My flight

My flight finally happened!! And it was FOREVER. There isn't much to blog about it really. I THOUGHT I had the exit row. I THOUGHT I had the seat next to me all to myself. I THOUGHT I would have lots and lots of room to stretch out! I THOUGHT I would have a plug to charge my electronics. I THOUGHT I would be able to subscribe to wifi while on the plane. Turns out I had the row BEHIND the exit row. I had a neighbor. I had no charger connections and no wifi. The seat in front of me had some sort of permanent box thing on either side of the bottom so not only could I NOT stretch out, but I also could not properly store my bag under the seat. So when the flight attendant told me to shove it under further, I pretended to and then I covered it with my blanket!!

My neighbor turned out to be a super nice guy from the northeastern part of my state. He was a slightly older gentleman, maybe in his early fifties? Single. Used to be in the military. (I don't know if he retired.) He went to VMI. After military, he went to law school. Now he was headed to Bangladesh to return to work from holiday. He teaches lawyers over there. He was really quite pleasant and I felt like I knew him my entire life! He gave me his card before he got off the flight in case my family and I are ever in Bangladesh while he is still there! When he first got on the plane, he was kind enough to put my bag in the overhead compartment for me (it was too high) and he also got it back out when our flight was over without me even asking him to!

Maybe some of you are wondering about the food on the flight? But y'all know I'm vegan! I preordered my meal which means- I got my meal before everyone else! My 1st meal was okay. I think it was Indian food. It was rice and a cauliflower/pea curry, a roll, and a salad. I had mango juice to drink. Then they came again and I had a sandwich- maybe hummus with some veggies in it. I drank apple juice. The last meal was another Indian meal but my body wanted breakfast. So I ate all the fruit. I ate a few bites of rice. I ate the little bit of spinach that was on the tray and 1/2 the roll. My stomach wasn't feeling it. I drank water.

So I arrive at the airport and make my way out to baggage claim. All of the men are surrounding the belt while the women wait back. I have no man with me so I get a cart and make my way to the belt. I hefted both nearly 50lb Army duffles onto my cart and then my 50lb suitcase. I wheeled it out of baggage claim, got a little confused and some Indian gentleman pointed me in the direction to go. I followed the carts to the elevator. After waiting numerous turns to get down, I finally made it to the exit door, then realizing there was a ramp I could have gone down! Oh well!

I followed the masses outside and there was a wall of people (literally) crammed together- some holding signs and some not. I found two men with the name of my school. My name was on their list and for one man, my name was on the back of his sign. He is the gentleman that took my things to the car and drove me to my hotel- Al Raha Beach Hotel.

And so NOW the real adventure begins!

I am moving over to my new blog that is all about our life in Abu Dhabi. If you would like to continue on this journey with me, please send me your email address so I can allow you access. It will be a closed blog since no one has commented on this one and I don't know who is reading! Hope to hear from you soon!!!!

Love,

SillyMe

Abu Dhabi TAKE 2!!!

Stopped in at a church member's restaurant to eat before heading to the airport. Good to see him one last time. Then flew out of Norfolk today. No problems! It was just an hour flight. We landed a little early. Now I just wait, wait, wait for my flight out of Dulles...While I wait I have too much time to think. To wonder. To question. Am I REALLY leaving the country right now?? Did I REALLY just pack up my life and put a fourth of it in storage?? Am I REALLY moving to the other side of the world?? Is ANY of this REALLY and TRULY happening??? It feels like some kind of weird dream and I imagine I will wake out of my sleep my 1st night in Abu Dhabi looking for my husband whom I already miss... On that note I will end this post and next post will be about the flight. Trying to not cry...

                                               Empty gate. I have a SIX hour layover!!!!

Just a dress rehearsal...

I made it to the airport. Ours isn't big or busy. I checked my luggage and made weight on all 3! I would have 4 but I shipped a box to myself prior to leaving! We won't talk about how much that cost... 

My family hung out with me for about 20 minutes before I headed to security. During that time my husband wrote all on my gates on my arm in Sharpie marker so someone can help me if I get lost! Then we said our good-byes and I did not cry! Almost. When my daughter cried because she won't be joining us in Abu Dhabi. If I started crying I probably wouldn't stop so I tried to hold it back. Only a few rebellious tears escaped.

