9 years! VIPKID and the RV LIFE
This is an update! 9 years ago this month, we began to say goodbye to St. Paul's. It was a call on our lives to go save the one. That one was a man I did not know well. He was my father. [For some of you, this may be a shock, I only knew him from his visits about 6 of them]. This command to find him came in August the year before. I was praying as I was heading into work at the church on a Sunday. The Lord said "I am calling you out to go find the one that is lost. Then I want you to teach these families to STAND on my word, KNOW MY WORD and teach them to know me". What a year that began! As I write this, the emotions from that year, sit close to the surface. What a powerful year! God called a few people to teach that others may not have. God assured me that HE WAS WORKING IN THEM. There was an urgency in HIS MESSAGE. Happy Anniversary Month for allowing us to follow the CALL.
We live full time on the Road.
It's something we have been called to do years ago. In 2009 we were called out of full time ministry working with families and kids. In 2010 we said goodbye to 165 families and church members and headed out to Campground missions. Our first stop was OKC OK. We took refuge in learning everything we needed to know about this life. Our first mission was Milton FL. We spent 6 mo. there. Met some incredible people, ended up at the Brownsville Revival Act 2. Became instructors in healing classes and grew.
Long story of disobedience and lack of faith. (We went off the road, bought a house we could not afford, both worked at $9 an hour job with a small retirement pension). We eventually found better paying jobs, dh went back to work where he retired and they stopped his retirement $$ and saved it for us. I worked at TX A&M for 2 years. The road was calling our name. It got so loud that we could not escape it. Our travel trailer was sitting in the yard on an RV pad. That house that we could not afford? The Lord sold in in a month!
We got back on the road after 3.5 years and this past December after begging The Lord to be in a classroom or church, he showed me VIPKID. The journey into it was hard and amazing! They worked with me, through emails and through lost connections. It was a month later that we got this job. I believe for me, this was saving grace. My heart, mind and soul needed this job.
My referral number.
I have always been a teacher from the time I was really young, I reared my children, but after homeschooling for 10 years, I worked in a school and a 75 kid ministry on a small Island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
In 2004, when I returned to the states, I got a job as a Church Children's Pastor.
I needed kids and they needed what I have. What do I believe I have... laughter, joy, deep down joy, high energy, grace, freedom to be whomever you are.
VIPKID, this has been my life line. I feel needed, wanted and a completeness that I lacked. So, with that long story, we are heading out of TX next Tuesday (we won't be "home" until next March). Stopping in Pawhuska OK to see the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile (Ree Drummond). While in Waco, we saw Magnolia Market- Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer upper. From Pawhuska OK, we will then head up to Nebraska for 3 weeks. We will be heading into the Battle of the Little Bighorn and to say hello to Janette's family. Then off to Montana for a month.
We will be going from CST to MST. I am adjusting my schedule accordingly so we will not miss a beat. I am also using Verizon Mobile broadband, my Verizon Hotspot on my phone, it has worked well over the years. We upgraded our plan to all Verizon and it has been awesome. We bought a WEBOOST and use it as needed.
We have lived in about 30 states so far, sometimes overnight, sometimes for weeks at a time. This year is our year of rejoicing! We rejoice because we know God has a plan for us and we are willingly obeying and trusting and leaving the consequences to HIM. We remember what happened the last time we went off the road and we don't want that to happen again. So we wait upon HIM. We have a few directives from HIM. Stopping at Andrew Wommack's Church in Woodland CO to hear a RIGHT NOW word from HIM and we will be doing that the first week of Sept. We will be taking
and incredible journey this season.
Who can live this life on the road? Not just anyone, it has to be calling you because you will be unhappy on the road if you are not called to it. It's not for the faint at heart. KOA's hire workcampers, Jellystone Parks hire workcampers and some private parks. States hire volunteers to work 2-3 months at a time for your site, but some are spotty on their internet service or phone service. The National Parks also have some sites for volunteers. State and Fed. parks offer full hookups but no pay. You work about 24 hours a week together or separate. We just finished working at Lake Corpus Christi state park and worked 25 together, 3 days a week building picnic tables and picking up trash. Some require you to clean bathhouses, firepits, and anything that needs to be done to keep your area clean. Workersonwheels.com has a job listing, as does Cool Works. KOA workcampers has a FB page, but to join their work job availability site, it's $35 a year and winter jobs are difficult to come by. Unless you want to stay north during the winter, it's hard to find a winter job.
RV Spots can vary in price too. We worked in Vidalia LA at Riverview RV Park and earned a Passport America pass for a year. This baby has saved us $100's+!
We also have a KOA card and we keep the points on it to use later. My mom and her kids come visit us wherever we seem to roam up north.
This has been a spiritual journey for us as well. Because with a lack of faith, you may be off the road faster than you thought.
Know what your budget is!
If you are thinking about this lifestyle, find an RV that fits you comfortably, one that fits you, your spouse, your kids, your pets and teaching. Go to as many RV dealers w/o commitment and walk through them, sit in the chairs, lay in the bed, step in the shower, sit on the toilet, stand at the sink, look at the storage, sit on the couch- even lay on it. Watch the TV, is it comfortable?
Dream big but spend wisely. You can put in a washer/dryer or both in them, is this the space that you are willing to give up for saving$5-600 a year on and not use the laundry at the park?
