Decision Time, Cambodia or Australia?

I must admit that April in particular was both a difficult and yet blessed month for us.

Graham was away in Australia at university for a time. The trip was an expensive and difficult one. Graham's luggage did not arrive in Australia until the end of his visit, his university course was heavy and his job interview did not result in employment for July onwards. We were left unsure of where God wanted us for the later half of this year and both facing unemployment from the end of June.

Lord where do you desire us to serve you? was our heartfelt cry, for we believed that God had for some months been clearly saying to return to Australia.

You see, our contract with Hope school was to finish in June 2011 and we needed to discern whether God was calling us to stay here in Cambodia or return to Australia. Hope School had requested a decision by Christmas. In early December, after months of uncertainty and prayer about God's will for us for the end of our contract, we shared our situation with our church and they prayed over us for clarity. Within hours Graham received an invitation from a school in NSW to apply for a teaching position that may arise, and if so, the employment would commence in July 2011. So followed a sequence of events that appeared to confirm this to us that we would return to Australia. But this was not to be.

Upon Graham arriving back in Cambodia we met within 24hours with Hope School and discussed further employment here. We were aware that the school had been advertising and interviewing for some months for teaching positions for the new school year in August 2011.

Unbeknown to us, there were still two High School positions to fill, that of a science teacher and a maths teacher. Here we were suggesting that, to further our professional experience Graham would like more science teaching and that I would like to teach across more year groups of maths. What a blessing!

Thus we remain employed by Hope school, an amazing school like none we have been involved with before. The kids were so very excited that we are staying in Cambodia and we too are happy to be continuing in our work and ministry in Cambodia. We have signed up for another 6 months and plan to return either permanently or at least for a short time, to Australia at Christmas as we are eligible for furlough from Hope School. (Please pray the God will provide clarification in this decision.)

While Graham was in Australia I took Naomi, Nathan and Tevy to the coast, to the spot where the children were baptised only a few weeks before.

Tevy works at Hope school and is 10 years Naomi's senior, but the two act like inseparable sisters when they are together. We have taken Tevy on holidays with us three times now and she fit's in just like a member of our family.

Towards the end of April God spoke clearly to me about being patient about the future. I have had a number of dreams, including one last night, about what will come to pass. But for now these words dwell in my heart and prayer diary and wait for His blessed fulfillment without urgency.