I went on to security and my family stayed to watch me pass through. Good thing since my bag got checked and apparently toothpaste is a liquid so it must not be 6oz!! The nice lady walked it down to my husband! I waved bye and walked on to the terminal. I found a seat facing out the windows and waited. An announcement was made about bad weather in Charlotte and the airport there  being closed! We waited for an update. I went to talk to the lady at the counter. I had only 30 minutes between flights there and 1.5 in Chicago. The lady tried to find a new flight out of Charlotte that would allow me to make my connecting flight but there were none. I sat back down waiting to see if they would allow us to board in the next few minutes so I could still make it. As I watched out the window I saw my 3 bags going DOWN the conveyor belt and off the plane! Then I got to sit there and listen to them call for boarding, watch the others board and see the plane getting ready for take-off without me! 

When I first realized I would not make my flights I was a little upset- like a "oh no!" panic upset. Then I sat back in my window seat and started praying in the Holy Ghost. As I watched the plane get ready to leave I thought "I hope you will all be okay because God took me off that plane and I was getting on it with the protection of the blood." I prayed they arrive safely still. Then I said "It's ok. God has something better for me!"

For those who know me it should come as no surprise what my next 2 thoughts were. 1. What can I eat for dinner?? (I was finally starving. All I ate all day was 1/2 a vegan sausage). 2. Maybe I can still make it to church tonight!

So my husband came back to pick me up and we went back home. I emailed my HR to let them know and I requested to fly from Norfolk to DC and fly out of Dulles. They approved it!! I got my itinerary just a bit ago! So now I will leave on Friday afternoon! 

So here we are again. Back to me flying out of Dulles alone just as God told me in February. I wonder if there is a "divine connection" I'm suppose to meet in Dulles? Because the devil has tried awfully hard to keep me here and away from Dulles... 

Well, one more night in my bed and then I really will be off! Now I can help my husband finish boxing up the house and maybe our time apart will be even less than we thought!

This really has been an adventure already and I'm not even there yet! Stayed tuned! ;-)

Feelin' some kinda way :-/

My flight arrangements have been confirmed! I have one more night here. I leave Wednesday afternoon/evening. My husband will have to finish wrapping things up...

I bought a new case for my phone today. It gives my phone 100% more battery. My husband was afraid I'd be freakin out somewhere if my battery was dying. Probably he is also worried...

I am a basket case of emotions. Happy. Sad. Scared. Anxious. Nervous. Excited. You name it- I feel it! 

I will meet some of my fellow co-workers once I get to Chicago. But still I am alone. Ever been surrounded by hundreds of people but yet you felt totally isolated? My world unless I'm with my husband and kids... Well, back to denial. I'm NOT gonna think about it! But we all know what's gonna happen once my family leaves me at the airport on my own - I will be crying.....

1.5 hours later

I have my flight itinerary! My husband is sleeping and I refuse to wake him! Instead I'm here in this bed trying not to cry! FOUR AIRPORTS ALONE???? I will fly from VA to NC to Chicago to AD!!! I leave Wednesday...

I almost got lost once in the Ohare airport when I was a teenager traveling alone to visit my dad in Colorado... But God helped me then so I know He will do it again...

I'm gonna cry. I gotta go alone to FOUR airports!!! I don't even know what to do/ where to go because I always follow my husband and he takes care of everything! Everyone start praying NOW!!!

I'll cry tomorrow...

No sleep now!!!!

Since I cannot sleep now I might as well post to say I got my work visa in my email just a little while ago!!!

Am I packed and ready to go????? NO!

I just loaded up my storage shed yesterday and I'm not done packing the house!! Argh!!!

I have repacked my bags twice now trying to reduce. I think I will have FOUR checked bags, a carry-on and a "purse".

One of those bags was my son's. now I need to purchase him a new one!

The school will be ready (still building) in 3 weeks they say. They are behind with some things, like not sure when we will get furniture allowance. Our villas are new so not furnished this year... Anywho, because of the delays, we will go straight to Ghayathi Hotel from Abu Dhabi airport when we arrive. No time in AD. =(

We will stay a month in the hotel and then move into our new apartments. Because of the delay (really because God answers my prayers) they lifted the restrictions that would not allow me bring my family until I have my residency visa and apartment! They can come whenever we want to purchase the tickets! I'm still going alone though. They will wrap things up here and come right behind me. I prayed they would be 2 weeks or less behind me and God is such a good God that He worked it out so that it's totally up to us! =)

Stay tuned! Waiting for the travel/booking email now!!!!

