Back in Europe...AGAIN?!

Well... the time has come for me to start up my blog again! I'm back in Europe and am having lots of fun adventures to tell you about! Before I start with the stories however, let me tell you how I ended up back here once again.

Some of my co-workers at the Keg, people I love very much!

When I was still in Italy, my plan was to come back home, get a full time job (like a big girl!) and join the real world. That didn't exactly happen. I went back to working as a hostess at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar and was completely unsuccessful in all my attempts to find a regular 9-5 job. Settling back into life in Dallas again was a little bit difficult. I was happy to be home and to be able to spend time with my friends and family again, but I kept thinking about the incredible life experiences I was missing out on abroad. I still had some lifelong goals that I wanted to accomplish that can be done only by means of traveling, so I started looking into traveling once again.

Me and Tabitha in Ecuador

One of the goals I have is to learn to speak Spanish fluently, so I was considering South or Central America. At the same time, I felt very burdened over the spiritual emptiness I discovered in Europe and wanted to do something to create an awareness for the need there. I spent many long hours researching opportunities online and looking for the right place to help. I even took a trip to Ecuador to visit a missionary friend there and observe her day to day life to see if it would be something God had called me to do. Although I found such a huge need for the gospel in Europe, I kept leaning towards South America because it was a new place (I've gotten to know Europe pretty well by now), had a greater need in regards to poverty, and would ensure that I learned Spanish well. However, during my trip to Ecuador, I realized that South America is not where I am called to go. That drastically changed my plans! Talking to my missionary friend Tabitha really opened my eyes to how God can use me anywhere I go and showed me that doing ministry somewhere God doesn't call you to be is not the best place for you to be! My actual desire had been to go au pair again, because I love the experience living in another culture and becoming part of a family and being stretched and grown from the work involved. Unfortunately, I had pushed that thought out of my head because I thought I had to be a missionary or be in ministry in order to be doing what God really wanted me to do. Boy was I wrong! And I am so thankful for friends that helped me figure out the truth about God and the wonderful plan He has for my life.

I guess that's why all my other plans fell through. For months, I spent hours upon hours looking for different opportunities and applying to them online. I had been talking to dozens of missions organizations, but none of them had open positions and nothing worked out. I even signed up for an eleven month missions trip around the world called The World Race and obtained a spot on a team that was already full, but ended up dropping out after still not feeling like it was the right place for me to be. Fortunately, after my trip to Ecuador I was at least able to cross South America off the list of options. While in Ecuador I had figured out my heart was still really drawn to Europe and I was quite passionate about the countries and the people there. I began brainstorming about what possible opportunities there might be in Europe for me to share the love of Christ with people. Reflecting on my time in Italy, I remembered conversations that I had with friends who were so hungry for more - for deeper things in life - and I relived the shock that there were virtually no places for young people my age in Italy to hear more about Christ, to ask questions, and to grow. I became convinced that I wanted to work in some sort of University ministry somewhere in Europe, working with college students and bringing to them what is not readily available. I looked at more missions organizations and was met with even more closed doors. The only positions I found were support-based salary positions, and there is no way I know enough people to raise a full salary for a year.

I also started searching for au pair positions for the summer, hoping to do au pair for the summer and continue on to ministry or work with University students in the Fall and possibly Spring. After about a month of searching and planning, I finally found a family in Bilbao, Spain that wanted me to come for the summer. It wasn't the location in Spain I was hoping for, but the family seemed perfect and everything felt right. Well, I have definitely learned that feelings aren't everything. Sadly, the family had a last minute change of plans and no longer needed an au pair for the summer. I was back to square one.

Mijas, Spain, location of G42

I continued to look for au pair positions and ministry positions, but I honestly had no clue where I was going to end up. I talked to as many people as possible and tried to make connections so that I could hear about more opportunities in Europe. One of my friends introduced me via facebook to one of her friends who sent me a few links to programs in Spain, one of the countries I was most interested in (I still didn't want to let go of my goal of speaking Spanish fluently!). While I was checking out the links, I found an incredible program that immediately captured my attention. It was called G42, a leadership academy in the south of Spain that launches you into the dream and vision that God has for your future. True, it wasn't exactly the University ministry I had been looking for, but G42 peaked my certainly interest, so I applied and asked God that if He didn't want me to go, then to close the door by having my acceptance denied.


Needless to say I was accepted, and now I am planning to spend six months in Spain from July to December 2011, something I'm quite excited about! That still left me a month or so before I would leave to start the G42 program, so I continued looking for an au pair position for just the month of June. Let me just tell you - that is not an easy thing to find. Hours were spent (again) looking and looking in Spain for an au pair job that would help me acclimate to the Spanish culture, lifestyle, and language before moving there permanently for six months, but every single door closed. One day I simply gave up. Spain was not working, even France was unsuccessful. No family felt right in either place, and I was running out of time. I had to think of other options. On top of my long term plans, I had been hoping to visit Ireland, the country that was currently number one on my list of places to go. In a lightbulb moment, I realized I might as well try to find an au pair job there, since it was for such a short period of time anyways.

And guess what? I found one :)

My bedroom in Ireland

And now I'm here in my Irish family's house, wonderfully welcomed by such a kind family and town, sitting on my bed with the sun streaming through the windows and peaking out over the green rolling hills and amidst the fluffy, cotton ball clouds. Just over the nearest mountain, I'm sure the blue harbor of Schull is shimmering in the sunshine. The chicken in the backyard is clucking, the expecting cat is laying lazily on the chair, and tiny white seeds are floating through the wind outside my window. What a beautiful country... I am so blessed to have ended up here of all places!

Our house!

I am very much looking forward to spending the next month here with the wonderful Connell family - Amanda (the mother), Meg (the 17 year old daughter), and Sharon (Meg's 17 year old friend who lives with them). Amanda works in another town as a college professor several nights of the week and is not able to be home for a few days at a time, so she had me come to help look after her daughter and be there so the kids aren't on their own all the time. They are such a great family, and I am really excited about the time we have to spend together. I know the time may be short, but I am determined to make the most of it!

Sharon, Amanda, and Meg last year