"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
I would be lying if I said Michael and I have not received many, many questions lately regarding all of the latest North Korean news. Most are from well-meaning, loving family and friends who worry for our safety. Others simply question our sanity.
My only response is...I have no fear.
No, we are not some crazy daredevils, throwing care and caution to the wind. We are simply trying to be faithful, trusting, and obedient servants. There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that God has chosen us to go to South Korea. We have sought and have seen His loving hand and direction every step of the way.
Now it's our turn to simply trust.
I'm often reminded how small and short-sighted we humans are. Fortunately for us, we serve an amazing God who sees the "BIG PICTURE" and guides us even as we question His wisdom.
So with four short months to go, we carry on. We continue to pray. We continue to have faith.
"And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Look Out World...Here We Come!!
Words cannot express the excitement we felt when we finally received our passports in the mail! Of course, the girls feel they are super cool...not just every kid has their own passport! We even got the giganto 52-page passports...what fun we are going to have trying to fill all of those pages!
Michael and I received our contract packets in the mail this last week. Crazy--all the paperwork and documents it takes to apply for a visa!! I felt like I should throw in a pint of blood or two just to be safe. :o) Everything got mailed off yesterday, so we are one step closer to our departure. So unbelievable to think that in six months we will be on a plane to Korea!!
Okay...confession time. Over the holidays, I spent a lot of time going through our closets. It took me an entire afternoon and evening to go through all of the girls' clothes. "Try this on" and "Seriously, you've grown out of that?!" were frequent words out of my mouth. Grace was especially trying...she's never been too fond of hand-me-downs from Anna. Anything remotely "girly," "sparkly," or--heaven forbid--PINK was automatically dismissed with an upturned nose. I'm happy to report that all three girls survived, with very few emotional scars to speak of. But, I believe I've significantly downsized their clothing, and I know what things I now need to buy.
Here comes the confession...I was doing great, simplifying, until I came to my own closet. I went in the closet, armed with a good attitude and a strategic plan. If I haven't worn in a year, then it's out. I made great strides...no lie. But after I cleared out all of the unloved, unworn, and just plain ugly clothes, I was still shocked to realize that my closet was still full. Michael had informed me a day or two before that we were all allowed two suitcase on the plane. Easy, I had thought at the time. But I found myself sitting in my closet, close to tears, falling apart, thinking, "How in the WORLD am I going to fit ALL of this in ONLY TWO SUITCASES??" And I was utterly ashamed and disgusted with myself at the same time. Here I had been talking the good talk about not being wrapped up in material things, how easy it would be to just sell/give away all we have and go...and yet, I found myself crying over my earthly possessions. My clothes. My shoes. MY STUFF. I was reminded how blessed my life is. How there are people I come in contact with each day that don't have half of what I have. I was humbled and put in my place.
Michael found me, still sitting there, quite some time later. He must have taken pity on me, because he told me I could take two additional suitcases--we would simply pay extra-baggage fees. I can honestly say I felt enormous relief...but I'm still praying and working on my attitude. And on my obvious obsession with my clothes. And shoes. I'm a work in progress.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21
Monday, December 3, 2012
"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer." Psalms 6:9
For weeks now, Michael and I have been scouring the international teaching posts, emailing the schools that seemed like a great fit. We've been on that emotional rollercoaster I'm sure you can all relate to...having moments of great faith, relying on God...yet to find ourselves in the low valleys of doubt and frustration only days (and sometimes hours!) later.
By Wednesday of last week, I had reached one of those low valleys yet again. At some point during my day, I glanced at a handwritten index card that I keep on my desk at school...verses of encouragement. This verse stood out:
"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer." Psalms 6:9
Michael and I had definitely been praying for guidance and for our future, but had I really, truly believed that God would answer that prayer? This verse and that thought stuck with me all day long. Three new schools had posts on Wednesday, so I quickly sent off emails before heading to bed.
I don't usually check my emails in the morning, but Thursday morning I did. We had received an email from one of the schools I had just emailed the night before, and I excitedly told Michael that they were interested in talking to us via Skype on Thursday evening. I'm not sure how we made it through the day...nervous, apprehensive, and hopeful, all bundled together.