Almost time...almost time...

I am awaiting my email. It will tell me my flight details.... My pastors prayed over me today and I was determined to not cry. I just don't think about my actual departure and that has been keeping me composed. Many of my friends at church hugged me good-bye today in case they don't see me Wednesday or next Sunday. I don't really know that I will be here for either of those services. I did not cry. But then one of the little boys came up to me. He is not little anymore. He is 14, like my son. When he was in 1st grade, I taught kindergarten at his school. I would find him every morning, give him a hug and tell him to have a good day. If he was having a bad day, he would come find me. I have been watching him grow up, just like my son. He waved at me during service and I remembered all of these things. It also reminded me of former students at the school I am leaving. They stop by my class every morning to say hello and there is one in particular that stops at my door or walks in place until I see him, give him a hug and tell him to have a good day. Well, the little boy in my church made sure to make his way to me after service to give me a hug and tell me good-bye in case he doesn't see me again before I leave and that did it. I cried.

The devil **IS** a liar!!!!

I have been trying to work my way through the house to clean, sort, pack and give things away. The other week I cleaned out my dresser drawers. Thursday I took the 2 full trash bags (reused store bags) to the living room to ask my son to take out for me. In my head I asked him to take them out, but I never verbally asked him too.
When I woke up Friday, I was quickened in my spirit to get up and get my paperwork in order. There are things I need to print and things I need to get copied. First I could not find my portfolio where I stored all of my authenticated documents. I started to fret but then I began to pray in the Holy Ghost. I found it. I proceeded to go through the list of required documents and note what needed to be copied and the number that I needed. I got to "passport" and went to my bedroom to get it out of my drawer. It wasn't there. I looked everywhere. I looked everywhere again. I prayed. I searched. I prayed. I searched. Nothing. I had to go to a hair appointment, followed by a visit with a friend, followed by dinner with another friend. No more time to search. When I returned home in the wee hours of the morning, I searched some more. My husband made me go to bed and told me to sleep on it. I dreamt about it. When I woke up, I checked the place where I dreamt I found it. It was not there. I started thinking about the day I cleaned out my dresser drawers. I started to get annoyed. The Bible says the violent take it by force. I started speaking to my situation. I said, "The devil IS a liar! I will leave on that passport that You orchestrated me getting all those years ago for this very purpose! My flight will not be delayed! I will NOT get a new passport! I will NOT pay for a new passport!" And then I immediately turned to leave my room, went out to the living room to the bags that I placed there a few days before. I picked up the white bag, looked at the side where I could clearly see a blue/black rectangular shape. I patted it. I opened the bag, slid my hand down the side and pulled out my passport!!!
Now you must understand, trash NEVER stays in my house. My husband and son IMMEDIATELY take out my trash. I never told my son to take it out. He didn't know it was there. My husband saw it Friday while I was at my hair appointment. He was going to take it out. He asked my son if it was trash and he didn't know so my husband left it. He almost took it out again Saturday morning, but again he did not know...
THE TRASH????? MY PASSPORT WAS IN THE TRASH???? All I could say was, I guess I am on  the right path because the devil is trying awfully hard to delay me. It would not have stopped me, but it could have delayed me.
All praises to God!!!!

Almost Time!!!

So people going over with Teach Away are starting to get departure dates!!! They vary from Aug 11th-19th so far!! I'm not with Teach Away but I know my day is coming!! Possibly 2 weeks until I go and I'm not finished packing my house yet!! I had my yard sales a few weeks ago and some things are packed. I still have to go rent a storage unit. I still have things to buy. So much to do and so little time! I need to be done by Saturday! Next week is camp meeting at church and I want to just relax!! As it is right now, I have a rock in the bottom of my stomach 90% of the time!! Ah, well!! Off to sleep! Will check my email in the morning! Maybe I'll have a departure date! Goodnight!!

Going ALONE???

