After a long 14 hour drive to Columbus, IN on Wednesday, we got up early on Thursday morning to head to our morning appointment at New Song Mission, still a bit overwhelmed that we'd come this far in the process.
After entering the gate, we drove around a long, windy road and took in the beauty of the land all around us, just starting to show a bit of life after the winter.
We drove up to three different houses and ended up parking at the first one, where the students would soon congregate for their daily morning chapel/servant leadership class. They live in the other two houses on the property, and this house is where they do everything school related.
We were soon greeted out on the front porch as the kids arrived with the houseparents and everyone introduced themselves. There were chairs set up in the living room, where we also saw a game table set off to the side and other games up on the shelf on the mantel. We enjoyed the laid back way the morning started out, and we got to know the girls' houseparents by making a connection over where they used to live in Texas. Then we sat down and participated in their morning review lesson over the armor of God. The kids sat and participated through the whole lesson and answered a lot of questions. It's their first period, and they get graded on their level of participation, I believe. After that, they mingled for a few minutes before going downstairs to begin their classes for the day.
Mike, David, and I stood around in the kitchen talking with Bob and Lisa (the founders/directors of the mission) while they brewed a pot of coffee. Once the coffee was ready, Mike and David went for a walk around the campus with Bob, while Lisa and I sat at the large kitchen table to talk more in depth about how the school ran. She talked a lot about the role of the teacher and how it overlaps with the houseparent's role. Everyone is part of the team, and it really just felt like one big family. I loved her transparency about the intensity of this job and her need to rely 100% on Christ's strength, but also about the great reward when you are able to disciple these kids to know Christ and find a new way to live. We seemed to connect very well, and when she shared more about their calling and vision to start this school in front of seemingly insurmountable hurdles, their faith and obedience to the call really inspired me. They stepped into it without the money or resources necessary and have watched God provide in amazing ways. Everywhere you look on the campus holds a story of how God orchestrated every detail and provided the means to complete it.
She gave me a tour of the classroom downstairs, separated by a stairway in the middle to keep the boys' and girls' classrooms separate. It led out onto a patio that overlooked a big pond. All I could think was, "Wow. This could be my new classroom, and this could be the view outside my classroom all day every day." Just the thought of it brought peace to my soul.
We went back inside and talked some more, making more connections, even finding out that we both had worked at Warsaw High School, just at different times. Her as a social worker, me as an ESL instructor/helping teacher. I was able to open up about how God led me here, completely against my will, but how I could not deny that this mission and job opportunity really coincided perfectly with my passions, my education, my unique experiences in life, and my calling. I could definitely see how God has equipped me for it. Her eyes welled up with tears and she said, "You'd be such an answer to prayer."
Bob had to leave and head to Indianapolis for some trainings, and Lisa had to take care of a few things before an 11:00 appointment, so she quickly showed me a large room they had available for us to stay in for the first two months if needed, and then Mike, David, and I were on our own to explore the campus and the grounds. We walked around and took a bunch of pictures, and Mike and David filled me in on the next phases of development scheduled for New Song (that Bob had explained to them as they walked the campus with him.) All around the grounds, you can find plaques with special names of projects completed and Bible verses on them, like Victory Park, Joyful Noise Playground, Faith Lane, etc. (Reminded me a lot of the campus at Dallas Baptist University). Each one like a memorial to how God provided in a God-sized way.
This is definitely a place where God is at work, and I am a bit overwhelmed at the thought that He is calling me to be a part of it--and has been equipping me with teaching experiences over the last 19 years since they year they founded the mission and began raising funds for it. It took me back to the study I led ten years ago called Experiencing God, when I learned that rather than pursuing our own path and mission, we should be looking to where God is already at work and be willing to join Him there.