We spoke with the Director of Schools and the high school principal in our first ever Skype interview (Michael and I joked to each other that it was the first interview he and I had ever had where it didn't matter if you wore pants...but I assure you we were totally dressed). :) Both men were extremely nice and enjoyable to talk to. They wanted to know about us, our kids, and shared a lot of information about their country. The Director told us he wanted to speak with our references and would definitely be in touch with us the middle of this week. We ended the conversation, and Michael and I both agreed that we felt excited and positive about this prospect. And the waiting began.
Meanwhile, Michael began what Michael does best...find out EVERYTHING possible about this country. We looked at the school's website, read information about the country, and even read blogs posted by American teachers who had taught there. Everything we found encouraged us even more. We prayed that God would lead us where he wanted us, but that also we would have a clear idea when or if the offer presented itself.
Saturday evening my phone rang. It was the elementary principal, and he wanted to Skype with us that evening. Cue the nervousness, apprehension, and hopefulness. Round two.
Sunday afternoon, we received an email from the Director, requesting to Skype Sunday evening. Round three. By this point, I gave up on ever eating again. My stomach was sooo tied up in knots. I told Michael, "This is it. There aren't many more things to say or talk about." I had a feeling that this conversation was it. Either we'd hear "Thank you, but no thank you" or they would offer us the job.
As the conversation began, the Director asked if we had any questions about the school or the information that he had sent us. We did, and as he answered each and every question, things just started clicking into place...and I felt a great peace come over me. And a great deal of excitement.
Finally, Michael asked the question. "So what's the next step?" The Director simply smiled, and replied, "Well, the next step is to ask if you both would like to come work for us."
Michael and I both looked at each other, looked back at the computer screen, and answered "Yes."
Amazingly, even through all of my doubts, fears, and frustrations, God had answered our prayers. He had provided our new home.
Beginning August 2013, the Ganus Gang will be moving to Seoul, Korea!
By Wednesday of last week, I had reached one of those low valleys yet again. At some point during my day, I glanced at a handwritten index card that I keep on my desk at school...verses of encouragement. This verse stood out:
"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer." Psalms 6:9
Michael and I had definitely been praying for guidance and for our future, but had I really, truly believed that God would answer that prayer? This verse and that thought stuck with me all day long. Three new schools had posts on Wednesday, so I quickly sent off emails before heading to bed.
I don't usually check my emails in the morning, but Thursday morning I did. We had received an email from one of the schools I had just emailed the night before, and I excitedly told Michael that they were interested in talking to us via Skype on Thursday evening. I'm not sure how we made it through the day...nervous, apprehensive, and hopeful, all bundled together.
We spoke with the Director of Schools and the high school principal in our first ever Skype interview (Michael and I joked to each other that it was the first interview he and I had ever had where it didn't matter if you wore pants...but I assure you we were totally dressed). :) Both men were extremely nice and enjoyable to talk to. They wanted to know about us, our kids, and shared a lot of information about their country. The Director told us he wanted to speak with our references and would definitely be in touch with us the middle of this week. We ended the conversation, and Michael and I both agreed that we felt excited and positive about this prospect. And the waiting began.
Meanwhile, Michael began what Michael does best...find out EVERYTHING possible about this country. We looked at the school's website, read information about the country, and even read blogs posted by American teachers who had taught there. Everything we found encouraged us even more. We prayed that God would lead us where he wanted us, but that also we would have a clear idea when or if the offer presented itself.
Saturday evening my phone rang. It was the elementary principal, and he wanted to Skype with us that evening. Cue the nervousness, apprehension, and hopefulness. Round two.
Sunday afternoon, we received an email from the Director, requesting to Skype Sunday evening. Round three. By this point, I gave up on ever eating again. My stomach was sooo tied up in knots. I told Michael, "This is it. There aren't many more things to say or talk about." I had a feeling that this conversation was it. Either we'd hear "Thank you, but no thank you" or they would offer us the job.
As the conversation began, the Director asked if we had any questions about the school or the information that he had sent us. We did, and as he answered each and every question, things just started clicking into place...and I felt a great peace come over me. And a great deal of excitement.
