During our flurry of activity to prepare for our departure from the US, my boss at Job Corps had become tyrannical and sent me to work in College Station--2 hours away. They paid for 4 nights of hotel stays, but I had to establish my rhythm there. No matter that a single colleague wanted to be there, I was sent knowing that I had a family I preferred to return to.
One evening, after a slow morning of prospecting, my immediate supervisor wanted my vehicle since he had plenty of prospective students to take on tour, so I volunteered to run my larger van to him for a swap. The Spring Weather was looking severe, but I was confident that I would make it to Waco.
After the swap, I took the minivan to the car wash since it badly needed cleaning. As I waited, I watched the weather close over the road back to College Station--hail and strong gusts of wind was being reported. So I sought permission from my supervisor to spend the night in Waco. After all, I only lived here!
That night, the weather got severe in Waco as well, but not before I got to visit my guy-friends at Warrior Heart to celebrate God's goodness in bringing me home for the night when my family was missing me. And kept the weather open fore me. As the meeting closed, the weather got fierce and it was time to drive home--the wind was knocking trees down and blowing roofs off buildings.
The next day, as I returned to College Station, the director was furious at my supervisor for allowing me to stay in Waco. He asked as I did: "Would she rather I drive through that severe storm and have the van totalled?!!"
~ Shien Yahweh Nissi "The Lord is my banner of victory
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
From Desperation to Dreams
After about a decade of trying to fit in and find any job that would take me in Waco, Texas, I was beginning to think that what they were saying about my resume was true--that I was not attractive and hire-able. Furthermore, I was six months into my most recent of 5 careers and 3 part time jobs and was starting to think that the dream was becoming more of a nightmare.
Nevertheless, a year after discovering Dalat International School, I had just been offered a contract to recruit new students, and Monica was going to teach for them. Our children would also attend the same school.
All of a sudden, the random looking resume resolved into an amazing set of experiences that proved a skills-set suited for International School admissions! I never saw this one coming and no one before had identified this area of work for me. And it was a fantastic fit.
So began the frantic process of shutting down our life in the US--saying goodbye to our friends, family and cat; renting our house; ending our jobs; packing our belongings; selling our car and a massive pile of paperwork and training for the new job.
It was clear that God took a last-resort job with the Job Corps and turned desperation into a dream, for without the Job Corps, I would never have thought that admissions was something I could do.
~ Shien Yahweh Ro'i "The Lord guides me as my shepherd
Nevertheless, a year after discovering Dalat International School, I had just been offered a contract to recruit new students, and Monica was going to teach for them. Our children would also attend the same school.
All of a sudden, the random looking resume resolved into an amazing set of experiences that proved a skills-set suited for International School admissions! I never saw this one coming and no one before had identified this area of work for me. And it was a fantastic fit.
So began the frantic process of shutting down our life in the US--saying goodbye to our friends, family and cat; renting our house; ending our jobs; packing our belongings; selling our car and a massive pile of paperwork and training for the new job.
It was clear that God took a last-resort job with the Job Corps and turned desperation into a dream, for without the Job Corps, I would never have thought that admissions was something I could do.
~ Shien Yahweh Ro'i "The Lord guides me as my shepherd
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
God Speaks During a Federal Interview
After a false start at leaving Waco, Texas, both Monica and I accepted whatever jobs we could get, which is to say Monica was hired to the most challenging inner city school in Waco and I got a job with very high turnover to recruit for the Job Corps. I was about to find out firsthand why.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy offering hope to youth aged 16-24 who needed a second chance at life. These kids came from halfway houses being treated for addictions, juvenile prison, alternative school, some just wanted to leave the ghetto or gang life secretly. Others came from college, up to their eyeballs in debt, unable to find a job. Most had exhausted most of their hope.
A single mother, who was barely our of her teens, sat dejectedly during her interview. She was dressed in her best, which was provocative and risque. Her eyes were hard and untrusting, and her comments terse. When I asked her why she wanted to join Job Corps, she teared up a little and said her little one deserved better than the late nights and her stressed state of being when she returned. At that point, I sensed the Holy Spirit rising up in compassion and I sensed I needed to deliver a word of knowledge and encouragement. So after checking it over with the Holy Spirit, I looked into her glistening eyes and told her: "It's not your fault, and God loves you dearly inspite of your guilt--He has already forgiven you."
Without skipping a beat, she acknowledged and continued: "I just have a hard time forgiving myself with the choices I made in the past". She knew more about what the Holy Spirit was doing than I. And that was fine with me. Somehow, the rest of the words exchanged and I did not understand them nor do I remember them, but the words mattered to her, and she left the interview grateful, relieved, and awkward--she wasn't sure to hug me or shake my hands... but she had softened because God spoke during a Federal Interview.
She never returned, and to my knowledge she did not enter the Job Corps, but I do know God is with her.