When I first found out about New Song, I knew that to pursue it would mean dropping my income significantly. With a son in college, I completely resisted. I felt like I would be a fool to even consider doing such a thing. Some day I hoped to be able to walk away from a steady income to be able to pursue full-time ministry, but definitely not while trying to get my son through college. Yet after seeing how uniquely I fit into this ministry (and the timing with Mike's brother wanting him to join him in business), as well as the faith that Bob and Lisa lived out in order to start New Song, I felt like I'd be a fool to walk away and say I couldn't do it. I'd be a fool to not see God's hand in getting me there. 
Mike, David, and I then drove into Columbus to eat at a really cool pizza joint with the most delicious pizza and bread sticks, and we talked more about our experience. Then we went and found a local coffee shop to sit and continue talking. I asked David what he thought (many times), and his words really hit me. "Mom, the writing is on the wall. You just need to read it. You need to stop resisting and finding every reason not to do this." I'm so glad he decided at the last minute to make this trip with us because I greatly value his input and perspective. Just like with Juan's adoption, we had to all be in it together. We also met up with Chrissy's brother, who owns another business that Mike has an opportunity to work with while he and Matt work on building up Matt's business to the next level to be able to employ both of them full-time. The meeting went really well, and I can't deny how God seems to be covering every detail to make this work.
We went back to Matt and Chrissy's to enjoy the rest of the evening, while I quietly processed all of the events of the day and tried to listen carefully to whatever God wanted to speak to my heart.
I had another interview with New Song's educational consultant via Zoom the next day, and due to spotty internet, I decided to go back to the coffee shop the next day for that meeting. Two interviews over coffee--can't ask for more comfort than that!
The next day we woke up to a colder morning and snow beginning to fall. Funny how a little snow doesn't stop anything in Indiana, while in Texas the whole town might shut down. Lol.
Chrissy is in a wildlife rehabilitation program, so she's been working hard to rehabilitate three deer through the winter. I opened the camper door, and this little guy was standing there ready to greet me!
Chrissy amazes me with her love and dedication to this new family member, Sully.
At midday, Chrissy took me to the coffee shop so I could have my zoom interview. It was with a guy who is a Christian school administrator, and he just wanted to know more about my teaching experience and to find out if I could be a good asset to help guide New Song to narrow their vision to become New Song Leadership Academy, to develop a strong curriculum with that purpose, and to help them reach their goal of accreditation. He was so impressed with my wide range of experiences and also with my missional heart. He looked just like a close friend, so I felt very comfortable talking to him, and we connected very well. By the end, he was saying things like, "Rachelle, New Song needs you. If you join us, we will be jumping up and down!"
Once again, I thought, "I'd be a fool to walk away and say I just can't do this." I prayed for clarity and had so many friends from church sending me messages saying they were praying for my clarity. And the answer seemed clearer every hour.
I also had the chance to connect with an old college friend who happens to pastor a small church in Columbus. I wanted to get his opinion/thoughts on New Song from an outsider's perspective, and he had wonderful things to say about both the director and the ministry. It's also nice to know Mike and I already have an old friend we could connect with in the area.
We all enjoyed a nice evening with lot of quality family time and conversation. I missed Juan not being with us, though--but honestly, Juan seems more comfortable and connected to my side of the family, while David fits in really well with this side of the family.
We woke up the next morning to a bitter 14 degrees, so we enjoyed a nice warm breakfast together before we hit the road to come home. We hadn't tried out the other local coffee shop, so we had to stop by and grab our coffee for the road there. Super cool place, but definitely a little more expensive than the first coffee shop.
We also drove by the church that my friend pastors just to say we saw it.
Rather than drive the 12-14 hours home in one day, we decided to break it up and make a stop in Memphis for the night. We've driving by this huge Bass Pro Shop shaped like a big pyramid many times, so we decided to check it out. Pretty cool place, if you're into that kind of stuff, anyway. We even had dinner in the restaurant downstairs, though we weren't really that impressed with the food for the price. There's an observatory up at the top that overlooks Memphis, but it had already closed for the evening.
Memphis bridge at night.
I got out my journal and processed things a bit more while we drove there, and I also had another phone call with Bob. But this entry is already too long, so I'll save that for the next post.
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