Week 40 (written basically on week 41 hah)

Well I left Redding for good on March 8! My last week at work was challenging because we had a lice outbreak-->ALL of the "troubled teen" program got lice from a girl we had gotten two months ago. My girls and I and a few other staff went to the laundromat on Sunday and washed all of the bedding and clothing of the lice-girls :) heh. We didn't find out till Wednesday that all of my girls got lice too :( disgusting. I am assuming they got it when they were doing the laundry... I don't know when else they would have.... I DO NOT HAVE LICE!!! Thank. Jesus. (Seriously) I am thinking I did not get the nastynasts because I only wash my hair every 3rd day and lice like clean hair not dirty hair. I have also heard they don't like coconut...not sure how reliable that is but if they don't, the fact that I put coconut oil on my hair probably also prevented me from obtaining the parasitic-nasties.--Not sure you wanted to know that much about my hair hygiene but eh, whatever.

Telling the girls I was leaving was really hard. They were very upset. It makes me sad to think about it still.

One of my girls--the girl that has been in the program the longest--graduated from high school on Wednesday. She worked SO freaking hard, so it was really good to see her finish.

I am really relieved to be home and not there anymore. At first, I felt really guilty about that but, honestly, I KNOW God had me there and I KNOW He took me out of there so I have no need for the guilt.

The freaky thing about the timing of my leaving is that I left on the day that made my time there total 40 weeks... 40 weeks in the wilderness... hmm... sound familiar?! Like the Israelites 40 YEARS in the wilderness?!?? Like what I have felt like God was doing the ENTIRE time I was in the wilderness-->teaching me that He is the one who gives me life, not church, family, friends (I had those in the "wilderness"...), church, a man, church... did I mention CHURCH!!! AHH!

On my drive home I listened to a sermon from last sunday by my church at home (Grace EV Free) and it just happened to be about God leading the people out of the wilderness into the Promised Land. Hmm.... Hmmmmm.... Interesting.

I know ultimately that the promised land God is leading me (us) towards is Heaven, but I also believe that God has been working hard core on my dependance on Him the last 9 months for a reason (for many reasons). I am excited to see what those are.

On Sunday, a friend was praying with me and she said that she felt that God was saying that I will see the restoration and healing of people for the rest of my life (the word "restore" or "restorer" has been brought up by God a lot in regards to His "call" on my life) but this season is essential for that process. I need to let God unfold His plan as He will, when He will and I will be overwhelmed by His goodness.

I found out today that I got the job at Biola!!!! WOOOO!!!!!!! I am really excited :) I start Monday!

Week 39

My friend was here this week who has been thinking about coming to work with my girls. She is going to take the job!!! She will start April 1st. She is seriously going to be amaaaaazing. She already was really good with the girls. She and I are similar in a lot of ways and the girls know I love and respect her a lot so she already has good rapport with them.

Last week I was home for my job interview at the Biola Counseling Center. I got a ride down to Southern CA with some former co-workers who had come up to visit. I got to have coffee with a lot of friends so that was REALLY, REALLLLLY nice. I miss them. A LOT. I got a ride back to Redding on Amtrak with my friend/coworker/boss, Sarah. She is applying to a job at Biola tooooo! WOO! (The job she is applying for wouldn't start till July 23.)

The interview at Biola went really well. The first part was a clerical, numerical and verbal test and the first part of that was kind of difficult because I was really nervous. THen I had an interview with a lady from Human Resources. She was REALLY nice but I didn't know how to read her so it made me nervous. After that interview, I went over to the Counseling Center and was only supposed to interview with the Office Manager whose name is Jenny. She was really nice and I liked talking with her. That interview lasted about half an hour. She then said that the Administrative Assistant, Kelly, also wanted to meet me. So Kelly came and interviewed me for another half hour. After that, they asked me to wait in the interview room. I waited a few minutes and they came back and asked if I could come back that afternoon and meet with the director of the Counseling Center. I OBVIOUSLY said I could! So I met with him an hour later. That also went really well but I was nervous because he asked/said really insightful things and so I opened up a little more than I was expecting to. He's a psychologist. I should have seen that coming.

I have not heard anything back from Biola yet. Gabi, who worked in the Counseling Center and actually had the job I am applying for, said that she heard they really like me so that is good. But, again, I haven't heard anything about the job yet. I have been pretty anxious about it intermittently because I do really want this job. I would love it. I don't think it will SAVE me to get the job (i.e. I don't think I will have a problem free life and all my pain will be healed), but I know I would love the actual work and I would be good at it....annnnd it's at Biola. Having to wait to know about the job IS good because I have to remind myself constantly that God has got it, He loves me and I ABSOLUTELY can trust Him.

If I get the job, my last day at JYA will be March 7 so that I can go to a friend's wedding and go see Megan and Kelsey before I start work at the Counseling Center on the 19th. I already put in my two weeks notice at JYA--but if I DON'T get the Biola job, I will stay here. If I do leave next week though, I will have been here 40 weeks which I find to be quite significant... Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness; Israel was wandering in the wilderness; Pregnancy is 40 weeks... it is just very interesting.

We'll see what God says.