Coming Home

This is a hard blog post to write. We have been sent home.

The last couple of weeks, Molly has been struggling with deep depression and has been unable to be in the classroom because of the issues surrounding the situation. Because the 4^th grade has been in turmoil from a teaching perspective this entire year (that’s another story), the school administration has decided to look to hire a new teacher for the classroom.

We have been doing everything we can for Molly, including counseling and doctor’s care, and she has been slowly improving. However, we were unable to provide a definitive date for her to return to the classroom (which she wanted so badly), which prompted the administration to make their decision.

Right now, we are looking at Monday, November 25^th as our return date. We will be staying with my parents in Indiana initially. During this time, we will be looking into resources to support Molly in her struggle and to help equip me to best assist her and sustain myself as a partner with her in this.

I’m sure many of you have questions, and I will be happy to answer them as best as I can. I only ask that you allow Molly her space and direct them to me. You can contact me via Facebook or email me at unmarked42@gmail.com. I will try to respond in a timely manner, but there may be a delay in my responses as we are looking into a couple of retreats to help us in our unexpected transition back to the States.

We are grieving. We don’t understand how this so quickly happened or why God would lead us all the way over here to endure these immense hardships. We feel like a sore letdown to all. It’s going to be very difficult to transition back home and find a sense of ‘normalcy.’ This is what we wanted to do, to serve him in this capacity. But, He will carry us through these trials and make our path straight again. Maybe we will never know why this happened, but “We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Most of all, we want to thank all of you who have supported us in this endeavor. Your prayers have been appreciated and your gifts have allowed us to take this step of faith.

-Aaron

Finding Joy in Surviving

WE'RE HERE!!!

...I guess that's old news. Aaron already covered that in the last post :) But since this is the first post that I (Molly) am writing...the first time I have found the proper combination of a) energy and b) time...I promise to ramble a bit. Just for you ;) I apologize for the lack of coherency that is about to ensue. I blame my brain being mush.

Whew. It's been a real whirlwind.

Since last time, here's a glimpse at what we have been up to:

• We are now official and legal in Austria..minus visas. But we are working on getting there. ;) Somehow, in the midst of everything, I overlooked the importance of having my name on my passport changed to my married name. Did you know that it's difficult to travel if your passport doesn't match the name on your plane ticket?? Who would have thought...heh. Poor Aaron booked our tickets under our current names without realizing the fact that his wife didn't think to change her passport. Clearly I didn't realize the number of problems it would cause...so I had to wait on getting a new passport before we could begin the visa process.
• Aaron found out what his role will be at ICSV! Yes, he was so willing to be used by God that he came here not really having any idea of what he would be doing. In an Aaron-like fashion, he repeatedly would say "even if it means me scrubbing toilets to further the kingdom, I am willing." What a man. A true servant's heart. Anyway, he is going to be filling in as the building facilities manager beginning the 23rd. Currently, the maintenance staff is severely lacking due to illnesses, so he has been working like a horse even when he's 'training'. So hard. Long hours. I am proud of him. He has a huge job to fill, but I am certain that God will use him! He is excited to further his German skills since it will require him to communicate with others in German/read legal documents in German. And....not going to lie, it will be very convenient as a teacher to be married to the building manager. Something awry in the classroom? Hmmm... :) We LOVE working the same hours (pretty much). It's been fantastic even though we have been getting to school around 7:40 and staying until 12 hours or more later.
• I have officially taken over as the 4th grade teacher as of this past Monday! The elementary/middle school principal had been teaching my class until I got here, and wow, she is AMAZING for balancing all of her duties and responsibilities while maintaining a great 4th grade classroom. I am so grateful for her AND all the other teachers who have been so encouraging to me since I've gotten here. I have felt the love of Jesus amongst the staff, and really, I couldn't ask for more. The transition has been interesting (to say the least), but we are coping fairly well. Everyday in the classroom feels more 'right'...for lack of a better term. It's definitely different not starting out at the beginning of the year!
• I feel that this is worth mentioning - day 4 of teaching, and our class already went on a field trip using public transportation. I was pretty nervous having to navigate a city & system I have only been exposed to for less than two weeks, but it went well! We went to the Haus der Musik (music museum) because my students just finished reading The Cricket in Times Square (which relates to music, if you aren't familiar with it). It was rather interesting corralling them to and from the museum (especially on the way home when the subway was completely crowded), but it was definitely a fun afternoon. I am thankful for willing helpers!
• We moved into our temporary studio flat this past weekend. The move was so smooth thanks to many helpers. We still haven't completely unpacked mostly due to lack of time/energy, but also, we are moving again to our long-term apartment in a couple of weeks. They are currently refurbishing it. It is SO spacious and beautiful! I can't wait. Our current studio is really nice, too. I didn't think studios could be this nice (I guess we had pretty low expectations from our previous apartment in Ohio.. :)). After moving our stuff, the Dossett's graciously offered to take us to IKEA. Going to IKEA on public transportation...a breeze. Coming home from IKEA using public transportation? Definitely not as easy (but it certainly limited what we bought for our apartment). :) But! Our place now feels more like home, and I adore our yellow duvet cover.
• We have gotten to walk around the city quite a bit. I hope I never tire of the beauty and architecture.
• We started our 'church hunt!' We miss our home church in Findlay a lot, but we are excited to embrace a new community. Churches here often worship at very 'non-traditional' times (in our American eyes) due to having multiple people renting the same space. So, we could easily attend church three times a day. We only checked out one church on Sunday, but we plan on trying two other ones this coming week. Both of us enjoyed the urban international church community (especially Aaron with the German/English translating!), but we certainly want to check out others before establishing our roots. I thought it was pretty cool that the pastor of this church is one of my student's dad, and the worship leader is another student's dad. We even got to share a meal with members of the church afterwards and had wonderful conversations :)

