So to catch you up to this point in our story….the temporary position I acquired when we arrived on Kwaj ended with the government shutdown in October. While this would only be a financial issue in most parts of the world, my situation was cause for concern because Michelle’s position only allowed her to live on the island – not both of us. Since then, I’ve been considered a 90 day temporary guest hunting for a contract job of my own so that we may continue our adventure in the middle of the Pacific. The government’s budget woes kept many jobs from opening up until recently, but my 90 day stay ended April 4 – yikes. So we’ve been in a race to find a job before being forced to return to the states (either until I found a job on Kwaj or until I found a job elsewhere and would have Michelle join me there).
With time running out, there was one last group of jobs for which I was legitimately qualified and could hire me before I was forced to leave. The longest shot of the group was actually a position at the teen center previously held by Michelle (she transitioned into a job as a Training and Curriculum Specialist a month ago within Child and Youth Services). Another possible job was working at the airport and yet another was within one of the HR departments on island.
As the April 4 deadline approached, we lived in an awkward tension between planning my trip to the states and trying to secure a job offer before being forced to leave. Some days it seemed like things were moving fast with one of the potential positions, but other days were without any news about anything. Finally, a plane ticket was purchased and calls were made to have my parents pick me up at the airport. Goodbyes were exchanged with my softball team at our weekly game and I started on my packing list.
On Friday morning, about 10 hours before my flight was to leave, my phone rang with an offer for the Youth Services Director position at the teen center. It’s hard to adequately convey the sense of relief and the size of my exhale after signing my offer letter that morning. And yes, for those of you scoring at home, this will be the second position that I’ve taken over for my wife in our short 3 ½ years of marriage. I anticipate this willing transition to be much more enjoyable than the last.
I can’t thank our friends and family enough for your continued prayers and encouragement through this uncertain time. God continues to bless us in unique and challenging ways and we are excited to continue investing in His people on Kwaj over the next two years. Knowing that we’ll be around, we continue to seek new visitors to our beautiful part of the world and would love to tell you more if you are interested!
My metal working project during my job hunt. Part of a collection of crosses for display at the church.
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