Back to Work!

Our family is making some big changes this fall: Amelie is going to all-day preschool and I'm going back to work full-time!  We are all very excited about this.  For those of you who are interested, I will share all the details and the many ways we have seen God working in this change - that was by far the most exciting part.  If you're not interested, that's the main idea. :)  You can stop reading if you want!

I have stayed at home since Elizabeth was born 8 years ago.  I went back to work part-time to open a preschool and teach for a year and half when Elizabeth was old enough for preschool, then quit again when Amelie was born.  For the past almost 2 years, I have cared for a little boy in our home during the week. 

As fall neared, I started feeling led by God to look for a preschool teaching position.  Because of His provision, I was able to be picky and only accept a perfect spot.  What a privilege to look for a job when you don't desperately need it!  Isaac and I prayed hard about it, and set some guidelines for what we felt would be worth me returning to work full-time.  The most important of these was that Amelie would be able to come with me.

The first day I looked for jobs, I found that my old job at Children's House Montessori was hiring!  It seemed perfect and familiar, and would be a wonderful experience for Amelie.  I applied, interviewed, and was offered the job.  However, its salary (minus tuition for Amelie) did not meet the guidelines we felt God had given us for the job.  With prayer and
some regret, I declined the position.  I am willing to do whatever God is calling me to, but I do not want to do anything - especially a change as big as this - if He is not leading me.  Although in a practical sense, this position was perfect, I felt peace that turning it down was right. 

Less than two weeks later, I saw a job opening at Elim Preschool, a church preschool in Northeast Minneapolis, that looked like a possibility.  I sent in my resume, and an hour later I got an email from the director describing the position and asking me to come in for an interview.  Her description of the position was amazing - its requirements matched my experience and passions perfectly.  The job would be mostly teaching preschool, but included daily time to prep for my classes and help prepare the preschool for a voluntary NAEYC accreditation that is more stringent and demanding than the regular licensing rules.  Details and planning like that are right up my alley!

I researched the preschool, church, and NAEYC standards that evening, and became even more excited.  The next morning, I went in for an interview.  I got there early enough to sit in the car and pray and worship before going in.  I felt peace and confidence and God's presence.  (Later, in the director's office, a song that I had sung in the car was playing quietly in the background.)

Meeting the director and touring the facilities felt like coming home.  The building and resources are amazing!  I have one of the three classrooms.  My classes will be small enough that I don't need an aide.  There are also a lunchroom, a kitchen for cooking activities, an indoor space for riding trikes, a separate nap room, a huge indoor playground with large motor activities, and a gorgeous park and playground right across the street. 

Elim is truly a community preschool, drawing diverse students from the neighborhood.  Many of its families speak Spanish or other languages, and many of them do not have churches of their own.  This is the preschool I tried to open through our church but didn't have the infrastructure or the size to support.  This is my preschool dream.  It is not just a job, but a ministry and a calling. 

I was offered the job on the spot, and accepted it only hours later after praying more and talking with Isaac.  It was 24 hours from seeing the job opening to hiring.  I won't share all the details of the short negotiation, but please know that we saw God work in every detail - even to the point of Isaac and I sending an email asking for something, and receiving an email that volunteered even more - crossed in the mail!  I received everything from our God-given guidelines and more.  The director even knew I would want Amelie in my class without asking.

This preschool follows a school-year schedule instead of a childcare schedule, meaning that I have 15 more weeks of vacation during the year than I would have at CHM.  I will get to spend summers with Elizabeth, and will be home by 5:00.  Isaac and my mom will take care of Elizabeth after school until I get home, and will cover care for the girls when the school calendars don't match up.  I start preparing my classroom and training the day after Labor Day, and the children start classes a week later.

I am clearly excited about the job, but even more exciting was that God really did speak and lead us.  We really did hear His voice, and His plan was better than anything we could come up with.  I am so thrilled and encouraged to follow a God who cares about my life and leads me to what is best.  What a burden relieved, to not have to do it all myself!