The house

Well, we are all ready to keep the house. We love our neighborhood, and love our circle even more. Mom would stay in our house and we would have a place to come home to. Our place. Our home. The only home Camryn has ever known and that Davis really remembers. And then, the house four doors down from us just sold in five days. And for over $100/square foot. And it's the same builder as ours. Wow. So, we have made the tough decision to fix up the house and put it on the market. We are setting up Mom in a nice apartment on Westheimer and Mason. We will get her a two-bedroom so we have a place to stay when we return. We are excited and we ask for your prayers and support along the way! And if you know how to patch a hole in sheetrock, give me a call.

The Low Down

Hi friends and family, Well, as you have heard, Eric and I, and the kids, are moving to Abu Dhabi to teach English. I thought it would be nice to start a blog about this experience. This first entry explains why in the world we are doing what we are doing. So, here goes. A few years ago, Eric and I heard that teachers who work for Saudi Aramco make boucoup bucks so we tried to get in. We have interviewed several times, but for one reason or another, we never got in. But, that's a good thing because Saudi Arabia, is Saudi Arabia, after all. And, you all know me.... no drinking, no driving, covering my face, that ain't me. So we realized God was blessing us with an opportunity by not blessing us with THIS opportunity. About a year later, I was doing some internet browsing and I came across a recruiting company called TeachAway. They were recruiting for several countries, but the one that interested me the most was in the United Arab Emirates. I applied with them and immediately had a phone interview. It went well. I was invited to the in-person interview. Woo hoo! I'd have to pay for my own trip, but thanks to my generous mother-in-law, I had a free room in New York City. I think the NYC trip and interview will be a separate post.... So, why did I want to get myself all mixed up in all of this? Well, The Abu Dhabi Education Council is in the middle of a huge paradigm shift in their educational system. They want all their Arab children to be bilingual and be prepared for American and other foreign universities. So, they are bringing in English Medium Teachers from English-speaking countries to modernize their curriculum. For elementary children that means they will have English teachers with them in addition to Arab-speaking teachers. For secondary students, they will have daily English instruction and ALL math and science courses will be taught in English, by native speakers. What an adventure! Why did this matter to me? Well, in case you haven't noticed, teachers don't get paid a whole lot. For my two master's degrees and 64 hours of PhD work, I don't bring home enough to really live on. And you know, Eric is also a teacher. With his stipend as a coach, he actually makes more money than I do. (And I have taught for 13 years!) So, teaching in a foreign country appealed to me for that reason. THERE IS NO INCOME TAX! The company pays for our housing and our health insurance, as well. However, all the money in the world isn't enough to make me leave Texas. There are other reasons. Davis and Camryn. Imagine the opportunities that will now be open to them. The places we can go. The people we can meet. The things they will learn. I am so excited about all of the possibilities. So, what about Eric? Well, he applied too. My company didn't call him when he applied as there were no math positions open, but he did hear from the vo-tech branch. They have offered him a position teaching math and physics to high school boys. So, we leave in August. We are nervous and excited. We hope you will follow us on our journey!