Clarity

I have some very exciting news to share with you.  After waiting and praying about my future, some doors have opened for me to continue with Interlink part-time here in the States.  I am thrilled about this opportunity because it seems to combine my strengths and Interlink’s current needs.

As some of you may know, Interlink currently has three long-term US staff living in Kazakhstan.  This number has decreased significantly over the last several years.  At the same time Interlink’s work had continued to increase in the country of Kazakhstan (both in Taraz and in Shymkent).  There are some areas that we would love to expand, but our lack of staff has made this challenging. 

I will be working part-time with Interlink, here in Muncie, as the People Resource Development Manager.  Some of my responsibilities will include preparing people to travel to Kazakhstan (both long and short term), debriefing them when they return, and finding ways to promote our staffing needs.  My experience in Kazakhstan will bring a dynamic to the job that I am excited about.  It is fun to see how doors have opened for me to help others experience the country that I am so passionate about. 

It is my desire that this position will contribute to the growth of the staff of Interlink and thus impact the lives of many youth in Kazakhstan.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have.  Thank you for your encouragement over this last year as I have spent time evaluating what the immediate future holds.  I can’t wait to see where this will lead. 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I am writing this from a room in NIH where I am staying with a friend's daughter undergoing cancer treatment while her mom returned with the rest of the family for her dad's funeral.  Mom will be returning on Sunday, so until then I am enjoying getting to know Karly better.  Today I got to hear about a cruise they took as a family.  It was fun to hear about the special time that they had. 

I had a wonderful time with my family at Christmas!  It was so much fun to be with my parents and their foster girls.  Even though Comfort and Steve couldn't be there, we were able to touch base with them through Skype and even got to have a video tour of their new apartment. 

On Wednesday morning I left my parent's house and traveled across Ohio to PA to visit my grandparents.  I had a nice visit with them and even got to join them in the cafeteria for dinner.  It was so nice to see them.  I also got to visit with some good friends in PA and down here in MD.  I am so blessed with good friends. 

New Years is a big holiday in Kazakhstan and I have missed being there to celebrate with the kids and with my Kazakh family.  Even so, I feel so blessed by this last year and look forward to what this year has to offer!  I hope this year is a year of joy and peace for each of you!  Happy New Year!