Over the past week I received four emails asking how I'm doing and what I'm up to, so I thought I could catch you all up here. Thank you for keeping in touch! Sorry I'm not better at it. Part of the problem is that I'm working four jobs.
My main income comes from editing an 87 year old man's book about his socio-political views. We started working on it in September. It is now written and last week we began proof reading the final copy. If all goes as scheduled we'll finish mid-July. I enjoy working with him. This is his 13th book. We have good talks, lots of laughs and eat good food together. I'll miss it when we're done.
My second job has been tutoring kids in Spanish. That will also be over in the next few weeks as the school year draws to an end. I got a job bartending at a local golf course and I can have more shifts there if I want to work more, so that will help fill in any financial gaps.
The fourth job hasn't started yet, but has been in the works for a few months. I have orientation Friday for a job as a translator for Spanish speaking immigrants. At the interview my new boss explained they can't pay much, but it will be an excellent way for me to make contacts and even start a new program which doesn't exist yet for Spanish speaking people in my county. She said once people know I am here and realize all I have to offer, other agencies who can pay more will steal me away from her. She's okay with that because she wants what is best for the immigrants.
On her way to our interview she received a call from someone who needed a Spanish speaking person to teach a literacy class. I don't want to teach, but that seems to prove her point - jobs are out there and I have the experience they need. I believe this job, while only 10 hours/week for now, will lead to something bigger and better.
I also applied for a county job yesterday. It has great benefits and the pay is really good, but I don't really want the job. It's as a caseworker, so it's something I'm good at, but I feel more called to work with the Spanish speaking community that exists here and is desperately under-served.
The job I was so excited about in December turned out to be different than I hoped. In the end I couldn't afford to work there and I didn't feel like I was making a difference in peoples' lives. It was disappointing because I really thought it was going to be amazing, but by the end of the first month I could see it wasn't working out. At that point the gentleman who is writing the book offered me a pay raise and more hours with him, so I turned in my resignation.
The good news is that gave me time to ski quite a bit! While skiing I met someone and we started dating in March. We are happy and having lots of fun, so I'd say it's going well. Growing up I knew his family and I knew who he was, but he was two years behind me in school so we never spent time together. We are looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us. I haven't dated anyone in six years and neither has he so this is a big deal for both of us.
Next week I will go back to Honduras for the first time. I still had the ticket for the return flight which must be used before June 14th. (On June 14th I'll have been here a year!) I found a cheap flight back to the US and I have flexibility in my job schedules right now, so I figured I should take advantage of the unused portion of my ticket to get some of the things I left behind and to say goodbye to all of my friends.
Most of my things have been sold. That was a sad process for both Fany and me. Fany says it was hard on Laura too. They understand that my time in Honduras is over, at least for now. But it's still sad. We have been a daily part of one another's lives for over six years. My heart will hurt when I get back on that plane for the US this time.
The good news is that my church already sponsors a missionary I know in Honduras! Teams from my new church will be going to Honduras to visit her. I can't wait to see how that will unfold. When I lived in Honduras I always imagined that if I ever had to move back to the US, I would continue helping my Honduran friends.
My new pastor and the leadership of the congregation have really taken me under their wing. I feel a little spoiled, to be honest. The moment I walked into their church, God revealed to Pastor Dan that I needed a safe place to rest. They have gone out of their way to make the church be that for me. I was asked to be on the missions committee but we haven't met yet. I have also talked to the children's classes about missions and shared parts of my testimony with the whole church. They take really good care of me and are "vetting" my new boyfriend. I am grateful for them and grateful to God for giving me such a perfect new home.
It has taken me a while to feel at home in this church. Only recently I've begun thinking of them as my church. Pastora Ruth will always play an important role in my life. We are still in frequent contact. But I realized I had to let go of parts of that relationship in order to make room for my new church in my heart. That was a tough process. I really didn't want to do it. Pastor Dan was patient, even encouraging me to hold on to them as long as I needed. He said I would know when the time was right to transition to his leadership. He was right. I am ready now.
You can pray for wisdom in my next job selection. My heart is calling me to the low paying, part time immigrant job, but if I am offered the high paying county job with excellent benefits the responsible thing to do is take it. I hope either they don't offer me the $$ job, or they do, but after I have had time to feel out the job translating for immigrants and where it might lead. I have orientation there Friday and start working 10 hours/week when I get home from Honduras.
Thank you for sticking with me all of these years and caring about me even after I am back home. I love to hear from you. You can expect to see some photos here in a couple of weeks as I wrap up the last of my life in Honduras and find the closure I need there. I look forward to this next phase of life with hope and excitement.
