First Month in Oregon

I can't believe it has already been a little over a month since I left home. Time has gone by slowly and yet very quickly. It has been so neat watching things that God has planned beginning to unfold.

First of all, God always wants to continue teaching His children to trust Him. It starts in small areas of our lives and moves on to what seem to be "big" areas of our lives. I want to begin by telling how God brought me out to Oregon in the very beginning. Oregon was not an area I thought I would live in sometime during my lifetime. I actually had no idea a year ago that I would be living here now. It all began as I was thinking about where I would student teach. The plan was for me to student teach in the spring of 2010 and to graduate May of 2010. However, I was given the opportunity to teach a second year of band at Riverside Christian School in East Grand Forks, MN. The principal at the school during that time knew that I was to student teach that spring. I planned on teaching part time at the school during outside school hours so that I could student teach during the day. I had it all planned out so it would work out perfectly! I would be very tired by the end of that semester, but I thought it would be worth it all!

Well, my plans were not what God had planned. I started teaching in the fall at the Christian school and as time drew closer to when I was to begin student teaching, I began speaking to my student teaching supervisors at UND.  All of them agreed that it could work out, except for one supervisor! She just wouldn't allow it to happen. I didn't know what to do. I was disappointed and unsure of what the future held. So, I began looking around at other places outside of North Dakota. Why? I began looking at all of the area teachers in Grand Forks, ND and the ones that the supervisors wanted to put me with just didn't seem right to me. I didn't feel comfortable with them and I felt uneasy about student teaching in public schools. What I really desired was to teach in a Christian school and I already had experience teaching in a Christian school and loved it! Where was a Christian school in ND? There really are none that I am aware of that have a good music program. So, I began thinking about places that I wished to explore one day. South Africa came to my mind immediately! I checked into it and to my dismay, that idea was quickly put down by all of my supervisors. Suddenly, Oregon came to my mind. I looked online at Christian schools in that part of the country and I found quite a few. I do not know why Oregon came to my mind. I have always loved visiting my family there, but never dreamed to live there for awhile. My family felt very comfortable with the fact that I would be living in the same town as my grandparents and cousins. I checked with my supervisors at UND and they all agreed it would be the best thing for me to do. I couldn't believe it! A door was flying open! I was told by my advisor at UND, that the music department staff usually keeps all of their student teachers in the area and they hardly ever let them go out of state. He said that it really means that they feel I am ready and prepared to face challenges in the real world. They trust that I will be fine and will represent the school well. I never thought of it that way before. What a blessing to know that God can meet each person's personal needs. The next step was looking for a good church to attend.

I made a visit to Oregon in February of 2010 and found a church very similar to the church back at home. When speaking to Pastor Custer at my home church about this church, I was able to give him information that told what the Oregon church's covenant was all about. I felt at peace when Pastor Custer gave me back the information and told me that this church was right one with what our church believed. I knew right away that when God leads, He leads in every way.

I didn't run into this without praying about it either. All along the way, I was praying that God would shut doors if it just was not His will for my life. I also prayed that I would feel uneasy about it too if it was not His will. But, all along the way, I had no struggles about it. I never felt so uneasy that I couldn't sleep at night. I was actually excited to go if that was God's will for my life! I can't say that it wasn't hard leaving home. I think that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! I miss my friends, my church, and my family alot! But, God is doing some great things and I have no doubt that this is where I am supposed to be right now! In the next blog, I will continue by telling about a few things God is already teaching me while I am here in Klamath Falls, OR.