That's just a quick look at what we've been up to, and here's how we are coping!

We feel like we are in the constant state of 'catch-up' here--meaning we are always behind. Our heads are just above the water. Now for someone who has forever worked AHEAD, this drives me (Molly) absolutely nuts. Seriously...even in college where the norm is to be a procrastinator, I honestly couldn't. I like to do things way in advance (except if it's packing).

So needless to say, settling into life & teaching in Vienna has been anything but boring :) And since I value honesty, I'll be real: we feel like we are just surviving. Jet lag had never really been an issue for me up until traveling this time. It was brutal, but I just kept telling myself to suck it up...because that's what you have to do :) We jumped straight into things. When we weren't running from place to place becoming 'official' in Austria (the consulate, bank, & all of those fun places), we were at school, trying to become acclimated as quickly as possible and preparing to take over as the teacher. After the first week, I felt utterly run down...& we hadn't even moved into our place yet OR officially started our jobs. But- it was still all new. Still is! I felt the need to soak up every opportunity and moment and neglected to listen to my body and what I really needed: rest.

But that's okay. I knew coming into this that I wouldn't truly rest for a long while because there was so much to do. So much to learn. And in a few weeks, I know we will look back on this as just a season of life. In these past two weeks, God has taught us to find JOY in everything. And this season of life right now is survival. We are not thriving yet, but we are still finding joy. If He is able to find joy in the hardest trials anybody has ever had to face, we can certainly find joy in surviving!

We are grateful that the exhaustion is of the good sort. I absolutely ADORE my students, and no, I'm not just saying this because of who might be reading this post. I genuinely love these kids, and I've fallen in love with the class more quickly than I ever have any class before. I have 18 students- 12 boys and 6 girls almost all from different countries. The diversity is rich. I feel humbled privileged that God has called me to this place. These kids have so much LIFE in them...so many experiences...so many languages and cultures. It is a very humbling experience to be their teacher. And, I am grateful for their adaptability and enthusiasm. They fill me with life each day & somehow give me MORE energy when I feel like I have none. They welcomed me with open arms, and just in a week I can see how much we've grown as a community in Christ. They are quick to laugh, quick to forgive, eager to please, excited to learn. Mostly, of course. Not always, but the personality of this class is amazing and far more than I expected. We have our challenges, but the good always outweighs the bad. Despite already being in October, I kind of treated this week as the "first week of school" (just not to the same level of intensity) so I could establish a solid framework for the rest of the year. Procedures, expectations, new seating arrangement, team names/cheers, organizing, decorating...all that fun stuff. There's so much more to do, but really, there always is!