~ Shien Yahweh Ro'i "The Lord our shepherd who cares for His people like a flock"
Nevertheless, I did enjoy offering hope to youth aged 16-24 who needed a second chance at life. These kids came from halfway houses being treated for addictions, juvenile prison, alternative school, some just wanted to leave the ghetto or gang life secretly. Others came from college, up to their eyeballs in debt, unable to find a job. Most had exhausted most of their hope.
A single mother, who was barely our of her teens, sat dejectedly during her interview. She was dressed in her best, which was provocative and risque. Her eyes were hard and untrusting, and her comments terse. When I asked her why she wanted to join Job Corps, she teared up a little and said her little one deserved better than the late nights and her stressed state of being when she returned. At that point, I sensed the Holy Spirit rising up in compassion and I sensed I needed to deliver a word of knowledge and encouragement. So after checking it over with the Holy Spirit, I looked into her glistening eyes and told her: "It's not your fault, and God loves you dearly inspite of your guilt--He has already forgiven you."
Without skipping a beat, she acknowledged and continued: "I just have a hard time forgiving myself with the choices I made in the past". She knew more about what the Holy Spirit was doing than I. And that was fine with me. Somehow, the rest of the words exchanged and I did not understand them nor do I remember them, but the words mattered to her, and she left the interview grateful, relieved, and awkward--she wasn't sure to hug me or shake my hands... but she had softened because God spoke during a Federal Interview.
She never returned, and to my knowledge she did not enter the Job Corps, but I do know God is with her.
~ Shien Yahweh Ro'i "The Lord our shepherd who cares for His people like a flock"
Thursday, March 15, 2007
What Do You really Want?
We had switched over to buying cars on cash for some year now, having realized how expensive the interest payments and depreciation was on a newer car purchased on loan. We had purchased a 20 year old Lexus ES300 from a friend for US$2,000 and sold for just a bit more, and was now on a Honda Civic that was 10 years old.
I had been watching the market and was particularly eager on purchasing a Toyota Sienna for about US$5,000 and watched many come and go that was barely on the edge of my budget--very tempting but risky since I would not be able to afford any immediate repairs or necessary preventative maintenance after purchase.
Finally, I noticed an obscure advertisement on the Autotrader and skipped it several times since it did not have interior pictures. Nevertheless, the attractive price and recent price drop indicated that the dealer was eager to do business. So I contacted him and asked for pictures of the van. He obliged within hours and I got the VIN number to run a Carfax to discover that the van came from Canada--the indicated mileage was actually kilometers!
This discovery sweetened the deal significantly because what was advertised as 130,000 miles was actually 130,000 kilometers as per Carfax (about 80,000 miles). Be that the value of the van drops about $500 for every 10,000 miles, I was already ahead another US$2,500, and because of the lack of posted pictures, and a very eager dealer, I was likely to bargain the already reduced price.
That afternoon, I arranged for the money from the bank and told Monica about it. She was comfortable with the numbers, but asked me if this was the van I wanted. The question perplexed me since it was the kind of van I wanted, and how often do you spot a legitimate deal as this? She pressed me again, and I admitted that I actually wanted a Sienna with leather and captain chairs in the middle. This van was cloth interior with bench 2nd row.
I had a hard time letting this go, since I was sure I was not going to see a better deal. The dealer followed up with me twice, and I declined. 2 months pass, and then a white Toyota Sienna XLE year model 2000 with leather captain chairs in the 2nd row appeared on the Autotrader at the right price and right mileage. But again, there was no interior pictures. However, I made an appointment to view it and it was certainly our van.
We enjoyed it for almost 5 years before selling it to our friends just as vehicle prices jumped due to Obama's Cash for Cars program. At that point, we traded in a 1989 Chevy G20 that was worth about US$500 on the open market for US$3,000 government rebate, and another US$2,000 dealer incentives on a very attractively priced Black Chevy HHR.
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord Provides"
I had been watching the market and was particularly eager on purchasing a Toyota Sienna for about US$5,000 and watched many come and go that was barely on the edge of my budget--very tempting but risky since I would not be able to afford any immediate repairs or necessary preventative maintenance after purchase.
Finally, I noticed an obscure advertisement on the Autotrader and skipped it several times since it did not have interior pictures. Nevertheless, the attractive price and recent price drop indicated that the dealer was eager to do business. So I contacted him and asked for pictures of the van. He obliged within hours and I got the VIN number to run a Carfax to discover that the van came from Canada--the indicated mileage was actually kilometers!
This discovery sweetened the deal significantly because what was advertised as 130,000 miles was actually 130,000 kilometers as per Carfax (about 80,000 miles). Be that the value of the van drops about $500 for every 10,000 miles, I was already ahead another US$2,500, and because of the lack of posted pictures, and a very eager dealer, I was likely to bargain the already reduced price.
