neutral?

i know my mom told me to be totally neutral about Florida or Hawaii but...

really? Hawaii?

i'm trying my best to keep neutral. trying. trying. trying!

Florida

My good friend R just sent me an SMS on my mobile that his daughter D finally got her Visa. I am ecstatic with him and J. They are both good friends. And since they are the catalysts of my journey, I'm encouraged by this news.

D and R will now be joining J and the next chapter remains to be written - will they stay there or will they come back? R says they will come back. I'm a firm believer in God changing our plans, so I eagerly await what's next for them.

My mind has been on Florida for a couple of days now. Three cities to be exact.


Tallahassee is where my favorite people and good friends now live. The T family has generously and lovingly offered us a place to stay for a season until we settle in, i.e. get a job, an apartment, a school, etc. We are like family and I feel very secure in knowing I can run to them. Besides, K and I love their three boys - the 3Zs - and would jump at any chance to babysit and play with them.


Miami is the site of a church plant this year and it has many possibilities for us. I have acquaintances moving there for this exact purpose but I'm not too sure about whether K and I are called there. It does look like a multi-ethnic, vibrant city. And I'm sure it would be an adventure to call it home.


Orlando is a city I wrote about for work. And the site of another church plant this year. Friends will be moving there. That is a big plus for me - to be with familiar people. People who will be in the same situation of relocating. K will be with friends. And so will I.

Much more to post but have my mind on my embassy visit tomorrow. As K blogged, we're doing a Moses and letting God part our Red Sea.

This is officially step one.

song playing on my cd player: rock awards 2001-2002 the official compilation

Hawaii

Got a message on Skype from my pastor friend in Hawaii who has my resume. He says we need to talk soon. I’m curious. This whole journey began the last week of January after a conversation with R and J about my needing to petition K before she turns eighteen. Two weeks later, my pastor friend P arrives from Hawaii for two weeks of R & R and into his hands (or rather Inbox), I delivered my resume.Going on in my head at the time were the thoughts: it would be wise to have a job waiting for me wherever we end up; and a good community college or ballet school or troupe for K.

The former is for a sense of security since I am, after all, responsible for another human being; the latter is important for my future prima ballerina whose life I am about to drastically change. I know I can trust God for both, but I am doing my part of the equation in taking action.

It’s been roughly a week since that Skype chat and I’m patiently waiting for the real one. I bide my time poking around message boards on moving to Hawaii and sifting through random jobs available on the job market. I’d have to start from scratch as a voice talent or radio talent, if at all…

The common denominator on Hawaii is that it is expensive… but gorgeous. And laid back. Expensive.

It also has a very large Filipino community.

Hmmm. Do I want to move us where it will look familiar – fellow brown faces and palm trees but in the US? Or do I keep my options open and do my homework on Orlando and Tallahassee, Florida?

Aloha. For now.

song playing on my ipod: finger eleven's one thing

Where to...?

As we wait for K to finally get over her shyness and post an entry, here's what's going on in my head.

Hawaii... or Florida... or New York? Pearl City or Orlando or Miami or Tallahassee or NYC? Still figuring out where to go. Hmmm. All factors are being considered - cost of living, job market, ballet school, community college, and friends. Do I work for a ministry? Or do I fling myself back in the marketplace?

Waiting for God to point us in the right direction and forcing myself to be absolutely neutral about a destination. I'll let God decide. And guide our steps. I have four weeks until I file K's petition and move on to Step 2 - decide on where to go so I can start making concrete steps to get there.

I could Project Manage this whole thing but I prefer to keep a massive To-Do list with Due Dates. For now, at least. And this blog for my random thoughts that actually help bring clarity to this big step.

Any thoughts?

song playing on my ipod: cartwheels by the reindeer section