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We let Mirjam herself tell what happened:
"Michiel and I deliberately chose to educate our daughter who we received from God ourselves, so after she was born I did not go to work any longer. After 13 months at home with my daughter, I needed to do something for myself, and we decided that I would go to work 2 days a week. I intended to go back to my former job as a teacher in protestant evangelical religion.

I could go back to my former schools in Brussels, but this would mean that my daughter would have to leave home very early in the morning, and this was not what I had in mind for her. I gave this to God, and I have given up these schools, trusting Him that He would provide in new hours closer to home. It hurtled a little to let go of the relationships built up in Brussels, but I realized that following my heart was better than to stick to connections.

We wanted our daughter to go by preference not into a crèche, but rather with a nanny or just someone who wanted to take care of her and by preference also a Christian. First of all, I prayed about this and then I put the question to 2 evangelical churches in Leuven, if an appeal was allowed to circulate in the church. It was permitted and very soon I received an answer by a mother.

In the meantime I also received an offer from the inspectorate for two possible schools. One school I preferred not to do for some personal reasons, so I went to make contact with the other school. The female school director however could not promise that the hours would fall on two days. This would only become clear in September and now it was the end of June. I could not take this risk, but I found it very difficult. I have talked with God about this and finally I have given back these hours in faith. I believed that God would have something better for me. The hours of the other school, which started to interest me anyway, had now been given already to somebody else.
In July I got in touch with the nanny. That clicked and she stated that she would like to take care of my daughter those two days. The days did not matter to her and this again was a blessing for me, for I did'nt know at all yet how things would run. As a matter of fact, in the beginning of this entire process I had asked God to arrange everything with the nanny first and after that the job. The job presented itself first, but at the end of the day the nanny was agreed upon first anyhow. God wants to take us seriously and to take into account our limits and wishes.
In order to get the hours I would have to wait now until the end of August. Quite exciting, but I believed God would provide with what would be the best for me and our family. At the end of August the inspectorial board contacted me concerning the available hours. The school that I had cancelled before the holidays, of which the hours had already been given to somebody else, had become open to me again. Very special, for this school is situated at a 5 minutes driving distance from my nanny, but yes, at the time I did not know about this yet! I have contacted them and the hours were going to be very well matching for me. It were not very many hours, so I was talking to another school too, in order to get some more hours there.

At my new school I met a kind female director and a nice staff. I was given a personal classroom, which was only to be used for another religion during other hours. A classroom of your own is a luxurious thing for a teacher in Protestant religion. In the course of the day it became clear that I still received two extra hours. So this meant only one school and that is all the more enjoyable. It gives you rest and the opportunity to invest in that place. More hours also included that there would be an overlap regarding the use of the classroom. The director said I had the room all to myself, for I had the most hours. What a blessing, a classroom entirely of my own, that I could hang with materials the way I wanted.

At the end of the day I went to pick up my daughter. The babysitter said that she had done very well, she had not even wept. I really was very happy and glad. How God makes EVERYTHING well!
I have always been praying that there might come more children to the Protestant evangelical religion. In most cases, the children have the lessons all by themselves and with 2 or 3 it is much nicer anyhow. One week after the start of the new school year a completely new family showed up in the school, with 4 children in the primary education section. They chose the Protestant evangelical religion. Most of my classes doubled at once! What a blessing and a particular challenge at the same time, for these children are speaking Spanish.

Due to the arrival of these children, the school also received extra hours to supervise them. The director asked me if I wanted to do this. I really found this very difficult. It seemed very nice to me, but I do have a child, and I have chosen to educate her myself. So the answer was no. It felt like a sacrifice to choose for my own child. To work can be so rewarding, but in the long term this choice is better for my daughter. Yet I felt very honoured that the director approached me, and I have experienced this as a blessing too..."

 

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