That afternoon, I arranged for the money from the bank and told Monica about it. She was comfortable with the numbers, but asked me if this was the van I wanted. The question perplexed me since it was the kind of van I wanted, and how often do you spot a legitimate deal as this? She pressed me again, and I admitted that I actually wanted a Sienna with leather and captain chairs in the middle. This van was cloth interior with bench 2nd row.
I had a hard time letting this go, since I was sure I was not going to see a better deal. The dealer followed up with me twice, and I declined. 2 months pass, and then a white Toyota Sienna XLE year model 2000 with leather captain chairs in the 2nd row appeared on the Autotrader at the right price and right mileage. But again, there was no interior pictures. However, I made an appointment to view it and it was certainly our van.
We enjoyed it for almost 5 years before selling it to our friends just as vehicle prices jumped due to Obama's Cash for Cars program. At that point, we traded in a 1989 Chevy G20 that was worth about US$500 on the open market for US$3,000 government rebate, and another US$2,000 dealer incentives on a very attractively priced Black Chevy HHR.
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord Provides"
Friday, June 1, 2001
Pregnancy, Texas Heat and Broken Air-cons
One afternoon during the hot Texas Summer, I heard an awful screeching noise outside our home. I went out to investigate and realized it was coming from the air-conditioner compressor. I immediately shut down the air-conditioning to the house to save the unit, but was now concerned about my very pregnant wife. We retreated to a mall and took stock of our situation.
We called a local repairman who came recommended by one of our friends. He confirmed that indeed it was a failing bearing, and could be fixed for US$200. He was quite surprised that we noticed the issue and commended us for addressing it early since it saved the compressor from failure.
That night, we turned the air-con back on to sleep and prayed that God would provide. The next day, we attended church and during the smaller Lifegroup meeting, the leaders approached us and said that we had been on their hearts and they were praying for us. We shared our need and they graciously gifted us what we needed for the repair!
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord provides"
We called a local repairman who came recommended by one of our friends. He confirmed that indeed it was a failing bearing, and could be fixed for US$200. He was quite surprised that we noticed the issue and commended us for addressing it early since it saved the compressor from failure.
That night, we turned the air-con back on to sleep and prayed that God would provide. The next day, we attended church and during the smaller Lifegroup meeting, the leaders approached us and said that we had been on their hearts and they were praying for us. We shared our need and they graciously gifted us what we needed for the repair!
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord provides"
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Sick of Home Cooking and Leftovers
In the effort to conserve money and stay within our budget, we had been cooking most of our meals and eating leftovers for the rest. And I was frankly getting tired of home cooking. So I took my complaint to God and told him that while I was grateful for the food in our home, it would be totally awesome to get a change.
That next week, a flurry of friends called and wanted to have lunch with me... I told them I had little to spend and every one of them told me that they were happy to give me a treat. Each time I ate out, there were leftovers to bring home to share with Monica. There was even an acquaintance who wanted to present a "business opportunity" to me. I was not interested, but lunch was great!
I was eating out so often, that I was getting tired of eating out! Then, God smiled and reminded me of my request! How quickly things had changed for me, and how quickly I forgot about eating home cooking and tired of eating out! And how quickly I forgot God had answered my prayer.
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord my provider"
That next week, a flurry of friends called and wanted to have lunch with me... I told them I had little to spend and every one of them told me that they were happy to give me a treat. Each time I ate out, there were leftovers to bring home to share with Monica. There was even an acquaintance who wanted to present a "business opportunity" to me. I was not interested, but lunch was great!
I was eating out so often, that I was getting tired of eating out! Then, God smiled and reminded me of my request! How quickly things had changed for me, and how quickly I forgot about eating home cooking and tired of eating out! And how quickly I forgot God had answered my prayer.
~ Shien Yahweh Jireh "The Lord my provider"
Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Grace from a United State Immigration Officer
"If you tell me that you are here to marry, I have to send you home..." the immigration officer said this the third time, still patient, still smiling... knowingly. Then, joy slowly rose in me when I understood what this man was finally trying to communicate to me!
A week earlier, I had endured the humiliating and terrifying interrogation by his peers at the Minneapolis port of entry. Then, I had naively told the immigration officer I was here to marry my fiance. It never occurred to me that I had done something wrong. My fiance Monica waited and watched me from outside the holding area, concerned and puzzled.
We were returning to the US to be married, thinking that one could spontaneously marry according to the law. However, we did not realize that one had to be within the US already and then consider the idea. But it was too late, and I did not lie well, so I blurted out the truth foolishly.
The prying questions stripped me and I felt vulnerable. By now, Monica could see that something was very wrong. Eventually, after Monica was brought in for questioning, they realized that we were sincere and had mis-interpreted the law. Apparently, we weren't the first, and the officers had grace for us and would have been willing to let us proceed. But since we were travelling on to Texas, they did not have jurisdiction there, and told us that they would have to decide our fate, but they would call ahead and put in a good word for us in our case notes.
