June 27, 2013
It is funny to think about money anymore. Last year close to this time we had
none. I mean we had NONE. David had been applying for teaching
positions all over the state and he had one or two more unemployment checks
that he was eligible for. I was not
working; in fact I was taking Real Estate classes because the plan was to start
working with family members in their business venture. We were living with Andrea, so there were no
fears of being homeless, in fact there were no fears at all, just anticipation
for what the Lord was going to do next.
We went to family camp at Grace North in June to see if we would hear
from the Lord there. Camp was good but
no direction had come to us as a result of being there; just a nice time of
being away together.
In July David saw a posting for an art teacher job at Chinle
High School. Unlike the other job
openings this one had to be printed out and mailed in; all others had been
filled out online. He asked me whether
he should apply or not as it was really in an out of the way place. But both he and I felt that this would be the
one that we would end up at and he applied.
A few days later he was called.
They wanted to know when he would be available for an interview, because
of the distance, David asked if the interview could be done over the
phone. A time was set up for Friday
morning.
After the call we looked at each other and laughed. We both knew that this was going to be the
one. We started looking at pictures of
the area and tried to get an idea of what we were getting ourselves into. Neither of us had been to Chinle or Canyon de
Chelly before. I had lived for a short
time in Marble Canyon, but I was only 4 and being a child in the middle of
nowhere is different than being an adult.
But I do remember the amazing landscapes and the red rocks and the
gorges and the wind, not to mention seeing the Navajo wearing their traditional
dress and turquoise jewelry.
The call came on Friday and we were excited as David went
upstairs to talk to the principal. He
came down a while later and told me they would call back on Monday with their
decision. We chatted for a short time
when David received a second call, it was asking him if he wanted the job and
he said yes. He came down and told me he
had accepted the job and asked if that were OK.
I said of course, we knew already we would probably end up in Chinle…it
just seemed to be the way the Lord had been leading us lately. First an amazing 9 weeks in Costa Rica out of
the blue and now a job in the center of the Navajo Nation.
I asked David when school started and he told me it would be
a week from Monday. That meant he had to
be there ready to work in 10 days. He
had been told to expect a call the next week letting him know some of the
details and more information on where we would be living. The school district has its own housing and
we would be provided with an apartment.
I think I text all the kids to let them know that Dad had a job and
where we were going. Our youngest was
the only worried one of the bunch and that is because he had dealt with gang
members that had come from Chinle.
At church that night we let every one know about our new
adventure and we started making plans on how we could actually accomplish a
move. Since we had no extra money we had
to be creative. God had already given me
the information I needed to do this. I
had recently heard from our lender that a car payment could be waived if you
have a good payment history. I called
Chase and sure enough they would be happy to waive our payment, of course
interest would still accrue. And then I
went online to get forbearance on my school loan. They gave me three months. The Lord had already rid us of all other
debt, so it was actually pretty easy getting ready to go. We just had our phones and insurances to pay
and that was done with the next to last unemployment check.
The last unemployment check would pay for our U Haul and gas
to get to Chinle. By the first of the
week we heard back from Chinle and they did not have an apartment for us as
they had not gotten the paperwork. So
after David calling a couple of days in a row they said they could get us an
apartment in Many Farms, a small community about 15 miles north of Chinle. I cannot remember the reasoning now, but we
decided David would go up on the weekend and then I would follow with the truck
on Friday. We did not know this was
because it was God’s timing.
When I got up there the following Friday, David had been
sleeping in the apartment in Many Farms on the floor with what little he had
brought with him in the car. We went to
the housing office after school and they told us there was a possibility of an
apartment in Chinle, did we want to look at it.
It is 2 miles from the school and not in the complex where most of the
teachers live. It was slightly smaller
than the one in Many Farms, but newer with central air and heat. We looked at it and decided to take it…mainly
because we only have one car and I would have been stuck out in Many Farms but
I was also very nervous about David driving the 15 miles to school everyday
when it would be snowy and icy. I am a
Valley of the Sun girl and the idea of snow was a little frightening, at least
driving in it.
So now we knew why the delay. We would never have taken the apartment in
Chinle if we had already moved our stuff into the apartment in Many Farms. We moved half of the stuff into the new
apartment, including our bed. We had to
get help from some new neighbors for that.
And so David got to sleep on a bed for the first time in Chinle. The next day we went and got his stuff from
Many Farms and unloaded the rest of the truck.
Financially the first month was interesting. We were living on the change bucket because
we had used up almost everything that was in the bank. After putting a deposit down for electricity
and going to Basha’s and buying a few groceries I think we had about $20 total in
checking. And then to top it off,
David’s first paycheck was a paper one instead of direct deposit. We had to go all the way to Flagstaff in
order to deposit it. I think our
gaslight even went on when we approached the bank. Talk about God’s timing!
Since that time we have been able to be current with all our
bills and even have enough money that this next week we are going to drive to
Nashville to visit with our lovely daughter for her birthday on the Fourth of
July. Then we are going to visit family in
North Carolina; looking forward to good times with them all.
David worked during summer school on a curriculum committee
and so that money is going to get him a new camera. His Canon had been giving him problems and a
friend had lent him a Nikon to use in the meantime.
Still not sure what I am supposed to be doing up here. Have substituted a little but I do not feel
that is my calling. I am resubmitting my
application to the district but mostly waiting on God’s timing and
purpose. Without a doubt I know we are
where we are supposed to be…praying that the Lord will continue to lead us on
our new adventure!!!