I joke around with Aaron that God keeps using situations like these (my semester of student teaching in Brazil & now jumping into teaching after the school year has started) to increase my flexibility and adaptability. Because the good Lord knows I wouldn't do that well left to myself :) He is teaching me (& us, but more me since Aaron's always been good at this) to be OKAY with messy. Things don't have to be perfect. My classroom doesn't have to look perfect. Our apartment doesn't have to be perfectly spotless and perfectly decorated. Cut yourself some slack, Molly. Something I'm not necessarily good at.

I can rejoice in these hard times though because my hope is in Him. Truly. He brought us here to have us rely on Him more fully...everyday...all day. I used to rejoice in knowing Jesus but was guilty of spending the most time with Him per MY agenda. I never really consciously chose to rely on Him in my everyday decision making. Most of the time, I thought I was doing fine and only went to Him in times of great trouble or great joy.

But He has taught me how wrong this mindset is. He has lovingly forced me to cling to Him because He has shown me how weak I am without Him.

Thanks for all of your love & continued support. We would appreciate prayers for our continued adjustment/transition and reliance on the Lord through it all. Please pray for my classroom & students, that above all else, they would learn to love and trust in God. Pray for Aaron as he embarks on a completely new job. Prayers for continued financial support along with the VISA process are needed, too.

Peace.
~Molly

Getting Settled In

We have finally arrived in Vienna!!! Granted we landed Sunday, and today is Tuesday, but we've been pretty busy.

Our last two days have been filled with government offices, paperwork, and whirlwind tours of both the school and the city. We are officially registered as residents of Austria, and more importantly, we have our pass for the U-Bahn (subway).

Between the jet-lag and all the rushing, we have been able to see some of Vienna. It is a beautiful city. We are looking forward to exploring the city and getting to know it better. We have met most of the staff and we have been so encouraged by the warm welcome we've received from everyone.

Since Molly's the REAL blogger here, I'm going to point out some general observations, and try not to embarrass her with my additions to the blog.

1. I like driving, I haven't relied on public transportation since I had to ride the bus to school. Our life now revolves around U-1 (the subway line that passes closest to our apartment and the school) and where we can go from there.
2. I have forgotten a lot more German than I thought... I can fake my way through most transactions, but thank goodness most Austrians speak English (although I do want to work on my language skills and be a functional member of society).
3. Vienna is not laid out on a grid system. My sense of direction is having problems with the weird angles the streets make. We're going to get lost. A lot.
4. Gelato is pretty much my new favorite frozen snack. Way better than ice cream.
5. Grocery store cashiers are significantly more efficient here than back home. They are also significantly less talkative.
6. The blog is significantly more difficult to operate when it automatically forwards us to blogspot.co.at instead of .com.
7. We are super blessed to have such supportive family and friends, as well as a great support staff and school family out here. God is good, and He has taken care of us.

I'm done with my list for now. More updates will be coming once Molly gets into her class full time and I get placed into a full time position at the school as well.

-Aaron

Real

This is really happening.

That was our first thought when the director of ICSV told us to get our plane tickets for Vienna. We have finally reached our minimum funding to be able to get to Austria. We're not fully funded yet (so yes we have to continue support raising while there), but we can get there and "not starve."

On Wednesday morning (I know, this is a few days late) we were told to get tickets, and we are leaving on the 28th. Of this month. Molly's birthday! Yeah, this is real. We are super excited.

We are definitely feeling overwhelmed. Even though we have a small apartment, we do have a bunch of stuff... a lot more stuff than I thought we did. I also learned my wife has more clothes than me. Not that this was a new discovery, I'm just seeing this laid out now, which gives it perspective.

Obviously, this isn't Molly writing. I'm not sure why, but she let me have a turn. Right now we're trying to get our apartment packed into boxes and storage tubs, and figure out where it's all going.

Not only that, we still have to say goodbye to everyone. We have less than two weeks to pack our apartment, figure out the storage/shipping/carrying with us situation, and see everyone we can. This is a little bit stressful too.

