Redirection

Well, it's time to start researching Venezuela. Back in April, when I put in my original application, I would have never dreamed of Venezuela being my destination, but God had other plans. Here's how things went down:

March

• I met a missionary in Guatemala who told me of a need for a missionary to the wealthier class and university students. I thought...cool! That would be fun.
• I came home, found the job posted on the website and applied to the IMB.

April

• Had an interview/information session with my candidate consultant who encouraged me to start looking at jobs to potentially choose from.
• Went back online and the Guatemala job had disappeared! (I later found it had been reserved by someone else.)
• Read through some job descriptions in Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Dominican Republic and even Moldova.

May

• Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Life story, belief statements, medical history, personality profile, background check...you know, the usual. :)
• Kept looking at the options online and requested further information for jobs in Mexico, Venezuela and Peru.
• Went on a mission trip to Costa Rica, I started thinking...hey, I could see myself here...

July

• Wrote to missionaries in both Guatemala and Costa Rica. Didn't hear back from Guatemala, but Costa Rica said they were thinking of requesting someone for university ministry.
• Picked Peru and Venezuela as 2nd and 3rd choices...switched the order when I found out that my cousins' old roommates were serving in Venezuela.
• Second interview with candidate consultant. We talked about the fact that Costa Rica needed to hurry things up if I was going to make it to the September conference. (You're supposed to have a job reserved before you can be invited and you must be invited 30 days before the conference.)

August

• Got invited to the September conference anyway since I had a first and a second choice picked out.
• Waited and waited to hear from Costa Rica that the job was written and approved.
• Started meeting people from Venezuela randomly: Sunday school teacher and his parents, teacher friend, two students...
• Started wondering if God was trying to give me a sign...

September

• Wrote my candidate consultant to see if he'd heard from Costa Rica. Heard back...Costa Rica is a no go.
• Figured out that God was, indeed, directing me to Venezuela and now had removed my other option.

Guess what? The national sport of Venezuela is Baseball! Anyone who knows me, knows that makes me happy. :)