With out wedding just days away, and my brief window of opportunity to exonerate decimated by limited days in the week to appeal our case, the fourth of July holiday, we reached out to every avenue of help we could muster, including our pastor who asked our congress woman Kay Bailey Hutchison to intervene.
Weary, we made our way to San Antonio with Monica's mom who was here for the wedding. She stayed in the hotel room to pray while we attended our appointment. When it came time to hear our case, the immigration officer was particularly stern, and there was a bold notice tacked on his notice board stating there was to be no more leniency and grace in 'spontaneous marriages'. The law had been changed! Now ALL marriages had to be initiated with a fiance or marriage visa. Now I was really panicked and reluctantly told Monica about the news.
I was so distressed that I was a bit shell shocked as I related our story to the immigration officer, still stern. Suddenly, he stepped out of his seat, went behind for a few minutes and returned with a statement: "If you tell me that you are here to marry, I have to send you home..."
I could not believe it. I only saw myself having to fly home--they had already confiscated my passport and return ticket. But after the third time he repeated himself, I found the courage to look into his kind eyes, and my heart skipped a beat... "You mean..." he continued smiling "...if I don't get married, I can stay in country?!! No legal papers but I can have a party with my relatives, right!" Now he was ecstatic and I was incredulous! Monica, who is normally quicker than I am with such matters, was so stunned by the sudden turn in events that she too did not understand when I called her over to confirm the news with the officer!
Floored by God's Grace on us, we called Monica's mom at the hotel on the ride home, I could here her laughing and shouting for joy through the phone as Monica told her the news, tearing up in gratefulness.
That was Thursday. Couple of days later, we had our grand party on Saturday Afternoon, and celebrated God's goodness. We were not legally married until we had our fabulous honeymoon in Alaska and returned a couple of months later. There is grace in the United States Federal Government because gracious people also work there.
~ Shien, Yahweh Shalom "The Lord our Peace"
A week earlier, I had endured the humiliating and terrifying interrogation by his peers at the Minneapolis port of entry. Then, I had naively told the immigration officer I was here to marry my fiance. It never occurred to me that I had done something wrong. My fiance Monica waited and watched me from outside the holding area, concerned and puzzled.
We were returning to the US to be married, thinking that one could spontaneously marry according to the law. However, we did not realize that one had to be within the US already and then consider the idea. But it was too late, and I did not lie well, so I blurted out the truth foolishly.
The prying questions stripped me and I felt vulnerable. By now, Monica could see that something was very wrong. Eventually, after Monica was brought in for questioning, they realized that we were sincere and had mis-interpreted the law. Apparently, we weren't the first, and the officers had grace for us and would have been willing to let us proceed. But since we were travelling on to Texas, they did not have jurisdiction there, and told us that they would have to decide our fate, but they would call ahead and put in a good word for us in our case notes.
With out wedding just days away, and my brief window of opportunity to exonerate decimated by limited days in the week to appeal our case, the fourth of July holiday, we reached out to every avenue of help we could muster, including our pastor who asked our congress woman Kay Bailey Hutchison to intervene.
Weary, we made our way to San Antonio with Monica's mom who was here for the wedding. She stayed in the hotel room to pray while we attended our appointment. When it came time to hear our case, the immigration officer was particularly stern, and there was a bold notice tacked on his notice board stating there was to be no more leniency and grace in 'spontaneous marriages'. The law had been changed! Now ALL marriages had to be initiated with a fiance or marriage visa. Now I was really panicked and reluctantly told Monica about the news.
I was so distressed that I was a bit shell shocked as I related our story to the immigration officer, still stern. Suddenly, he stepped out of his seat, went behind for a few minutes and returned with a statement: "If you tell me that you are here to marry, I have to send you home..."
I could not believe it. I only saw myself having to fly home--they had already confiscated my passport and return ticket. But after the third time he repeated himself, I found the courage to look into his kind eyes, and my heart skipped a beat... "You mean..." he continued smiling "...if I don't get married, I can stay in country?!! No legal papers but I can have a party with my relatives, right!" Now he was ecstatic and I was incredulous! Monica, who is normally quicker than I am with such matters, was so stunned by the sudden turn in events that she too did not understand when I called her over to confirm the news with the officer!
Floored by God's Grace on us, we called Monica's mom at the hotel on the ride home, I could here her laughing and shouting for joy through the phone as Monica told her the news, tearing up in gratefulness.
That was Thursday. Couple of days later, we had our grand party on Saturday Afternoon, and celebrated God's goodness. We were not legally married until we had our fabulous honeymoon in Alaska and returned a couple of months later. There is grace in the United States Federal Government because gracious people also work there.
~ Shien, Yahweh Shalom "The Lord our Peace"
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