I have been fighting that "God orchestrated" flight I told you about in February. I have been trying to work it out so my family can come with me AT THE SAME TIME. Yes. I am a BABY. And yes, God already knew... That is why we flew out of Dulles, I am sure of it... But that doesn't keep me from trying to make things go my way! I'm such a human! lol...
Seems this year, with them building new housing in Ruwais for the Ghayathi teachers that we will have a furniture allowance instead of furnished housing. The allowance may not be ready when we arrive so I will have to stay at a 5 star resort hotel (oh darn!) until I can purchase furniture and have it delivered to my new house. If I end up having to room with another female teacher, then my family would have no where to stay. I would have to get them a room for all the days until our place is ready! OUCH! I do not have AD money... I am American and on a US TEACHER'S salary! Or what's left of it!
So as much as I want to travel WITH my family, seems I will be traveling ALONE. =(
I expect my work visa to come through email sometime next week and I believe I am flying out on or about August 14th.
Let us pray and agree that I will NOT have a hotel roommate. I will NOT be alone without my family longer than 2 weeks. My son will arrive well before the start of his school year (Sept 8th- my mom's birthday).
On the plus side- does that mean **I** get to pick out all of the furniture for my new house and they have to live with it?!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!! ;-)

Being a vessel

I rarely go onto the online FB forum anymore. However, one day I was on and there was a girl asking what people do if they do NOT get hired by ADEC. I told her to apply with the private schools and I gave her the email address for the lady who hired me. She and I began messaging each other. I let the lady at my school know about her and the girl sent her CV. Long story short, she was hired! She will not be at my campus but at the MZ campus. God does things very quickly! I am happy to have been a vessel through which this young lady received her blessing! =)

Look at God (Part 2)!!!

So I admit that I have been procrastinating when it comes to withdrawing my son from school. I even told my husband I need to get it done because no telling where his records will be when I fill out the paperwork. He is moving from middle school to high school.
Well, Monday his middle school called me. They needed proof of residency before they could send his records over to the high school. He's been at that school for all 3 years of middle school. No one caught that when he moved there from the elementary school??? Well praise God!
I told them I would come up the next day and that I was glad they called. I told them it would be great if they could just not send his records at all because I will be withdrawing him from school! So on Tuesday I went up there. I withdrew him from school and asked for copies of report cards for the last 3 years. The lady told me that the school would have to request it be faxed to them. I told her we are leaving the country. She said she would be nice to me and she gave me a copy of all 3 years! Favor! Bless God! ;-)

Look at God!

I just received an email in the middle of the night (time difference) from my future employer. I didn't actually see it until I woke up this morning. It was a request to get a criminal background check done. No stress here though because this is something I already had to do for ADEC! Praise God I already had this done months ago! So I just went straight to my laptop, composed a reply email and uploaded the attachment! Apparently, this was not requested of the private school teachers in the past but is a new rule the employer just learned of! But God already went before me and made my crooked paths straight so no worries for me! Now I can just continue with the business of packing and selling my things! God is sooooooo good!!!

Emotional Rollercoasters

My papers came back from the UAE Embassy today! I have nothing left to authenticate! I've been trying for 5 days now to buckle down and pack my house. I haven't been very successful. I've packed 2 boxes of books and 1/3 of a box of clothes. Packing my clothes for storage made me want to cry. The closer it gets, the more I find myself becoming an emotional basket case... As much as I've been wanting to move away for years now, this has been home for the past 25 years of my life... Ever since my dad was stationed here....... Ahhhhhhhh......

God's Reassurances

It was just the other week that I showed my friend my dirham- the one I found in my drawer at home. Well, he went to 7-11 on his lunch break today and lo and behold, this is what the clerk gave him for change! He said he started to tell them to give him a "real" quarter when he realized what he was holding in his hand! He decided he had to bring it back so he could give it to me!
Just that morning (and the night before as I drove home from church), God and I were having a conversation about this move. It can seem kind of surreal at times- especially when you haven't heard anything from HR and you aren't actually doing anything to leave. I mean, I come home to a full fridge and a totally lived in house and yet, I am about to move to the other side of the world in just a few months. Really??????? This dirham felt like another small, subtle reassurance from God that I am doing His will for me.... I mean, what were the chances of this happening???

Another Dirham!!!

UAE Embassy Bound!!!

All papers are back from Secretary of State! They are now headed to the UAE Embassy! Back to D.C. they go! Hope they will be stamped and back by next week! I think all's left is to get my son's school records and make multiple copies of our passports.... Time to get the paperwork organized!

When you have a word!

