I said that I might be updating about YWAM here on the
blog, not wanting to crowd people's e-mail when they might not be interested,
but even for those who ARE interested, I haven't managed to write anything.
There isn't much to write, though...We haven't yet actually made a decision
about going.
The mission work here has been picking up lately, and
there are several opportunities for my husband next spring that he's not sure he
should pass up. (One is as a guest speaker at the Christian Business People's
convention, another is working with the President of the State Parliament in the
60-year anniversary of the state to "get the church more involved in the
governement--HER request. Yet another opportunity, although not specifically
spring, is that the Catholic liason with the Parliament talked with Jörn about
getting involved in a parliamentary prayer breakfast.)
In addition, a very caring friend wrote to me about some
of her concerns about YWAM. I followed all of the links she provided (and did a
lot more searching), and found very little basis for concern (although very
understandable that she was concerned), but in discussing it all with my
husband, we did find some things that supported some hesitancy we already had.
Basically, we just don't know, and we're praying for wisdom.
And in the meantime, my husband met with his boss at the
bank, where he works 20 hours a week (officially...it's usually more). We'd
originally thought that to go on the DTS, he'd have to give notice in the bank
job. He planned to first ask his boss for six months unpaid vacation, and after
she'd finished laughing, hand in his resignation. To leave at the end of March
next year, he would have to give notice by the end of September this year. BUT:
somebody suggested "Elternzeit" ("parent time") to him, and neither of us knows
why we didn't think of that before. Either parent can take time off (unpaid, but
with health insurance) any time during the first three years after a child's
birth, and they're guaranteed a job when they return that's at the same level
(at least salary-wise) as the one they left. AND they only have to give eight
weeks notice. Anyway, he met with his boss, with whom he has a very good
relationship, and told her everything. Her response was to ask him yet again if
he wouldn't consider coming back full time and taking a new position, reminding
him that he's easily the best worker in the department, etc., but she wasn't
surprised that he turned down the offer yet again. (She accepts, but is bemused
by, my husband's lack of interest in getting more money just for the sake of
getting more money...) Anyway, she said that he should by no means give notice,
and that taking parental leave definitely makes the most sense for everybody,
and that she would do all she can to ensure that he gets his own job back.
So...doors open in every direction. I think I'd prefer
God closing all the doors and only asking us to look for the one window He'd be
sure to open...
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