April 10, 2010
The day (April 8) was significant on multiple levels, and the story goes back a little while. Honestly the story goes back a long while to when our parents committed to honoring God and raising their children to love Him (Score major brownie points with Mom and Dad... check). But seriously it is true. Anyway, most of you remember that I went to Haiti a couple months ago and during that trip I was able to establish relationships with the people from the Global Orphan Project. Since I have been back I have been keeping in touch loosely with those new friends. While I was in Haiti there had been some talk about future developments for the GOP and the occasional joke had been tossed around about Abby and I being involved in the future (they were just jokes). Well apparently they were not just jokes. The hints continued to come in emails and the occasional phone conversation.
On Wednesday night of this past week, I got a call from the director of the organization, Mike Fox. During that conversation he explained to me that due to the number of building projects that they had slated for this next year in Haiti (10 villages), as well as the multiple orphanage projects around the world, in Uganda and Malawi, as an organization they felt the need to create a new position. At their Leadership and Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday they voted and created the position of U.S. Project Director (Unofficial title). The position is essentially international project manager. Someone who is based out of the States who is mobile and who focuses specifically on the building projects. That person will coordinate with the National Project Directors of the specific country, in Haiti that guy is a man named Joseph. Mike explained that after they created the position that I was nominated as the candidate. A few hours later Mike called me and asked what my interest would be in such a position. After changing my pants, I explained to him that I would love to but Abby was scheduled to be working here in Utah for the next year and that she and I would need to do some talking and figuring. We ended the conversation with an idea that they would hire a short term person to fill the position and then work me in down the road.
I immediately called Abby, she was thrilled. We had previously talked about the option of changing her clinical sites from Utah at some point if a job actually came through for me. She said that the next afternoon (Thurs.) she had a meeting with her clinical advisor and that she would be willing to explain to her the situation and ask her what she could do. Keep in mind that this woman has already been at work for a year on getting Abby positions in Utah. We decided that I would wait to see if the GOP came up with anything more definite before that meeting.
On Thursday morning Mike called me from an airport while he was waiting for a connecting flight to Haiti and explained that it would be silly to start a short term person if we all understood that I would be the final selection. He again offered the salary position and said that if possible he would like to start me soon. He stated that they would fly me out of wherever I was living, and that until Abby and I were free to move to Kansas City, where the GOP is based, that they would work long distance with me in Utah.
I accepted the position.
Abby met with her advisor and in the span of a few minutes convinced this woman (or the woman convinced herself, or God convinced her!) to redo a year's worth of work, to push aside 2 massive files and start new ones on KC hospitals and clinical sites. It just so happens that there were 2 or more possible options available in KC that this woman had been contacted about. Abby was able to leave the meeting with a switch of her last 2 clinical sites to be developed in Kansas City.
At 2p.m. I got a call from the Chief Operating Officer of the GOP, Alan Dietrich. Alan confirmed the hire and expressed his excitement about the future.
The Executive Director of the GOP, Joe Knittig, called next and expressed similar feelings.
At about 3p.m. I met with the Forest Service Engineer and quit my job.
By 6p.m. It had been established that I would fly to Haiti the next week (4/15) and begin seeing the projects and begin working with Joseph, the National Director.
By 7 p.m. Alan had sent out a GOP email to the whole staff introducing me as the most recent addition to the Team.
As it stands now I will be driving to KC this next week, leaving Sunday, to see Abby :). Then heading to KC to do some orientation and catch my flight on Thursday. I will return from Haiti on May 13th. More orientation and meetings in KC. Then I will drive to my wedding!!!! Then Honeymoon, back to Utah where I will continue to travel out of and where Abby will be doing her first clinical. We will be there until the end of July when we can move to KC.
Please be praying for wisdom and patience, first for Abby and I as we start this very crazy marriage relationship, for Abby as she works out her DPT future, and for me as I start a job that I have no idea how I am going to do or what I am supposed to do! :)
We love you all,
Tate and Abby
Cliff Notes Version--> Tate has a new job & we are moving to Kansas City in August!
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