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matt 5:8)
When God gives you a word, you have to hold onto it, even when you don't see anything changing in the physical realm. You have to believe what He said before it manifests. Some people won't believe it until they see it, so they will never see it. That is the world's way, not God's. Faith is believing without seeing. But the fact is- you DO see it before you see it! You must see it in the spiritual realm and then you will see it in the physical realm. Everything that happens in this world happened first in the spiritual realm. That is the way God works.So this Abu Dhabi adventure reminds me that although I don't see things happening, things are happening. I received an email yesterday to inform me that I have cleared security. Now they are working on my medical and visa. I don't have day-to-day contact with HR and don't always get a response when I write to ask questions- or I get a response that I don't understand (language barriers) because maybe they didn't understand what I was asking? However, I have to remember that just like with God- things are happening even when I think nothing is happening!

If I could bottle that...

I was at church tonight for Wednesday service. I love the energy in the air when God's presence can be felt. I closed my eyes and raised my hands and tried to memorize how I felt because I know one day soon this will be just that- a memory... I won't be able to grasp it any more than I could grasp it today. It's a fleeting feeling that you just have to soak up while you are in the moment... Thank God for live streaming but I will still miss my church. I will be able to see them but they won't be able to see me. I won't be able to hug my friends or shake hands with newcomers... Some days I just can't believe that my whole world is about to change... Really?? Me?? Wow...

Doing it WITHOUT ProEx (this time)...

I had all of my papers ready when I had my interview with ADEC. I authenticated my teaching license and my degree BEFORE I had the interview. I used the ProEx delivery service. Yep. I paid $125 for that service, plus the fees charged by the U.S. Dept of State and the UAE Embassy for authentication AND shipping charges... And then they DECLINED my candidacy! Well, their loss because I am an AWESOME teacher!
ADNOC requires me to authenticate my recent employment as well. A friend suggested I authenticate ALL letters of employment-to be safe. So I have to authenticate THREE. I also still needed to authenticate my son's birth certificate and my marriage certificate. We are also authenticating my husband's degree, just in case he finds a job over there and needs it. I read in a forum somewhere that it is easier to just get that done now before leaving, so we are. That's a grand total of SIX items, which racks up quite a bit of money in fees MINUS the $125 ProEx would charge.
I went on the U.S. Dept of State website to fill out and print the form I need. I wrote a check and headed to the post office armed with my 6 documents, the check, the form, and the address for the U.S. Dept of State. I purchased 2 priority mail flat rate envelopes. One of them I addressed to myself and put in the other with the paperwork to send to D.C.. When it all comes back to me, it is on to the UAE Embassy!

Foreshadowing??

I started a foreign coin collection when I was a little girl. My dad was in the Army and he brought me coins from places he visited. I also have coins that I have found or friends have given me. I don't have some stellar coin collection in a nice little case. They are actually housed in a small box in my drawer. The box use to house a small Amish doll my mom bought me once when she went back home to Pennsylvania and visited the Amish store. But I digress... One day, maybe a few years ago(?), I found this coin. The back of it is pretty scratched up. I probably found it in the road while on a walk. I can make out the country. I remember when I found it and read the back- I thought, "United Arab Emirates...? Where is that??" Funny.... Now I am moving there!

1 Dirham

Slow going... but it's still going...

Every once in a while, I've heard from HR this month- mostly in reference to my son. They are making sure a spot is secured for him at the high school. Today, I met two other new employees at my school! Well, not in person, but on Facebook. That was exciting though because I have been feeling isolated in my journey since most people I've met are going over with ADEC. Nice to meet someone in my same situation! Well, that's the only update I have for now...

Just when you think it's over....

I think I have sent/resent everything necessary to HR since I have not heard from them lately... But now I have paperwork to fill out for my son's school application.... At least it is a little less daunting! But nonetheless, more paperwork... One day the paperwork will be all behind me- or at least I can hope!!

ABU WHAT?!!? ***WHERE*** is that???

When I say I am moving to Abu Dhabi, no one seems to know what I said or where it is... I use the Sex in the City 2 reference, but it's so old now and apparently not everyone watched it... I say I am going to the U.A.E. and they still have no clue. I reply that it borders Saudi Arabia and then they freak out! I say it is near Dubai where Tom Cruise filmed Mission Impossible 4 in that tall, tall building and they seem to calm down and get happy/excited for me. So here is a map so we are all clear on WHERE I am going! 

