It's been a year and a half of ruminating, all with not a lot of intention to do anything. "Ah, it'd be nice," I'd say. "You should go for it!" They'd tell me. "Yeah, maybe... I'd like to... Maybe one day..." But then I started thinking about it a little more, and possibility became probability.
The deadline to apply for my leave was the end of October. I had intended to wait until then to see if I was really sure if I wanted to go. To wait for a lightning bold flash of light from the sky as a sign from God, perhaps? But then I heard that the school board only gives out a limited number of leaves in a year, and if I waited till October, I might not get it. But more than that, hearing and reading about the journey of two very wise friends and how they came to a decision to make a big change in their lives really made me think about risk, about faith, about obedience. I was waiting to be sure that this was what I was "supposed" to do. But the words just kept coming back to me that we'll probably never be more than 80% sure of anything, and that the biggest regrets we'll have are opportunities not taken.
And so, on September 11th, I called some friends for a pep talk, took a deep breath, and dropped my application for a leave of absence in the district mail bag after work.
I'm kind of amazed at how fast things are happening now. I've got a new section on my sidebar for quick links to Africa-related bloggy bits. The "Timeline" link will be updated regularly and as things happen, I'll add them to that post as they happen. If you're at all interested, keep checking back!
Off I go to finish filling in my official application! I want to get it mailed out today!
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