Not a whole lot is going on here in Northern California, except that it wasn't too sunny here the last couple of days. Last weekend's weather finally brought us some rain! Although it wasn't nearly enough to help with the current water shortage problem, it was definitely a time of refreshment amidst the last few weeks of quite hot temperatures in our area, and it was nice not to have to water the lawn for a couple days as it saved a couple bucks on our water bill. God is good! He's always good!
My two interviews last week went well. Berean Christian High School has added me to their list of substitute teachers. This is an important step as it has allowed me to get my foot in the door, so to speak. Now, I just hope that they will call me on a somewhat regular basis, at least as regular as the need for a substitute can get.
Another interview I had last week was with a company that contracts out to the local school districts to pick up and take home special needs children. I have been accpeted into the program which begins on September 23rd, at the end of which I will have a Class B commercial driver's license. So, even if the job doesn't work out, I will have obtained a CDL through it all, and they will have paid for it.
I am also waiting to hear back from another job at Pizza Hut for a part-time delivery driver and team member. This one isn't as lucrative as I would've liked, but a second job is better than no second job, no matter how you slice it. Logistically, I don't know how it will work with what's already been put into motion. For example, if Berean calls for me to substitute on a day that I'm scheduled to work at Pizza Hut, I'm inclined to tell Pizza Hut that I can't work there on that day, if the two schedules conflict. My thinking here is that ultimately I consider Berean the priority as it would probably pay better, and in the future it could lead to a full-time position at the school. The same is also true of the school bus position. I may be concerned over nothing, though, as I have yet to hear back from Pizza Hut. But I intend to be completely above board with the restaurant manager about this dilemma, should he call me back.
Still yet another possibility is a operator helper trainee position at Eagle Oil Refinery here in town. This one is the most lucrative position for which I am in the running (over $23/hour), but it is also the one position which will take the most time away from my church-work. I put in my resume and application on a whim, as most of the time, the kinds of jobs are swing shift positions, and I stated that I wouldn't be able to work on Sundays and certain evenings. Needless to say, I didn't expect to hear back from them. But I recieved a letter from them asking me to take a written exam on September 28th to see if I will be eligible to continue with the candidacy.
Needless to say, we covet your prayers in many different ways. So, please pray that God's will be done, and that He will provide us with undeniable guidance in the following areas:
1. My seemingly unending pursuit of a second job to fill the financial gap in my family's life. Right now, we are just barely keeping our heads above the water, but with David's dental bills and the lack of a steady second job, that won't be the case for much longer if God doesn't move. He didn't call us here to be left by the wayside. So, we're confident that He will provide, and the church has been very helpful in all of this as various members have been randomly helping with dropping off groceries or taking us out for dinner or lunch, and the church gave me an extra $500 this month to help out. Just please PRAY for us to remain patient for God's timing on all of this.
2. We have begun home-schooling all three kids through ABeka Academy video school. This was mainly a financial decision, as I mentioned in an earlier post. But even $222/month is tough on a tight budget, which is what we have. Additionally, though, I'm sure most of you know that home-schooling is no walk in the park with one kid, but with three, it's a feels like a daily run through the gauntlet for Dulcy. I help out when I am able, but for the most part, this is something that Dulcy is doing on her own. So, please PRAY that Dulcy will continue to have the energy, consistency, and determination on a daily basis.
3. I have begun a new kid's program at church on Wednesday nights. It's called Shout Praises Kids! and is through Integrity Music. Right now, we only have 5 kids in attendance, including our three, but it is a fun program, and one that the kids enjoy. So, please PRAY that God will have His way in the lives of the kids that are coming, and that is He sees fit, that we will see growth both in spirituality and numbers (in that order).
Well, that's about all I have for the Healey family right now. Thank you all so much for all your prayers and thoughts.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine
Mark 10:45
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
September Update...
Well, things are clipping along at a rather fast pace here in the East Bay area of Northern California. Since our arrival from Korea, we have been able to reconnect with both pairs of grandparents now, which, in a sense, solidifies the end of our transition back to the States. We still feel like this is some kind of wierd vacation that will soon come to an end, but realize that it isn't, and that this is our home now. Our minds are consistently going back to "Korea Mode", thinking about all we would be doing there at this point with getting back into the flow of school and what-not. We certainly do miss all of our friends and the students at ICS-Uijongbu, but are daily reminded and assured that this is where God has called us to be at this point in our family's journey.
My Mom and Dad came to visit about a week and a half ago. And while it was cut short because of Space-A travelling restrictions, we had a great visit with them. This was the first time since we moved to Korea that the kids had been able to spend time with their grandparents on my side, and the first time that they and Katherine had met, since she was born in Korea. We went to the Jelly Belly Factory over in Fairfield, CA, which was a blast. And we took them to the Golden Gate Bridge, too. I figured it would be a travesty to travel clear across the country to the San Francisco Bay Area, and not go see the Golden Gate. All in all, we had a great time of reunion, and we can't wait to spend more time with them in the future.
