Well, it's official.

I'm going. 

Some of you have heard hints about this trip, but I don't think anyone has heard the complete set of details, so I might as well start from the beginning. About a month or so ago, I was on the ATI website and happened to be looking at the open staff positions right now. One caught my eye immediately. It was at the ALERT Academy , required a 2-month time commitment, and was for an Events Coordinator. After reading the job description, I thought it sounded like something I would desire to pursue. I wrote down the information and then forgot about it for a few weeks, thinking that my dad would probably not be in favor of me going. But when VVC was starting to schedule things for next year's Foster/Kinship Care Education schedule (starting July 1, I am part-time VVC faculty, as an FKCE Trainer) I thought that I had better speak up before the scheduling actually happened, or forget about going. I thought, What can it hurt? So I brought it up to my dad, using my ever-preferred method of communication....a letter. I waited nervously while he read it, and when he was done he said, "That sounds like it would be alright." (If you don't know my dad well, and don't know what a surprise that last sentence is intended to create in your mind, ask me about it later. :-D)

That started the process in motion. The next morning I called ALERT, and after several phone calls back and forth with various folks including Mrs. Tanner (the wife of the Director), it looked like they would appreciate having me the months of October and November. Planning (or, helping to plan) Family Camp (October 7-14) was something I really wanted to participate in, and there were four other things "thrown in" that would be exciting, too (such as the ALERT graduation in November). I still didn't think that my dad would actually let me go, and I had mixed feelings about the trip myself. It would obviously be the longest time I'd been away from home before, and being away from my family is not something I typically enjoy doing on a frequent basis. But there were also the benefits--with the experience, and the chance to further a ministry that I am indebted to, and the opportunity to be working with some likeminded folks.

The biggie was going to be talking to the Director of the FKCE program at VVC. I told her about the program, the opportunity, and then said, "But I know that, obviously, I have obligations here and I'm not just going to abandon those."

Her support was immediate and surprisingly positive. She made an announcement in a Staff Meeting that the program was proud to have a "representative" with the kinds of responsibilities I would be taking on, and that they would all endeavor to "cover" for me while I was gone. She gave me her full permission.

Wow! Things were really starting to get rolling! I waited for a few days on a call from Transportation (from DFW, it's a 5-hour roundtrip event to get someone to Big Sandy) but finally yesterday I spoke to the Transportation Director and he said that everything "was going to work out". This morning my parents, siblings and I had a pow-wow and by the time my dad left for work I had made my airline ticket purchase and was scheduled to be in Big Sandy from September 30 through November 18!

I'll be in Big Sandy, Texas (about 2 1/2 hours east of Dallas. (See here for a map of Dallas and Big Sandy)The week after I come will be Family Camp...for those of you who haven't been the internet site is here. I'll also be present for several other events, banquets, etc. The single girls (of which I'll be part) live in a house about a mile from the main campus, in the nicest of the houses in the gated staffhousing section. Usually the girls walk to and from "work" (always in at least pairs). I'll have all of my food, etc. provided through the staff kitchen, so that will be nice. On Friday nights they have...a...sort-of "event" where all of the families get together to have dinner, play volleyball, and various other activities. Sunday mornings there are several options for "churching". There are local congregations that are conservative, and also a Campus Fellowship (think: home church) that's unofficially run on campus. Since I'm pretty comfortable in home churches, I'll probably decide to go to the Campus Fellowship, but we'll see how things go. Sunday evenings there are services for everybody, including the staff, families and ALERT battalion (yep, guys separate from the others!), in the Campus Chapel. That will be lots of fun! :-D

Anyhow, just wanted to let you all know about the plans, how the Lord has led, and how things are "taking shape". I'm excited to be going, and excited to be seeing what God will do.

More on all of this as the time when I leave approaches.