I have returned
One year ago, Nathan proposed that I return to Kazakhstan and fill in for him as KELT director. My response (outloud) was, “Mmm-hmm, yeah, maybe.” The response inside my head was, “Uhh….I really don’t think so.” But here I am, one year later. And there is no other place I would rather be.
It didn’t take much time back in the States before I began to understand the effect my trip to Kazakhstan had on my life. Only two people responded to Nathan’s advertisement for actors to come to Kazakhstan for a theater tour. That can be seen as nothing. But to me, that advertisement changed my life. I am indebted to Nathan for following the call to bring American’s over to work with KELT.
I can say with complete authority that this is where I am supposed to be. The journey of getting here has proven that. Logistics took months to confirm–finally I had secured a job here, and then in mere days, it all fell through. Then two weeks later, a new job came through! Everything down to the last detail and dollar has been provided for me. I came here without permanent housing, trusting that that would be provided for too. And it has! It’s a good story, so here it is:
I found a One-Bedroom apartment I really liked for $500 a month, which I could afford, but things would be pretty tight. Plus I wanted another roommate for safety reasons (so did my parents and so did Nathan!) I kept holding off on taking it, waiting on other options. Because it seemed like other options weren’t really coming through, I finally decided to call the woman and take it. However, it was too late. She said she gave it to two other people. I was really disappointed. The same day, I heard of another apartment- a 2BR for $750. I was later told of two American girls (teaching at another international school) might be interested. The girls told me they had seen another apartment they really liked, but the landlord had been keeping them hanging and finally told them they could take it if they wanted. The apartment was kind of far away from their school, so they wanted to look at the 2BR apartment with me. After meeting and talking some more about our apartment searching, we realized that they had just been told they could take the apartment I was just told I could not have anymore!!!! They were the one’s who were told they could have “my” apartment! But the amazing thing is, we all three loved the 2BR apartment- we all liked it more than the other one! And now the girls who were going to take the apartment I liked are now going to be my roommates!!!!!!!! This apartment is so much better than the one I was disappointed over. This is just another situation that affirms and reminds me I am supposed to be here and will be taken care of.
I am inexpressably grateful to Nathan for working out details in my coming and for preparing the KELT community for my arrival, to Jessie England who worked so hard for months to get me a job at her school (even though that isn’t what ulimately was where I was supposed to be) and for letting me take up her whole living room for over a month!!! I am so blessed to have good friends like Arad Davar and Galina Kiryan here who have driven me all over Almaty and carried my obese pieces of luggage up 6 flights of stairs. And I am soo thankful to the many people who contributed financially to get me here. I could not have done it without your generosity. I am so excited to be here and am completely committed to the project KELT is about to take on. Thank you Friends of KELT.
