, but I had
been down that road before.
The principal called me on Monday morning and
offered me the job. I wanted to say yes immediately, but we felt that we needed
to take it before our church family before we gave a final answer. We also
considered everything, including money. It was clear that making the move would
fulfill a dream of both of ours, but it would also put us in debt. In the end,
it was the lack of a reaction from our church family that helped us make a decision.
I figured they would question everything if they felt in their spirit that we
shouldn’t go. Instead, they blessed us and gave their support for the move. I
accepted the job the next morning.
Here’s the deal: we’re trusting God here. There are
plenty of questions in our lives right now. Jenn and I have no idea why God
chose Walden for us. All I know is that we’re both excited and scared. We’re
excited about whatever the Lord has for us, but we’re concerned about the
amount of debt that we’ll have to take on for this move. We know that God made
this happen, and since it’s the work of His hands, we can rest assured that we’ll
be just fine.
There is one request that we would have from
everyone: prayer. We need a lot of prayer. There is plenty of stress over the
finances of this move, and we would really appreciate our friends and family
stepping up and praying for us. Teaching is my mission field. I’m there to make
a difference in my students’ lives and in the community. Please pray that we
continue to rely on God to meet our needs and believe in His purpose for our
lives. Thank you all for your love and support! We’re going to need it on this
awesome adventure.
