Mirembe (Peace)

As of today, I have been back in Uganda for three months. Crazy, isn't it?
But also as of today, life is going to be a lot different for me: I FOUND A JOB!!

The story really starts many months ago. I was still in New York, trying to finish grad school, and figure out the next steps of life. I began to feel God telling me to "Go." He was telling me to buy my ticket to Uganda, without a job, without a plan. But I ignored Him. I listened to the other people in my life and put off buying the ticket until I knew more. God said it louder and louder, until one Sunday I was sitting in church and couldn't ignore Him anymore. The service ended and I found myself at Cosi, using the free WiFi to purchase my ticket. Purchasing the ticket was a trying experience, but by the end of the afternoon, I had booked a flight to Uganda for May 17th, the day before my grad school graduation.

I continued to look for jobs, on top of trying to finish school and my internship and preparing to move. Another week while I was sitting in church, I felt God speaking to me again. This time He was saying, "Stop looking for a job, and start looking for a community."

These words stuck with me for months, but I didn't understand them. I continued job searching, and searching, and searching. I moved out of New York, got on the plane to Uganda and spent over two months looking for work. Nothing. No responses to applications, no interviews, nothing. I didn't know what to do anymore. I was frustrated, having no idea what I should be doing. I felt lazy, how could I be in Uganda and doing absolutely nothing but wasting time? I spent nearly all of my time with Tonny, enjoying finally being on the same side of the ocean together.

"Stop looking for a job, and start looking for a community." He said it, why didn't I just believe Him?

Tonny was working at the summer camp at the International School during the end of July and beginning of August. I had nothing to do and discovered I could get free lunch if I hung out there during the day. So I started helping out and hanging with the kids. One day I was talking with the directors of the camp and they mentioned a position at ISU (the International School) for a personal assistant position for children with special needs. They told me to talk to the one director's mother, who works in that department at the school.

A couple weeks later, Tonny and I found ourselves at Kampala International Church and met the preaching pastor there. We asked him about small groups in our area, and he told us the name of a couple - the parents of the summer camp director - the same woman I was told to talk to about a potential job!

It took some time to get in contact, many of the mzungus here go home for the summer. But finally, I met the couple and visited their small group. Tonny and I both enjoyed the group and decided it would be a good fit for us. Our second week at the group, this woman told me about an opening for a personal assistant at the school. My resume was sent to the principle and by the following Monday, I was interviewing with the school and the family.

It seemed like an amazing situation and I was so excited about the opportunity. Until we started talking salary... The pay would not even be enough to meet my expenses in-country, let alone all of my student loans back home. I wanted to cry. I didn't know what to tell them.

On Tuesday, an opportunity came up to tutor after-school in addition to the PA job. The tutoring would pay just enough that I could get by for the next 10 months. I was hesitant, but decided to accept both positions.

On Wednesday, I met with the family I would be tutoring. The two siblings require a PA as well, and the mom starting pushing for me to switch PA jobs to be with them full-time. I felt that I couldn't commit, as I had already committed to another family.

But God had a different plan. The school took responsibility for the complicated situation and by Thursday, decided it would be best for me to take the job with the second family. I got off the phone and cried - God is so faithful! The salary is ridiculously higher than the first position I was offered - allowing Tonny and I to pay off a huge chunk of my loans in this next year, as well as save some money for moving to the U.S.

I signed the contract with the family today and I am still in shock! It's a perfect situation, it's local and convenient (I can still live near Tonny!!), the school year will finish at the same time as Tonny's university, so we can move back to the U.S. together.

Why didn't I just listen to God the first time? If I hadn't been here all summer, this opportunity never would have come up. And then He told me to look for a community first, and He would provide the job, but I refused to depend on that. But somehow, God is still faithful, despite all of my doubts and weaknesses. He truly "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). Amen!