Speaking of school, we have decided to go with ABeka Academy Video School for the kids, and are going to begin that next Tuesday. It was a difficult decision to make, as it will put more responsibility on Dulcy and I for the kids' education, but financially, it was the only feasible avenue for action. With pastoral discounts at different schools around the area, we would have been paying approximately $650 a month for all three kids, which is a really good price, actually. But $650, compared to the $220 that we are paying with ABeka, is still a lot of money. So, we are trusting and praying that God will help us meet the somehwhat daunting task of home-schooling all three kids, and we know that He will.
I just recieved a call from Berean Christian High School, in Walnut Creek, for an interview next Wednesday, Sept. 9th, for a substitute teaching position. According to the principal and director, this would be a good way for me to get my foot in the door, for them to get to know me, and vice-versa. So, this is a big praise and answer to prayer. I have placed a total of 20 applications and resumes this week alone, and I have more to do today. Please continue to PRAY that God will guide me to exactly the right job.
We took David to the dentist yesterday, and got some pretty bad news. He's in need of a lot of dental work, and we don't have the money for it, even with our dental insurance. I'm going to be calling the dentist back today to see if we can cut back on some of the less urgent things first. The first hurdle they presented was that he needs a root canal. I'm kind of fuzzy on whether or not this tooth is one of his permanents or not. And if it isn't, I don't completely understand why they want to do all that work on a tooth that's going to fall out in the next couple of years. But this is why I'm going to be calling them back today. So, please PRAY that God will provide guidance and funds in this financial area, too.
Concerning church, things are going well. We are going to be starting a new kid's mid-week program next Wednesday. I also had breakfast today with one of the men of the church to talk about re-starting a Men's Prayer Breakfast each month, and I'm excited and encouraged that this is the Lord's will for the men of our church right now. Please PRAY that this endeavor will be a source of encouragement and spiritual growth for our men. The youth group, for which I am now leading the Bible study, is going strong. We have our meetings on Thursday nights, and so far they've all been a blast. The more important thing, though, is that we always have good discussion times that are somewhat deeper than the normal superficiality that sometimes seems inherent in teenagers these days. Please PRAY that this trend will continue.
Well, that's about it. I've got to hit the pavement to put some more applications in today, and do some reading and studying. So, thank you again for all your prayers and support, just keep it coming...:)
In His Service,
Sam
Mark 10:45
My Mom and Dad came to visit about a week and a half ago. And while it was cut short because of Space-A travelling restrictions, we had a great visit with them. This was the first time since we moved to Korea that the kids had been able to spend time with their grandparents on my side, and the first time that they and Katherine had met, since she was born in Korea. We went to the Jelly Belly Factory over in Fairfield, CA, which was a blast. And we took them to the Golden Gate Bridge, too. I figured it would be a travesty to travel clear across the country to the San Francisco Bay Area, and not go see the Golden Gate. All in all, we had a great time of reunion, and we can't wait to spend more time with them in the future.
Speaking of school, we have decided to go with ABeka Academy Video School for the kids, and are going to begin that next Tuesday. It was a difficult decision to make, as it will put more responsibility on Dulcy and I for the kids' education, but financially, it was the only feasible avenue for action. With pastoral discounts at different schools around the area, we would have been paying approximately $650 a month for all three kids, which is a really good price, actually. But $650, compared to the $220 that we are paying with ABeka, is still a lot of money. So, we are trusting and praying that God will help us meet the somehwhat daunting task of home-schooling all three kids, and we know that He will.
I just recieved a call from Berean Christian High School, in Walnut Creek, for an interview next Wednesday, Sept. 9th, for a substitute teaching position. According to the principal and director, this would be a good way for me to get my foot in the door, for them to get to know me, and vice-versa. So, this is a big praise and answer to prayer. I have placed a total of 20 applications and resumes this week alone, and I have more to do today. Please continue to PRAY that God will guide me to exactly the right job.
We took David to the dentist yesterday, and got some pretty bad news. He's in need of a lot of dental work, and we don't have the money for it, even with our dental insurance. I'm going to be calling the dentist back today to see if we can cut back on some of the less urgent things first. The first hurdle they presented was that he needs a root canal. I'm kind of fuzzy on whether or not this tooth is one of his permanents or not. And if it isn't, I don't completely understand why they want to do all that work on a tooth that's going to fall out in the next couple of years. But this is why I'm going to be calling them back today. So, please PRAY that God will provide guidance and funds in this financial area, too.
Concerning church, things are going well. We are going to be starting a new kid's mid-week program next Wednesday. I also had breakfast today with one of the men of the church to talk about re-starting a Men's Prayer Breakfast each month, and I'm excited and encouraged that this is the Lord's will for the men of our church right now. Please PRAY that this endeavor will be a source of encouragement and spiritual growth for our men. The youth group, for which I am now leading the Bible study, is going strong. We have our meetings on Thursday nights, and so far they've all been a blast. The more important thing, though, is that we always have good discussion times that are somewhat deeper than the normal superficiality that sometimes seems inherent in teenagers these days. Please PRAY that this trend will continue.
Well, that's about it. I've got to hit the pavement to put some more applications in today, and do some reading and studying. So, thank you again for all your prayers and support, just keep it coming...:)
In His Service,
Sam
Mark 10:45
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