Miracles and Leaping-Off Points

I would be incredibly remiss not to document the miracles the Father has wrought to bring us to this leaping-off point. This blog will, as it did five years ago, contain some of the account of adventures abroad - this time for a pair of talmidim, rather than a single disciple following the Master.

Let me tell you how our dream of going to Cambridge is emerging as a reality.

October 2012, NRV Mall. Josh and I were on a date night and trying to keep it cheap so we went to the mall to walk around and planned to stop at Ben and Jerry's before heading for home. As I was looking at shoes in Belk, Josh came out of the blue with this treasure: "I think it's time for you to go back to school. And I think you should look at schools in England." What!??? My mind reeled. Just a year ago we had had this very same discussion, except I was the one posing the idea. It was soundly rejected and I didn't feel a strong enough emotional attachment to fight for the idea. In fact, I had pretty much forgotten about it. "Yeah, I think we should at least pray about it." I didn't know what to say. I don't know what I said. But long story short, we did, and I applied in October 2013 for admission to the University of Cambridge to study Educational Leadership and School Improvement.

Please note the excerpt from Cambridge's official ELSI page:

Before Applying

Candidates applying for the route would normally be expected to have been teaching for at least three years, and to have experience of exercising leadership beyond the classroom - often but not exclusively through formal positions of responsibility.

 Also please note that I taught for one (1) year as an assistant teacher in a Montessori elementary school. 

I also applied to Tech because I had worked (and was working) as a campus missionary there and of course the school is close to my heart. In a way it was a backup plan. I knew that short of God intervening I would probably get in there so if I was supposed to go to school at all, that was an option. I found out on the same day in November (within a few hours of each other) that I had been offered admission BOTH at Tech and Cambridge. Miracle #1. Assistant teacher receives offer to join edu. leadership program at University of Cambridge. God is.... hilarious? Marvelous? Amazing? Unpredictable? I'm going with all of the above.

So that was November of last year. Then came the process of deciding if we were going to do it. I believed with all my heart that if God was going to make a way for me to get in, He would make a way for us to go - in spite of the obvious hurdles. That is, I believed with all my heart for the first five months. And then we hit the end of May and I didn't have a job and we didn't have financial aid and Josh didn't know if he would be able to find a job or keep his job, or what he was doing. Things were looking grim and faith started fraying big time. In fact, I felt like I was reliving the death of my med school dream, in vivid, graphic detail. Like Groundhog Day....

Good thing we serve a God who is faithful and loving even when we are not. He worked throughout the summer to remind me of the truths that He is good and everything He does is the very best thing. I'm just now re-grasping that truth.... but He is a very patient teacher.

So July. July was a big month for us. I went to the camp that I was saved at to volunteer as a counselor for a week. Josh stayed home and worked. We texted at odd hours when campers were asleep or occupied. God stirred up a lot of things that needed to be dealt with. It was a pretty normal camp week. Until... the morning that we thought a cell phone beeped in our cabin. Cell phones are taboo. In fact, they are enough to get a camper sent home. No warning, no next time. Immediate grounds for dismissal (that's all outlined in the info for camp and reiterated the first day when they are given the opportunity to turn them in). We asked our girls. No one confessed. So we had to search the cabin. I have not smelled anything like the bags I stuck my nose into since I was a camper... Anyway, we didn't find a cell phone (I concluded it must have been a watch). But I did take advantage of the opportunity to check my cell phone (not taboo) while the campers were gone. I opened my email - which I had not intended to do while at camp. And there it was: "Cambridge Scholarship" emblazoned in the subject of an email. I was about ready to hyperventilate when I decided I had better open the email and see if it was what I thought it was. It was. I cried. And then I told the camp co-director who was helping us search the cabin (an old family friend) and then I went elsewhere to call Josh. I was breathless, amazed, speechless. The Lord had been doing so much work in my heart that week, exposing ugly roots that needed to be pulled out, convicting, chastening. And then, boom. I couldn't believe it. Especially after my recent fist-shaking. Miracle #2.

8 days later. EIGHT DAYS. We found out that Dr. Tuck (Josh's boss) had agreed to let Josh work remotely for the nine months we would need to be away. Eight months of waiting after we got the acceptance letter and in eight days God did everything that needed to be done that we couldn't do no matter how we finagled/tried/cried/pleaded. Unbelievable. Eight days. Miracle #3.

Not to mention the fact that my uncle recently began flying for American Airlines and offered to put us on his friends and family list so we can fly at seriously reduced cost (another factor that could have inhibited this plan). The timing! Amazing! Only God is this good at putting details together. Let's just call this Miracle #4.

So now we are about to embark on probably the biggest adventure (at least geographically) of our married life so far. This is a moment to stop, to savor. God, in His sovereign wisdom and plan is letting one of my dreams, now our dreams, come true. We are going to live in Europe. I have to pick my jaw up off the floor. There are no words.

In two weeks we leave Christiansburg. In 17 days we fly.

God is so much better than I am at planning my life. I hope I can learn this year more about trusting Him to be in total control and letting Him shape and direct my dreams. To You, Lord, the best in all eternity. May this adventure be all for Your glory as these two little disciples seek You across the pond.