I am not actually going to Abu Dhabi City. =(  I am going to the DESERT! The Western Region aka the Wild, Wild West! I will live in Ruwais and I will work in Ghayathi. On weekends, you may find me in Abu Dhabi City or Dubai! Or you may find me at the 5 star resort located in Ruwais! I will have membership there so I may be lounging by the pool or swimming in the gulf! You never know!

For those who are worried about my safety- don't worry. I'd rather you pray! ;-) However, I have no fear about it since God is the one who set this all up! If He will take care of the birds of the air, surely He will take care of me!

And by the way- I am tentatively slotted to teach KG1 which is 3 year olds! I am excited about that! 3 year olds are just babies! I love babies!

Some days this feels like a dream. It feels like I am just imagining all of this in my head. And then I think about how I have only THREE months left to pack my stuff up and leave the only world I've known for quite a while! Well, it will be a true adventure and life is meant to be lived so live it I will! Abu Dhabi bound!!!!

Download, print, write, scan, send...scan, send...scan, send...

I've spent the last few weeks doing paperwork. I've spent more time on my google account than you can imagine RE-SENDING paperwork! Every morning it seems I wake up to emails from HR asking for something I already sent! My degree and license are already authenticated, but for the private school, I also have to authenticate my latest work experience letter. So that had to be notarized and sent off to the Secretary of the State. I imagine that will be back by Wednesday. Then I will send it off with my marriage license and son's birth certificate so everything can go to D.C. and come back authenticated! Now I guess I just wait... Hopefully, I DON'T wake up to another email from HR tomorrow. The time difference really makes it a pain! I get the emails after midnight (8 am or so for them) and by the time I wake up and try to reply their work day is ending! Not to mention they work Sunday through Thursday! And soon that will be me! =)

Divine Connections!!!

I already know 2 people in Abu Dhabi- a former co-worker and a friend from high school. My former co-worker told me to apply with the oil companies and private schools, but I didn't know where to look (until that day when God led me to read that post of the FB forum). Well, she also told me one of her co-workers there left ADEC to work for ADNOC. I contacted her today to find out where her ex-coworker is located. She started a FB conversation between myself and her ex-coworker. She is located in Madinat Zayed and works for the lady who interviewed me! She is one of the curriculum specialists and she will be at my school in the beginning of the year to help open it! We are now FB friends and when she comes off spring break (they get TWO weeks over there!), we are going to chat! I am so excited because she can tell me more about the company I am working for, the curriculum, what I do/do not need to scan/bring over, and just about life in the desert region! God really does put people into place so that all things work for your good when you are His child! Excited!!!! =)

Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above!!!!

God is able to do just what He said He would do!
He's gonna fulfill every promise to you!
Don't give up on God, cause He won't give up on you!
He's able!

(The song they sang at church Sunday- March 25th... God was speaking to me!)

March 27th- I found a contract in my email!!!! I am going to Abu Dhabi!!! And this contract is so much better than what ADEC had offered me! It is a few hundred dollars less, BUT- my son goes to school for FREE! I have furnished housing AND UTILITIES PAID! I will be reimbursed if I want to ship some of my items over or have excess baggage at the airport! I will receive an interest free car loan if I want to get a car.

I signed my contract and emailed it back when I got home from church. This morning I had an email requesting a color copy of my passport and a copy of my passport photo to get my medical ready. Thanks to ADEC, that was already in a nice little file on my computer, so attach, attach and click! It was sent back immediately!


Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Interview? What interview?

March 16th I had my Skype interview! It was about 35 minutes long. Most of the interview was spent with her telling me about the ADNOC schools. Then she says, "I know I didn't ask you any teacher questions but I see your CV and obviously you can teach! I'm sure you can tell me all about differentiated instruction. My job is really just to make sure you aren't crazy!" To that I literally LOLed!
She told me my CV and her recommendation would be forwarded to HR and I will hear from them with either a decline or a contract. She told me I could contact her if I have any questions about my contract or anything else. After our interview (conversation?), she emailed me and asked for a reference she could contact. I sent her my former principal's email and let him know she would be contacting him. She told me I would hear back in a week or two from HR.
God is soooooo good!!!! THAT is FAVOR!!!!

That can't be so!