Thank goodness for parents. Both of our parents have been super supportive and helpful in this process. And they have helped with the 'figuring out where stuff goes' process. We love them (for more than their storage space).

We'll have many more updates, but we just wanted to update the blog with our current situation. Thanks for all the prayers and support thus far. This is just the beginning!

-Aaron

Obedience

Since the announcement that we were going forth with this process and heading to Vienna to be a part of the ministry at the International Christian School of Vienna, there have been a variety of responses, naturally. However, one of the most common responses has been something along the lines of "Wow, you two are brave. Props to you for giving up your life here to do this. I can't believe you would in such a short time frame."

I find that I could never properly respond to this, well, because it's...awkward. WE are not 'brave'. WE are not to be praised in this. GOD is. He is the author of this.

In reading the book Follow Me by David Platt (sequel to Radical, another great read), this quote struck a chord with me...

"You take a big chance if you ignore an assignment given to you from your boss at work. Most of us would never consider it. So how can we ignore the King of the universe who will one day return as Judge?"

Amen. To us, it wasn't a choice. God placed this calling on our hearts, and it was a command, through and through. I'm not going to lie...it was scary, and we were considering turning it down in fear of the rushed time frame and large amount of support we have to raise. But, we both agreed and discussed that if we didn't follow through with this, we would be INTENTIONALLY ignoring the God of the universe. We heard Him loud and clear... saying no just wasn't an option in our faith journey.

So there you have it. Aaron and I aren't brave or merely adventurous. All glory be given to our Father who brought us together to this point in life.

And of course, not to mislead anyone, it has not been all butterflies and rainbows so far. Far from it. We are incredibly overwhelmed, stressed, and experiencing a daily up and down roller coaster of emotions... mostly stemming from support raising at this point. But, the Lord is caring, loving, and holds us in His palms. We are sure of this.

We have spent the past several weekends traveling to the church Aaron grew up in and the church I grew up in. Graciously, we have been given opportunities to talk and share about the ministry at ICSV. Though we've had many conversations with a large number of people, I still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by how far we have to go in support raising.

Until today.

An ordinary Monday morning, I woke up to an email from the recruiter at ICSV, boldly stating that we will see God's provision of finances increase drastically in the next two weeks because our God is faithful and good, all the time. [Now I certainly agree that our God is faithful, but it intrigued me how she so confidently proclaimed in two weeks time..]

A few hours later, I was working my shift at Panera Bread. My coworker was helping this woman by slicing the bread loaf she requested to buy. I had just come back from my break, so I told the woman I could ring her up on my register while my coworker was slicing the bread. She looked at me funny for a few awkward moments, and then she looked me dead straight in the eyes..."Ma'am, are you a Christian?" Having no idea where this conversation was going, I simply said, "Yes I am." Tears then filled her eyes, and she went on to say how she just knew from the second I opened my mouth. As she is talking, I'm racking my brain trying to figure out if I was wearing anything that would indicate my faith, had said anything, etc...nope, nothing. Then she told me that even though she didn't know me from any stranger on the street, there were angels surrounding me at that moment. She explained that she had been having visions since she was a small child and considered it a gift. I'm already taken back by her boldness and proclamations, but I let her continue without interrupting. She continues to say that in the next two weeks the Lord is going to provide money for whatever is going on in my life, and that I should not worry because I am covered in Him and have the angels' protection. Tears are flooding my eyes as she says this to me....I have given this stranger NO indication of my life circumstances. This was God speaking to me, encouraging me. She ended with saying that the spirit of God moved her to tell me all of this, and she asked if she could pray for me. Of course, I said yes. How could I not?! The most beautiful, raw prayer was said. I'm sure that my coworkers who witnessed this thought it was all crazy. I used to not believe these kind of experiences were real. I would always doubt others and chalk it up to being a result of someone not in touch with reality.

But there is no doubt in me that God spoke through this woman. She walked away before I even got a chance to explain how spot on she was about everything and how applicable her words were to my life.

Thank you, Jesus, for that reaffirmation of faith. May we continue throughout this journey with childlike faith. Thank you for using others to speak to us, especially during those times we need that comfort the most.

