So, here we are . . . . waiting to hear back from World Harvest Missions Uganda team on when we can schedule a visit to their site. Waiting to hear back from our recruiter on our timeline . . . . waiting for God’s continued leading . . .
Where we’ve been?? That’s a much longer story!!
After several years of pondering what we will do post Navy, following our guts, our hearts, our intellects, any leading we see from God; we have ended up here at the Naval Academy in Annapolis MD. We’ve been here almost three years now, and learned in the process that is truly time for us to leave the Navy. The big question, what next?? With David’s retirement papers in progress for several months now, informational interviews with various corporations and government agencies under his belt, and possible positions opening up in the civilian world at the Academy we have plenty of options . . . . what we want is to be exactly where God wants us.
We’ve been very fortunate over the last year to have both had opportunities for wonderful mentoring from completely different sources. Through these experiences and many others at our church, in our homegroup, with friends, etc. we have had the privilege of sharing our lives and our faith walks with many others. We know we want much much more of the same. Our hearts just keep coming closer to the truth that no matter what we do it doesn’t mean much if it isn’t for Him. And we both felt, through different circumstances and in different ways that God was asking us to step into some kind of ministry. This did not significantly narrow our prospects!!
We began asking God to show us, no kidding, clearly, what He wanted us to do. Asking Him to open one door very wide and clearly point our way through it. We were and continue to be, praying and pondering, seeking His will purposefully.
On a recent trip, we spent some wee hours of the morning, while driving talking through this all once again and agreeing on a deeper level than before, that we are willing to go anywhere, do anything (including staying right here in a corporate job) but we just want to KNOW. We want His clear leading and to be used for Him.
When we arrived home, a message was waiting for us on our machine. It was from Annelise’s mom, explaining a mission presentation she had recently heard. She said she thought it might interest us. The position did not interest us at all. It was in Uganda. It was for a math/science teacher at a high school for natives, it was with an organization we knew nothing about. But we could not ignore the opportunity. How surprising for M (as we call her sometimes) to have contacted us in regards to this position. ( she does NOT want us to move away, knew David was overqualified for the position, and is generally not overly excited about missions in general). David and I both agreed that a call to the missionary doctor who had made the presentation ( in the States for only a short period of time) should be made. Within about a week, we heard back from Jennifer (the doctor). That’s when things started to get interesting.
As it turns out, Jennifer’s team had been praying for a specific sort of person to fill a specific job. Although they had mentioned it in the presentation as a ” math/science” teacher, the position they had been praying about was a little different. Specifically, they were looking for someone with a minimum of a masters degree, but hopefully a P.H.D. whose area of expertise was in the maths/sciences who had upper level academic teaching experience but also strong leadership and management skills. All this was desired because what they are really looking for is a new headmaster for their highschool/jr.college. They prayed that this person would also have small children and a wife whose gifts met the needs of the mission.
Now, this position sounded quite interesting to David, far more so than a basic teaching position, especially when he learned that he would be responsible for transferring the leadership of the school to the Ugandans. In addition, David has a P.h D. and obviously the teaching, management and leadership experience. Clearly he has small children. And Annelise’s areas of passion and gifts, specifically with children and also with lactation, birth, and child nutrition are big parts of the mission there.
The leading from God couldn’t have been more clear, we felt. We talked after the phone call. Shared our excitement about this opportunity. For it to fall in our laps in such a way gave us a great confidence that it was God’s response to our seeking hearts.
After speaking with a recruiter from the mission group, World Harvest, we have learned that our first step in the process is to visit the site and learn if we are compatible with the team and the place. It is a big first step!!
We are now investigating vaccinations, filing out applications, learning about the financial aspect, filling in friends, and praying, praying, praying.
It seems very, very clear but at the same time completely unbelievable.
More to come . . . .
