Thursday, March 4, 2010

God on Our Side - Door Opened, Door Closed

On 2009 Thanksgiving weekend, big news arrived in C.J.'s e-mail inbox. The e-mail was containing a job offer from the Department of Defense (DoD) to work in Korea for three years. Initially, we thought it was a spam mail, but after confirming over the phone with the actual HR person who sent the e-mail, it wasn't a joke any more.

C.J. had been applying for DoD jobs since early 2008, and this job he was offered was one of the many positions he had applied for in May 2008. We were excited, but I wasn't sure if the timing was right, because at that time, I was on bed rest due to severe case of morning sickness and was not sure if my body could handle the trans-pacific move. However, as it was something that we had been asking, seeking, and knocking for a long time, we decided to accept the offer.

Then, about a month later, we found out that C.J.'s then-current job would not be available from February 2010! At that time, C.J. had been working as a contractor for the City of Chicago for three yeras. However, obviously the City of Chicago union filed a complaint two years ago asserting that the work C.J. had been doing should be given to a union member, not to an outside contractor like C.J., and the union won the job. Of course, C.J. did not know this was happening all those years, so when he heard the news, it was a shock not only to him, but also to his company.

Whew....what could have happened if C.J. did not get the job offer from DoD? What could have happened if we decided not to accept the offer? Insurance, mortgage, baby....How would we have handled all the expenses?

Realizing how perfect the timing was, C.J. and I could not stop praising God. I still remember telling CJ how overwhelmed I was by His work.

TAPO

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

God on Our Side - Maternity Coverage

It was October of last year that God started stirring waves in our quiet lives in Chicagoland. After noticing some unsettling symptoms, we found out I was pregnant. It was amazing news! However, soon we realized we didn't have maternity coverage. Out of negligence, we were still carrying the same health insurance we had as singles and didn't purchase maternity coverage. I started having severe morning sickness which left me debilitated. However, without maternity coverage, I didn't dare to see a doctor. That was mid October.

In two weeks, C.J.'s company started accepting renewal/new applications for employee health insurance. Until then, it was our understanding that in the state of Illinois, it takes one year of waiting period for the maternity coverage to become available after enrollment. However, we found out that BCBSIL's policy changed in October 2009 to waive the waiting period for new applicants!

We enrolled for the new insurance which became effective on November 1, 2009. I saw a OB/GYN doctor on November 3, and was admitted to ER on the same day and then hospitalized for the next three days for malnutrition and dehydration. The bill for the ER visit and hospital stay came about $80,000, but most of it was covered by the new insurance and we paid only $90.

Looking back at the three weeks gives me goose bumps all over. What could have happened if we didn't have the insurance? What could have happened if BCBSIL still required the one-year waiting period for maternity coverage to become available? We could have either damaged my and baby's health or ruined our finance. God's timing couldn't have been more perfect. I may sound obnoxious, but I do see God's hands diligently working for us in BCBSIL's policy change that happened in October 2009.

TAPO

It's Been a Long Time!

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for having disappeared for the past 5 months. God has been doing amazing things in our lives in such a speed, so I haven't been able to make time for anything other than taking care of our basic daily needs. It's been a crazy 5-month, but C.J. and I witnessed 'God on our side' in every step we took. For the next few postings, I plan on writing about how we experienced God's faithfulness during that period, especially in financial area. I hope our testimony will encourage you in your journey toward financial freedom.

Blessings,

TAPO