On March 4th, I received an email from Teach Away on behalf of ADEC. They DECLINED MY CANDIDACY!
SAY WHAT??? I have **10** years teaching experience! And I'm a GOOD teacher with GOOD management skills! I read the email THREE time! It still read "Unfortunately..." =(
I was in shock for a day. I believed without wavering. I called those things that be not as though they were...
God reminded me about Kita's dream. God reminded me that he put my friend at peace about my move and why would He do that if I was not going? God reminded me of the flight out of Dulles airport. God reminded me of how seamlessly everything had already fallen into place. I could not see HOW I was getting to Abu Dhabi, but I just continued to trust in God because I knew He was going to get me there!
Then I realized "It's not that I'm not good enough for you. It's that my God said YOU are not good enough for ME!"
While waiting to hear back from TA, I had been perusing their FB forum. While perusing, I saw a post from a principal at Glenelg (private school owned by ADNOC). I went back on the forum to get her info and it had been deleted! I remembered her name though so I found her on FB and messaged her. We aren't FB friends so my message will go to her "other" box, which is like spam. Then I googled her and the school and found their page. I sent a contact form to HR explaining who I was looking for and about her post on FB. They forwarded my message to her. She emailed me on March 5th and asked me to send her my CV which I did PROMPTLY, of course! On March 6th she emailed me again to set up a Skype interview on the 16th!
God is soooooooooo good!!!!
RECAP: 3/4- ADEC declined candidacy
               3/5- Email from Glenelg principal
               3/6- Skype interview set up for 3/16 with Glenelg principal

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose! Romans 8:28

NYC Interview trip

The task of going to NYC required some research on plane prices and train prices, trying to find the most economical route. We checked our neighboring airports and train stations. I even checked to see what it would total if I took a train up and a plane down or vice versa. Finally, my husband looked up flights from D.C. and it was 1/2 what we would have paid to leave from near home! So we made a 2 hour car trip to D.C. to fly out of Dulles airport. What is the significance of this story??
ADEC will fly me out of Dulles airport. I am the type of person who needs to know things ahead of time, and my God knows me well! When I go to Abu Dhabi alone, my family will have to leave me right at the front of the airport and I will continue on the rest of the journey **alone**. I was so happy to be able to go through the whole ordeal with my husband. My nerves will be calmer when I have to do it by myself now! I do believe this flight out of Dulles was God orchestrated!

It all began with a dream...

It was a vision really...
Kita and I were best friends in 8th grade. We were still BFFs in 9th grade, but we had to go to separate high schools and we slowly drifted apart. We ran into each other a few years ago and we exchanged numbers but nothing really came of that. Then in October, God laid me on her heart. She didn't call me. I was on her mind all week. She still didn't call me. Then she had a dream, a vision. She called me on October 6th to tell me about her vision. Long story short- in the vision, we were somewhere foreign because there were markets outside. It was also somewhere very, very, very HOT. We lived near the water and there was this purse in the vision. The color of the purse was Miami blue (like the water). My favorite color! There were some things that happened in the vision, like things I did and said that were me through and through but Kita wouldn't know that since we haven't been in touch in so long. Kita said she has had only a few other visions in her life and every time she had one, something changed in that persons life. She was sure a change was on its way! Well, my pastor always says "Put it on a shelf." If it is from God, it will come to pass.
I tried to make the vision fit my plan. I had entered to win the HGTV condo in Miami. That didn't happen. And then I just forgot about it.
In December, Abu Dhabi just dropped in my spirit. (I always wondered what that meant when pastor would say something like that.). It would not get off my mind until I put in an application with Teach Away. Then I found peace.
I was contacted by Teach Away about a week later. I had a phone interview on January 9th. I was told I would hear back in a week or so if I was selected for an in-person interview. I got an email **14** minutes later saying I was selected. That email also told me all my next steps (authenticating license and degree, getting passport, employment verification, FBI check, reference letter, etc.) I started on that immediately. I had my stuff ready by the end of the month. My IPI was set up for Feb 27th, a Wednesday, in NYC. That meant I would have to miss Tuesday and Wednesday from work. I emailed my rep to see if there was any way possible that I could get a Sunday interview on the 24th instead. I did. So we flew up to NYC on the 23rd and shopped and I interviewed on the 24th. It went very well. I was told they would be interviewing in Chicago and Phoenix so no response would be given until those interviews are done- after March 19th. So I went back home to wait. In the meantime, I have a friend who is incarcerated right now and he was worried about me moving to Abu Dhabi. Someone gave him a magazine to read (not a travel magazine, just a regular magazine). As he read it, he came across an article about Abu Dhabi, complete with pictures! God had given him peace about my situation!