Prep Work

"And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that's broken
to be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed
by the power of Your name"

Since God led us to say "yes" to Vienna, life has been an incredible whirlwind. We feel like we are drowning in a sea of paperwork, support raising, work schedules, trying to set aside time for each other...it's all pretty stressful. This urgent timeline. Yes we seem crazy by the world's standards, but since when did we want to be of the world?

Never.

We are His.

"If his grace is an ocean we're all sinking..."

This line from one of my favorite songs has been on nonstop repeat the past couple of weeks. We are in need of SO MUCH grace. It is such an indescribable gift!

So to update everyone, we have finally sent out support letters (well, most of them--the rest are going out tomorrow). With the help of our dear friend Amy (& Aaron of course), I put together our support brochure and letter. We sent them off to be printed...and we were blown away by the service! Since they found out what our printing was for, they folded everything for us for FREE. And were just the sweetest people ever. :)

The paperwork has been intense and gathering documents has not been easy, but I am so grateful to have Aaron lead us through this. He is such an incredible leader...something I need to constantly remind him. We have to get the apostille on several documents, so Aaron is heading down to the secretary of state's office later this week to do that.

In the midst of this support raising and paperwork, we are continuing to work at our jobs until the departure date is closer and defined. Though it's been a difficult balance (mostly with Aaron's schedule), I am thankful for coworkers and bosses who are fairly accommodating and understanding. :) Another positive thing to note-- our church is having a garage sale to support the missions of the church. Perfect timing! :) Just as we're beginning the process of purging and packing, I was able to get rid of stuff AND support a cause that's pretty dear to our hearts ;)

We talked to the missions committee at our church this past week and have plans to travel to our 'home' churches in the coming weeks, so prayers for that would be appreciated.

Lord, we are SO thankful for this journey and your faithfulness to us. You are our rock and redeemer, and we pray that we embrace your ways each and every day and breathe only for you. Thank you for speaking encouragement into our lives through others. We are grateful to be surrounded by people who constantly push and inspire us, drawing us closer to you. May we continue to fully trust in your sovereignty and provision and remember that we wait upon you in hope.

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by our blog!

As we begin this journey of support raising & serving at the International Christian School of Vienna (ICSV), we would like to welcome you into glimpses of this crazy, God-orchestrated adventure. Though the timing is urgent, we are confident in his faithfulness and provision. God opened our hearts to this opportunity, and after much prayerful consideration and discernment, we knew this is where he was leading us. And we are jumping in with joyful obedience....fully knowing this journey is going to have the sure struggles and trials ahead...but also sure joy.

I (Molly, unless otherwise noted..Aaron's not much of a blogger ;)) will be teaching 4th grade, and Aaron will be volunteering with the school as support staff. HOWEVER, in order to begin our ministry with ICSV, we must raise our support before heading to Vienna. The school year begins August 22nd...teachers are technically supposed to be there for training beginning August 6th, but clearly ICSV recognizes this is not realistic given our time frame and situation. BUT we want to be there ASAP so the transition for my 4th graders is a lot easier (and for us, let's be real). Please check out the various pages we have linked to on the top of this blog, especially the About our Mission and Support Information tabs. There you will find a brochure we designed to more fully explain this ministry along with our support letter, commitment card, and EFT (the form to donate).

During our time in Vienna, it is our commitment to keep you all informed of the happenings and ministries at ICSV. As supporters and dear friends and family, you deserve to know how God is using your support :) We will try to keep this blog as updated as possible to document the adventures that are sure to happen...inside & outside of the classroom.

We are so thankful for all of you, our friends and family, for your support, prayers, encouragement, and love. You inspire us to love better each day.

Blessings to each of you!

~Molly & Aaron

**It is my hope to someday have the time to sit down and document how ICSV came into our lives, from before even knowing about it and all that leads up to this point. For brevity and time's sake right now (let's face it...our to do list is quite lengthy), I'll spare you that novel. I know..suspense ;)
***Once blogger cooperates with me, expect some aesthetic changes to this blog...a facelift perhaps...looking to be more user friendly!