So...as previously mentioned...we have some awesome news! Now at this point you who know us probably know that Brad has gotten a job!! What you may not know is the awesome story behind this job...so I will tell you. Get excited- it may be long.
Rewind to 8 months ago...Brad was laid off from Samsung. That was frustrating. To be honest, when I planned my life that wasn't included in it. Surprised? I didn't think so. Brad really handled this well, when I struggled with bitterness at the way Samsung treated him, Brad reminded me how I needed to forgive and let that bitterness go. He has such an amazing heart.
Anyways, so for eight months I have watched Brad persevere. He applied for at least three jobs each week, and heard nothing - and I mean nothing for at least five months. That is hard on a man, but he did it with a good attitude. He did it while leaning on the Lord for our support and security.
Now, it hasn't been all bad. He was able to do lots of things that if he were still working at Samsung he wouldn't have been able to do. For example, go on a mission trip, work with Dave as a plumber, learn to fix our cars, become an AWESOME handy man, see me every day. You know, all good things! I think these past eight months have been a great experience for us.
So, like I said he had no hits for five months. At one point this summer, I think in late July/early August he scored his first phone interview, but again that was a no. Then, in August he had a phone interview with Westinghouse in Utah. He thought it went well, but was under the impression that they were looking for someone with more of a metallurgical background, and so we weren't really that surprised when they went another way.
Then our friend Mike asked Brad if he would be interested in a project managing job, and Brad said yes...and then Westinghouse contacted Brad and said they had reopened the position and would like him to fly out for an on site interview. We went ...whoa. That email came and they wanted him to come the next week. So last Thursday (as in 10 days ago) he flew to Utah for an interview.
Sidenote: After this trip was scheduled, we received a call from Greg at the Austin company asking Brad to come in and talk about the job. Brad went in on the Wednesday, the day before he flew to Utah.
We didn't really know what to do so we just prayed and asked for guidance. We really wanted to know that whatever happened we were depending on the Lord and not on ourselves.
On to this week...when Brad got home from the interview he wasn't really sure what to think. He seemed to think he wouldn't be getting an offer..so we just went about our week as normal. Then Wednesday at 5 pm he called me telling me he had a job offer in Utah. I promptly reacted with tears like a baby in front of a doctor (thankfully female) at work. I was an absolute wreck and had to finish out the day and get home as soon as possible.
Thankfully, when I got home our small group was here. There is just something about being able to pray over things together with friends that is unexplainable. So, we talked and cried..and Brad told me that we were supposed to make a decision by Friday..as in two days. SERIOUSLY?!?!
We spent that night literally in between praying and crying. This was a great job offer. It was a secure company, a great package, and an engineering job. We woke up Thursday really intending to probably take that job. However, Brad really wanted to talk to Greg again about the project managing job here in Austin just in case. It is not an engineering position..so Brad really had to decide where he wanted to take his career, so he called Greg and set up a meeting for Thursday afternoon. I spent the entire day looking up apartments, hospitals, and churches in Utah. I also spent the day just praying that if this was where the Lord was leading us he would make it so clear. I really wanted Brad to take the job that he really wanted, and to not just take a job because either a. he didn't want to take us away from Austin or b. because he thought he needed to take an engineering job.
So, he went to the meeting with Greg and Helen, and when he left had an offer for employment there also. He was so very encouraged after that meeting. They were so encouraging and supportive of whatever decision he made. He came home, and I really thought he still intended to take the Utah job. So much so we had pretty much told our parents, our families, and our friends that's where we were headed. However, Brad's heart was not in that job in Utah, but this job here in Austin was one that he was really excited about! We talked and talked and decided that this would be the job he would be taking.
So, on Thursday night he called Greg and took the job. It was a difficult decision for him, because this is a whole new deal..he's learning all about business and things I don't understand but he is so excited! We were ready to be led anywhere, including Utah, but we are so excited that God is going to use us here in Austin.
SO WE GET TO STAY! We don't have to move across the country again, and we get to stay here with these friends we love, a church we love, and a city we love. Brad is doing something he never thought he would be...I am moving to the CCU in the coming days/weeks, and we intend to plug in to serving those around us. We had been almost scared to commit to things in the fear that we were leaving, and while that was definitely wrong, I'm ready to change that.
Most of all...we're so thankful for the way the Lord protected us in this. It's so amazing to see how He has grown us in our relationships with Him, and in our marriage. It was a rough eight months, but I feel like we came out with new hearts, and knowing that our hope and security are in Him. So that's our long, wordy story. We're here and we're pumped!
