Part 2 – When God says go

So as we kept on looking for answers, waiting, praying, Evert seemed to become all the more inspired to leave SA. The more he was dreaming about moving the more I started considering different countries and focusing on practical factors like how we would fit into their cultures, their politics and economic standings, or what their educational and health care systems were like. You often hear people saying that the grass isn’t really greener on the other side and I wasn’t about to leave SA for any old place.

I have to admit that my geography was not totally up to scratch at the time (okay, it’s still not really great), so I can clearly remember the moment when I realized New Zealand is practically the furthest country away from South Africa. I immediately scratched it of my list. There was no way that I was going to move that far. I shifted my search strategy to include only closer countries where we would be able to visit South Africa often with short, direct flights.

Suddenly I started backtracking and it all felt way too much for me, emigration is something that ‘other’ people do, not us. For the millionth time I had to remind myself to put my faith in God and trust that everything will work out exactly like it should. Why is it that we’re always trying to figure things out with our own limited understanding and logic?

And then came August.

A recruiter from New Zealand unexpectedly made contact with Evert, and asked if he would be interested in some opportunities over there. Apparently he already had an interview lined up with a consulting company that fitted Evert’s profile. At this stage Evert has not made contact with any recruiters or companies in New Zealand, in fact, he has only really been doing research, working on his resume and started changing some information on his LinkedIn profile.

I had a strong feeling that this opportunity was sent to Evert from above. Since I can remember I have always believed that when I pray about something, and it happens almost effortlessly, without having to force it, then it is Gods will. So a first interview was scheduled for Tuesday, the 20th of August.

Now here is my favorite part, which changed my heart completely. The Sunday morning right before the life changing interview, our text word for divine service was Genesis 12: 1-2:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from you father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”

I kid you not. Loud and clear the Lord answered our prayers. Sure the service did not center on emigration. It was about being obedient to God. Doing difficult things, even if we couldn't see the reason, because we are following Gods plan for our lives in true faith.

This was the sign that we were waiting for. Now I knew that there was no turning back, I knew that we had to this, and I knew with certainty that it was God’s plan us. Out of experience I also knew that following the plan that God has for us is the guaranteed way to be blessed, protected and free.

So Evert went into his first interview with confidence because he knew that our Heavenly Father backed him. I jokingly commented that if he gets an overseas job after his very first interview then I will know that NZ is the right country for us even if it is on the other side of the world.

I eavesdropped on the online interview, and it went so well. Kiwis do interviews a little bit differently than we are used to in SA, they are way more relaxed and comfortable, like having a normal conversation. I could sense that the director of the company was very satisfied and excited by what Evert had to offer and immediately set up an interview with the direct manager at the Queenstown branch for the coming Thursday. Needless to say it was smooth sailing from there and the Friday he received a job offer.

Herein lies one of the first miracles in a whole string of miracles that I wish to share with you over the next couple of posts. Two days before an interview that my hubby did not even apply to, the Lord communicated to us through a sermon prepared for our church all over the world. With His help things fell into place for us.

God knows us so well, He knows us better than we know ourselves. My wish has always been to stay in a smaller town with breathtaking views and loads of outdoor activities. And now my hubby secured a job in Queenstown. We didn’t even know about this town before this opportunity, but it is beyond beautiful, quaint and small, and better than we would have chosen for ourselves.

We had to jump at the chance, however, we still had a few more obstacles in our way. They needed him to start as soon as possible, although, at that stage we did not know anything in the slightest about relocation to NZ, we have not even started applying for visas, and we surely did not have the financial resources to cover all the costs...