Anticipation

OK, so I am supposed to update this thing now and then....or so I've been told.

Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, God had quickly erased any doubt about this being His plan, through the church offering to transfer the money needed for passports and visas. The next day I encountered a very similar stumbling block.....the county health department was going to ask for about $700 for all the vaccinations the family would need! We will need Hep A and B, H1N1 Tetanus, and Typhoid. I'm not certain about Malaria as of yet, although the church claims they don't regularly have the teachers vaccinated for it.

If I were using my brain to it's full capacity, I would have realized that as a veteran, I am eligible for all vaccinations through the V.A. Also, my wife and children are insured, and thus after the copay, their vaccinations are covered. This should make a difference in the pocketbook. As a matter of fact, I had an appointment today and discovered that I was given the Tetanus shot in March, 2009. How did I not know this? They gave me the H1N1 vaccine, and now I am quite stuffy and sneezing a lot. Is this what the swine do when they get it? I'm pretending that it's a relapse of the cold I had late last week.

Yesterday I got the return receipt notifying me that my passport renewal application has arrived in Philadelphia. No idea why mine goes to Phili, when my families goes to Houston, other than that mine was not 10 years expired yet.

One last item worth mentioning is that I am hoping to be able to meet with one of the church officials who is overseeing this process this weekend some time. He is of Korean descent, and met his wife while she was teaching English in South Korea. I guess this would give him some particular knowledge in this process, so I'm glad he's on my team.

Now I'll list a few concerns that are still present in my mind. If you think of one that should be present in my mind, please feel free to inform me. I have placed a lot of faith in the Lord and feel strongly that he will provide for my families needs, so some potential concerns simply do not exist in my mind.

1. I'm still not sure of what capacity my wife will be employed, as she cannot be a teacher without a Bachelors degree.
2. If my son is not able to attend traditional classes due to 7th grade being taught in Korean, I don't want him to feel isolated. I'm hoping he can attend class, and participate when possible, and do his school work while they are busy receiving their lectures and doing their lessons in Korean.
3. A part of me is concerned about my ability to meet my son's educational needs. He is struggling in a few subjects now, not due to not understanding the material, but due to his not paying attention, and apparent lack of interest. I hope that this experience will encourage, not hinder his development.
4. I'm still not certain where I will be working. Although I know that the contract will include this information, and will be finalized once the passports and such are in order, I simply don't like the uncertainty of it.
5. Money is always a concern. Certain tasks are needed to be completed around the house for it to be worthy of other occupants. New clothing and travel gear need to be purchased. Household needs may not be met right off when we get there, as they don't allow us to move household goods for such short residency.
6. What do we do when this is all over with? Although I am not employed now, my wife certainly is. She will ask for a leave of absence, but there is no assurance that she will have employment when we return. Hopefully this results in me finding a place in education, as this is where I feel I can best serve.
7. OK....I could go on and on. I know I said I have put a lot of faith in the Lord, and I have or would never have considered this adventure in the first place. As a human though, it is quite difficult to give up some of my worries. I pray for the strength to do so.

Well, thanks for listening again. I hope that some day my experiences can help encourage someone contemplating serving the Lord in a similar capacity to quit contemplating and follow their heart. If this is the road the Lord wants you to travel, and you have asked Him to take the wheel, then He guide you and protect you.

Anthony