Finally, Michael asked the question. "So what's the next step?" The Director simply smiled, and replied, "Well, the next step is to ask if you both would like to come work for us."
Michael and I both looked at each other, looked back at the computer screen, and answered "Yes."
Amazingly, even through all of my doubts, fears, and frustrations, God had answered our prayers. He had provided our new home.
Beginning August 2013, the Ganus Gang will be moving to Seoul, Korea!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
An adventure awaits...
As I begin this post, I'm reminded of a verse our pastor spoke of just recently:
"Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own;
it is not for them to direct their steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)
These are hard words for a control freak--well, let's admit it, a family of control freaks--to hear...much less follow and commit to. Within the last two years, God has really been working on me, encouraging me to walk in faith, and to let Him guide my steps. And He's been working within my family, too...
The Ganus Gang is getting prepared to embark on a wonderful adventure!
But let me backtrack a little...
Four years ago, Michael and I spent the majority of a family reunion weekend visiting with my fabulous aunt and uncle who were at the time teaching in Indonesia. We began to feel a little "tug" for international teaching--especially Michael. We both agreed that this would be a fantastic opportunity for our family, but one that would need a tremendous amount of prayer. We decided on a five year plan. Five years to pray, to gain more experience in our teaching fields, and to get ourselves out of debt (after eight years of being a stay-at-home mom, we had accrued quite a lot of debt). But we know our God is mighty, and if this was something He truly wanted us to do, then He would make it all work.
I can honestly say, I put this situation on the back burner. I allowed my fear and my attachment to my cushy life to avoid making any decisions. My husband, however, remained faithful and was ever confident that God would turn my attitude around and instill in me the same amount of excitement and enthusiasm that Michael had been experiencing from the beginning.
About two years ago, God started working on me heavily. Reminding me that I am His and this life doesn't belong to me. Michael and I genuinely began to pray about our situation and to truly work to get ourselves prepared for what we hoped God would have in store for us.
Last September, God let us know it was time to start making some serious moves. Literally. We began to discuss placing our house on the market. Selling our home of ten years would be a huge leap of faith for us, but it would help us simplify our lives. We had built up a massive amount of "earthly treasures," as you can imagine a family of five can. We knew that simply getting down to the essentials would be a step we would have to make.
In a time when houses weren't selling, this step was terrifying. We did the little odd jobs here and there that we felt would help make our house more marketable, and by the end of January, we felt it was ready. I drove to Lowe's and bought a "For Sale by Owner" sign. I will never forget the feeling of placing that sign in our front yard. It was like we were saying, "This is it. We are truly and absolutely in this 100%!" I was joyous...and I wanted to vomit all at the same time. :o)
We began getting calls about the house pretty quickly. Probably the neighbors who were just curious! We even had two people come look at it. Michael and I talked about placing an ad in the paper, but a little voice kept telling me, "Wait. Watch and see what I can do." All the while, our small "For Sale" sign was the only exposure our house was getting.
At the beginning of March, I got a phone call. A single mother of three was interested in our house. She was renting in the neighborhood, but she had really been working and saving and was ready to buy her first house. As Michael and I showed her around, I think we both felt something. Excitement. That "something is right" kind of feeling. She called back the very next day...ready to sign a contract on our house at our asking price!
Two months. That's it. That's all it took. With the equity we had built up in our home, we were also able to wipe out our debt. I think by this point, Michael and I were both exclaiming, "Okay, God! We hear you!"
After the difficult task of telling our families and our principals, Michael and I began the application process the first of September. We've registered with an international school search agency, and we've been contacting schools all around the world as we find out about possible job openings. We've tried hard not to put limits on where God will place us, but instead to have the faith that He will provide the perfect, safe location for our family. We live in a HUGE world and there are soooo many places we'd like to go!
The girls are extremely excited! They have been a part of this process since the very beginning, but it is finally becoming "real" to them. Grace has been practicing her French (as France is where she would most like to go), and after listening to her butcher their language with her accent, I'm not so sure the world is prepared for her!