Write out your bucket list. If you hit your state parks first on the weekends as a weekend warrior to test it and see if this is for you, than you will know, yes or no. Also WIFI is expensive! Some parks have free wifi but it won't hold you for classes. You need a provider that will give you the best for your money.
We are now starting our 4th year on the road and we don't see giving it up anytime soon!
This is our call, campgrounds undercover agents of the Lord. We bless their socks off and fill their parks. Sometimes we scare them before we even get there because we have deep joy that it takes to work with the public.
Blessings.
We live full time on the Road.
It's something we have been called to do years ago. In 2009 we were called out of full time ministry working with families and kids. In 2010 we said goodbye to 165 families and church members and headed out to Campground missions. Our first stop was OKC OK. We took refuge in learning everything we needed to know about this life. Our first mission was Milton FL. We spent 6 mo. there. Met some incredible people, ended up at the Brownsville Revival Act 2. Became instructors in healing classes and grew.
Long story of disobedience and lack of faith. (We went off the road, bought a house we could not afford, both worked at $9 an hour job with a small retirement pension). We eventually found better paying jobs, dh went back to work where he retired and they stopped his retirement $$ and saved it for us. I worked at TX A&M for 2 years. The road was calling our name. It got so loud that we could not escape it. Our travel trailer was sitting in the yard on an RV pad. That house that we could not afford? The Lord sold in in a month!
We got back on the road after 3.5 years and this past December after begging The Lord to be in a classroom or church, he showed me VIPKID. The journey into it was hard and amazing! They worked with me, through emails and through lost connections. It was a month later that we got this job. I believe for me, this was saving grace. My heart, mind and soul needed this job.
My referral number.
I have always been a teacher from the time I was really young, I reared my children, but after homeschooling for 10 years, I worked in a school and a 75 kid ministry on a small Island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
In 2004, when I returned to the states, I got a job as a Church Children's Pastor.
I needed kids and they needed what I have. What do I believe I have... laughter, joy, deep down joy, high energy, grace, freedom to be whomever you are.
VIPKID, this has been my life line. I feel needed, wanted and a completeness that I lacked. So, with that long story, we are heading out of TX next Tuesday (we won't be "home" until next March). Stopping in Pawhuska OK to see the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile (Ree Drummond). While in Waco, we saw Magnolia Market- Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer upper. From Pawhuska OK, we will then head up to Nebraska for 3 weeks. We will be heading into the Battle of the Little Bighorn and to say hello to Janette's family. Then off to Montana for a month.
We will be going from CST to MST. I am adjusting my schedule accordingly so we will not miss a beat. I am also using Verizon Mobile broadband, my Verizon Hotspot on my phone, it has worked well over the years. We upgraded our plan to all Verizon and it has been awesome. We bought a WEBOOST and use it as needed.
We have lived in about 30 states so far, sometimes overnight, sometimes for weeks at a time. This year is our year of rejoicing! We rejoice because we know God has a plan for us and we are willingly obeying and trusting and leaving the consequences to HIM. We remember what happened the last time we went off the road and we don't want that to happen again. So we wait upon HIM. We have a few directives from HIM. Stopping at Andrew Wommack's Church in Woodland CO to hear a RIGHT NOW word from HIM and we will be doing that the first week of Sept. We will be taking
and incredible journey this season.
Who can live this life on the road? Not just anyone, it has to be calling you because you will be unhappy on the road if you are not called to it. It's not for the faint at heart. KOA's hire workcampers, Jellystone Parks hire workcampers and some private parks. States hire volunteers to work 2-3 months at a time for your site, but some are spotty on their internet service or phone service. The National Parks also have some sites for volunteers. State and Fed. parks offer full hookups but no pay. You work about 24 hours a week together or separate. We just finished working at Lake Corpus Christi state park and worked 25 together, 3 days a week building picnic tables and picking up trash. Some require you to clean bathhouses, firepits, and anything that needs to be done to keep your area clean. Workersonwheels.com has a job listing, as does Cool Works. KOA workcampers has a FB page, but to join their work job availability site, it's $35 a year and winter jobs are difficult to come by. Unless you want to stay north during the winter, it's hard to find a winter job.
RV Spots can vary in price too. We worked in Vidalia LA at Riverview RV Park and earned a Passport America pass for a year. This baby has saved us $100's+!
We also have a KOA card and we keep the points on it to use later. My mom and her kids come visit us wherever we seem to roam up north.
This has been a spiritual journey for us as well. Because with a lack of faith, you may be off the road faster than you thought.
Know what your budget is!
If you are thinking about this lifestyle, find an RV that fits you comfortably, one that fits you, your spouse, your kids, your pets and teaching. Go to as many RV dealers w/o commitment and walk through them, sit in the chairs, lay in the bed, step in the shower, sit on the toilet, stand at the sink, look at the storage, sit on the couch- even lay on it. Watch the TV, is it comfortable?
Dream big but spend wisely. You can put in a washer/dryer or both in them, is this the space that you are willing to give up for saving$5-600 a year on and not use the laundry at the park?
Write out your bucket list. If you hit your state parks first on the weekends as a weekend warrior to test it and see if this is for you, than you will know, yes or no. Also WIFI is expensive! Some parks have free wifi but it won't hold you for classes. You need a provider that will give you the best for your money.
This is our call, campgrounds undercover agents of the Lord. We bless their socks off and fill their parks. Sometimes we scare them before we even get there because we have deep joy that it takes to work with the public.
Blessings.
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