before i tell you more about this topic, i want to rewind a little bit and tell you about an amazing opportunity that i have been given this summer. i have been praying about what to do this summer. it has been a lot of tossing around of ideas, praying and discussing with people about what i should do this summer. i had originally thought that i would do 3 summer classes and work. through the program changes, i didn't have to take those 3 classes, instead i am auditing one and taking one. so then i started looking for a job, since i got my teaching certificate renewed, i started looking for teaching jobs, but as i looked at the schedule, i didn't like the fact that all school year, A and i are in our own school worlds and during the summer as well i would be busy. P and i wanted to raise our kids with mom at home and him doing the work... i know it's different situation, but i was praying through and calculating if i really wanted to sacrifice time with my daughter during the summer since our school year is so crazy. after much thinking and discussions and brainstorming and praying... i had an idea...i thought of my friend KD. she is a friend that works for World Relief here in Chicago. i thought if i could volunteer with them, i could get experience with other cultures (which i have been missing) and start looking into the directions that God would have for me in the future. so i called KD and she hooked me up with her co-worker... long story short... i am interning this summer with World Relief with the youth summer program... best part... A gets to go with me!!! i am all about having A being part of my processing, so when this opportunity came up, i told her to pray about it and see if this is what God would have us do together to serve him. the next day, as we were walking, A says, "mom, God says we should do it." so out of the blue, i wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, then she said, "God said we should go be with the kids and tell them about Jesus." i was moved. my little baby... so we are going to serve God this summer in this program... Lord willing we will have opportunities to connect with the people there...
okay so back to my class... while the rest of the class was taking the test, i sat and scheduled my summer with this program and everything... a trip to kansas... hoping to take a trip just me and A to somewhere near by... you know... anyway... this class has been very introspective. it's an interesting mix of students... i am learning about myself. i have taken the meyers-briggs personality test like 3 times in the last 5 years or so... the first time i took it in 2006 and i was and ENFJ... in 2009 i changed drastically to an ESFP... interesting... then i took it for this class and i'm an ESFJ. along with the meyers-brigg, i also took a couple other tests and it all came out that i am extroverted and a strong social butterfly. ha ha... my sister said, "you needed a test to tell you that??" but anyway, today in my group we were discussing each of our personalities and what we would be good at and my professor said, "Esther, an ESFJ is a hostess..." and i was like, "YES that's totally me!!!" my classmates who knew me agreed as well with enthusiasm. so anyway... i have been learning about myself...
in that, my professor talks about how most people have 2-3 careers in a lifetime and most of the people hate their job and never get to do their dream job. i'm 31. lived a lot of life during these 31 years. if i am going to do anything, i want it to be something i really enjoy and fits me... not something i'm just good at, but that i'm good at and enjoy!!! (because my tests say that i have skills for administration, but it's not something i should do because i hate it.) i want to invest into something that brings me life as i bring people to Christ!! so what would that be??? orphanage? school? a cafe? foster parenting? adopting? teaching? throwing parties all the time? game nights at my house? these are all things that i think of and smile about... totally excited!!! Lord... lead me... i want to obey, have hope, do it with joy and do it for a long time!!! grow me into the woman you want me to be!!! after this year, Lord willing i will be done with my program and i pray that you will lead me into my next steps... whether it be overseas teaching... or here opening my house to those that need one... or in the city with under privilege children... or somewhere totally new with something only God can put together... or maybe God has plans for me at World Relief... whatever it may be... i want to reflect Him in all i do with joy and excitement!! i don't want to hate what i do or have this dream that i never get to try... right?? life's too short for that.
a picture to remind you to be praying for us!!
