My Life Is Crazy Too is a new series of reader submissions. This is your opportunity to share stories about life, love, and mommyhood to provide understanding, hope, and compassion in the unique situations each of us face every day. If you would like to submit a story to this series, email me. Today’s crazy guest is our SUPER-nanny, Dovie White!!!!!!
GODS TIMING IS PERFECT … It’s a promise that we can stand on.
Kari asked me to tell my story. To tell the world about God’s faithfulness in my life and how he brought me here to Addis.
It really began three summers ago. I was sitting on my bed shortly after school had ended my softmore year, contemplating weather to work at Cold Stone again or try something new, when I started begging and pleading with God that he take me out of the country.I longed to go on an adventure! Then I allowed myself to compromise and pleaded for at least something long term, even if it was still in the country, and eventually just that he would bring me a NEW opportunity. He was quick to answer by allowing me to be a nanny KAA for the Janke family. It was a month long job that ended up being EXACTLY what I needed that summer. It was the perfect amount of time, for the perfect amount of money, with the most perfect family for that time in my life.
What I did not understand then, was that God still heard my FIRST plea to travel the world, it just wasn’t time yet.
Fast Forward to the beginning of my senior year, my sweet friend Alex Snyder asked me to lead a bible study with her, for freshman girls. This is something we had been given as freshmen, and something we wanted to give as seniors. We wanted to invest in younger girls and be mentors, because we had been blessed with that gift by girls before us. However, the beginning of my senior year when Alex approached me about getting a group started, I was not quite feeling up to par. I had heard a thousand times though, “if you wait till you feel ready, you’ll wait forever.” So the small group began and I came to know Hannah Gibson and her family.
Since her brother and I graduated in the same class, I had mingled with them a few times over the years but never got to know them personally. The small group really sparked our friendship and gave us the foundations for a now “family” like relationship. Throughout the year I still felt less than awesome as a leader but was constantly encouraged by Alex, and my family and the girls! We ended up growing really close and meeting weekly to hang out and pray together.
One night probably in March, I ran into the Gibsons at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Panda House. We chit chatted for a while 
and Kari casually mentioned, “We are really hoping you join us this summer in Ethiopia as a nanny. Oh is that Lo Mein? Well we better head back to our table…” I was sure she wasn’t serious. That sounded too good to be true! But, sure enough, a week later she called me to ask formally if I would come with them this summer to be a nanny for Zoe and a friend for Hannah, and to help them both with the transition. She told me right up front that they wanted to cover the expenses and that she wanted to meet with my family soon to discuss it! AND, that they had hardly any for sure details and that it would certainly be an adventure!
I was ECSTATIC! I hurried and told my parents who were 100% on board and amazed at such a wonderful blessing!
Then it started getting sticky, one thing after another sent Plan A (Three month adventure living and serving in Addis Ababa) further and further away. The house wouldn’t sell, the job wouldn’t end, the finances weren’t there yet. It looked doubtful. Kari eventually called me to tell me that it wasn’t going to happen. I was heartbroken for them, and sad I wouldn’t get to travel.
Literally right after that phone call though, my mom said yet again..”Babe, I still think you should get your passport taken care of. Just go apply for it because even if you don’t go, it will be good to have!” So I took my time and eventually did it with just enough time for it to arrive before I could have left. She later told me she felt in her heart that I would end up going. I’m so thankful she was obedient to the Holy Spirit and MADE me get that passport!
Basically, three weeks before I left, Kari called with the incredible news…”PLAN A IS BACK ON!”
Not exactly easily, everything had finally come together for the Gibsons to be able to go! God kept it exciting until the last second! My mother had also encouraged me to say no to the other jobs I had been offered. Three to be exact! It felt like such a crazy thing to do, without any concrete plans for the summer. But, I turned them all down.
So I was ready, my passport ended up coming in three days before I left, and I was even able to change my freshman orientation to the last two days I was in town. EVERY SINGLE detail was worked out. SO, through His protection in travel, and provision in preparation, here I am.
