Making Decisions

A year and a half ago we made the decision to complete our commitment of serving in Kenya and return to America for the next season of our lives.  After making that decision, we would often wonder what we would do back in America.  Living overseas for 11 years made me [Joe] question my ability to get a job when I come back home.  We knew we both had immense and diverse knowledge, abilities, skills and experiences; yet we weren’t sure how that would translate to a job in the U.S. Whenever I had those doubts, I had to turn them over to God and remember that He is in control of my life, not me. Walking in faith always requires trusting the Lord to direct and provide!

Another step of faith occurred when we felt God’s leading to take a 3 month Sabbatical at the beginning of 2015 to take time to rest, recover, reflect and refocus as we transition back to life in America. This was a chance to refresh our souls! The idea of a Sabbatical didn’t make sense to us.  We thought we needed to find a job immediately and begin making money right away. That’s what everyone does—it’s how the world works! But we know that following God does not always look like what everyone else is doing and we are challenged to not follow the ways of this world (Rom 12:2).  Out of obedience, we set aside those three months. This was not an easy thing to do. We had no idea where or how we would find a job, live or provide for ourselves after our Sabbatical.  Again, we handed those doubts and fears to God and reminded ourselves constantly that He is in control! He knows what the future holds and sees the big picture while we see only a limited perspective.  We had a wonderful, restful, reflective and rejuvenating time during our Sabbatical.  In retrospect, it was much needed and we can’t imagine having jumped straight into work and normal life in America. We are immensely grateful for such a gift from the Lord and for all the ways He provided and cared for us during that time!

As we began searching for jobs (in late April), God proved himself faithful in our lives once again.  He provided several different opportunities in various fields and different parts of the country.  The job searching process is very tedious and tiresome; making calls, sending out emails, filling out applications, making different cover letters, adapting your resume and preparing for interviews.  It can be a roller coaster of emotions that changes from day to day, and sometimes hour to hour.  We were primarily seeking out opportunities for full-time work for Joe, yet Daneen had an integral part in the process.  She continually advised, edited and reviewed Joe’s job application materials and even performed mock interviews for him (she was much tougher than the real interviewers)! We make a great team!

The opportunities narrowed down to two job offers.  

#1 Dean of Athletics and Activities at a Charter School in Longmont, Colorado 
#2 College Basketball Head Coach in Glendive, Montana.  

Since we are currently living in Longmont, that job seemed to be the easier choice.  It would be ideal to stay in a place where we have established friends who we love and people who are like family. It provided a good salary and we love our church, along with the wonderful Colorado weather, mountains and a plethora of activities.  The Glendive offer had a lot more unknowns; it felt a bit riskier to move to a small town in Eastern Montana where we would need to endure colder winters and didn’t already have a large network of close friends and community.    

After multiple interviews and many interactions with both jobs, we ultimately felt more excitement and peace about the opportunity to work at the college in Montana.  There are many ways we see God moving in the small town of Glendive and within the college, and that excites us.  It was a very tough decision to make.  Through much prayer, wise consultation and a lot of faith... we know this is the direction God is leading us.  

In the end, we were both in total agreement that we wanted to follow God’s guidance and trust Him to provide for all the unknowns. We’re excited about our next adventure!