Our Next Chapter

In 8 years of marriage, Michael and I have been on several adventures. 2013 promises to hold many more, and this time we get to experience life and calling as a family of four.

For those that don’t know, Michael has an MBA in International Development. The goal and hope has always been that we would end up abroad doing community-based work in the areas of disaster relief, development and justice issues. After spending time in Rwanda a few years ago we felt that the best plan would be to spend time in the US to get work experience, have a baby (or two), and then search for opportunities abroad.

Michael’s current role with MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) is in the field of fundraising, and though there are parts of this role he has enjoyed, his heart and passions have always been in supporting programs more directly through his administrative and leadership skills.

That brings us to our news:

We have accepted positions with MCC to be the Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador. Michael and I will share the responsibilities of this role, with Michael working full-time, and me part-time. MCC primarily works through local partner organizations and so our responsibilities will be to support MCC staff and those local partners in both countries while living in Guatemala City. We are excited to get to work together and combine our skills and talents to balance each other. 

We will fly to Guatemala at the end of April to begin a 3-month language study, followed by MCC orientation in Pennsylvania before we return to Guatemala for a five-year commitment.

We took the holiday season to discern this decision and felt a lot of peace accepting this role. This decision brings a lot of change and unknowns, but we will hold on to that sense of peace as all of the details come together.

Thanks for your prayers as we make plans. We’ll continue to post updates and information here as we prepare for this next chapter in the life of our family.