For lack of a better way to tell everyone, I felt this blog would be helpful. It will allow us to keep you updated on our progress, and hopefully keep you a little entertained. :o)
We are mostly playing "wait-and-see" right now. Serious job recruiting will most likely not begin until November, December, and January. We will attend a job fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February. So for now, we ask for your prayers.
"Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own;
it is not for them to direct their steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)
These are hard words for a control freak--well, let's admit it, a family of control freaks--to hear...much less follow and commit to. Within the last two years, God has really been working on me, encouraging me to walk in faith, and to let Him guide my steps. And He's been working within my family, too...
The Ganus Gang is getting prepared to embark on a wonderful adventure!
But let me backtrack a little...
Four years ago, Michael and I spent the majority of a family reunion weekend visiting with my fabulous aunt and uncle who were at the time teaching in Indonesia. We began to feel a little "tug" for international teaching--especially Michael. We both agreed that this would be a fantastic opportunity for our family, but one that would need a tremendous amount of prayer. We decided on a five year plan. Five years to pray, to gain more experience in our teaching fields, and to get ourselves out of debt (after eight years of being a stay-at-home mom, we had accrued quite a lot of debt). But we know our God is mighty, and if this was something He truly wanted us to do, then He would make it all work.
I can honestly say, I put this situation on the back burner. I allowed my fear and my attachment to my cushy life to avoid making any decisions. My husband, however, remained faithful and was ever confident that God would turn my attitude around and instill in me the same amount of excitement and enthusiasm that Michael had been experiencing from the beginning.
About two years ago, God started working on me heavily. Reminding me that I am His and this life doesn't belong to me. Michael and I genuinely began to pray about our situation and to truly work to get ourselves prepared for what we hoped God would have in store for us.
Last September, God let us know it was time to start making some serious moves. Literally. We began to discuss placing our house on the market. Selling our home of ten years would be a huge leap of faith for us, but it would help us simplify our lives. We had built up a massive amount of "earthly treasures," as you can imagine a family of five can. We knew that simply getting down to the essentials would be a step we would have to make.
In a time when houses weren't selling, this step was terrifying. We did the little odd jobs here and there that we felt would help make our house more marketable, and by the end of January, we felt it was ready. I drove to Lowe's and bought a "For Sale by Owner" sign. I will never forget the feeling of placing that sign in our front yard. It was like we were saying, "This is it. We are truly and absolutely in this 100%!" I was joyous...and I wanted to vomit all at the same time. :o)
We began getting calls about the house pretty quickly. Probably the neighbors who were just curious! We even had two people come look at it. Michael and I talked about placing an ad in the paper, but a little voice kept telling me, "Wait. Watch and see what I can do." All the while, our small "For Sale" sign was the only exposure our house was getting.
At the beginning of March, I got a phone call. A single mother of three was interested in our house. She was renting in the neighborhood, but she had really been working and saving and was ready to buy her first house. As Michael and I showed her around, I think we both felt something. Excitement. That "something is right" kind of feeling. She called back the very next day...ready to sign a contract on our house at our asking price!
Two months. That's it. That's all it took. With the equity we had built up in our home, we were also able to wipe out our debt. I think by this point, Michael and I were both exclaiming, "Okay, God! We hear you!"
After the difficult task of telling our families and our principals, Michael and I began the application process the first of September. We've registered with an international school search agency, and we've been contacting schools all around the world as we find out about possible job openings. We've tried hard not to put limits on where God will place us, but instead to have the faith that He will provide the perfect, safe location for our family. We live in a HUGE world and there are soooo many places we'd like to go!
The girls are extremely excited! They have been a part of this process since the very beginning, but it is finally becoming "real" to them. Grace has been practicing her French (as France is where she would most like to go), and after listening to her butcher their language with her accent, I'm not so sure the world is prepared for her!
For lack of a better way to tell everyone, I felt this blog would be helpful. It will allow us to keep you updated on our progress, and hopefully keep you a little entertained. :o)
We are mostly playing "wait-and-see" right now. Serious job recruiting will most likely not begin until November, December, and January. We will attend a job fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February. So for now, we ask for your prayers.
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