One small step...

Wow! Ken & I have been so encouraged by you all praying for us--and by your letting us know. Thank you!!

We got a call Friday from the first place to which he applied (or thought he had applied). He filled out the online application on January 1st and came to a point that asked him to login with user ID and password. He didn't remember having seen anything along the process that indicated he should create this and the message on the webpage said that if he was at a state agency to ask an agent to come enter this information, so we thought we needed to contact the company to acquire user ID and password. We pored over the website looking for a contact number: nothing. Thankfully, we called the friend who had referred Ken, and he gave us the HR lady's phone number! Over the next week we called three times and left messages asking the means by which he is to get this important bit of info. No response. Then we learned from the friend that the company wasn't hiring just then.

Last week Ken saw on the company website that they are again hiring, so he filled out the online app again, getting stopped a second time at the login screen. The next day I called and left another message for the HR lady. Then Friday the phone rang, and I saw the company's name on my caller ID! The HR lady is out of town on vacation and also working at another Distribution Center, but this man on the phone is filling in for her: Mr. Claudio. How can he be of help? Come to find out, applicants have to call the company to make an appointment to come in to complete the app or go to a state unemployment agency to complete it. You have to schedule an appointment because the place is so secure, the gatehouse won't let you in unless you show up on the schedule. Well, it sure would be nice if they would tell you all this stuff on the website! Also if they would provide a phone number! Whatever...

Mr. Claudio was very friendly, asked lots of questions about Ken, and answered lots of questions from me. He seems very excited about Ken applying to work there--hopefully he has some impact later in the process! Ken has to come in to complete the app, which is a skills assessment and work style test. Sometime the following week, he should get a call to let him know if he qualifies for an interview. Then we schedule the interview for sometime in April (after the HR lady returns). Sometime the following week again, he should get a call to let him know if he qualifies to continue in the process. If so, then he attends 4 training sessions, 3 hours/day for 4 days. (It's set up well for people who live in the area: morning or evening training sessions depending on when you can come in around your current employment. Since we are 4.5 hours away, it means taking a week off to go through the training.) After the training, we wait for a call to say there's an open position and they want Ken to fill it. Whew!

Where Ken works now, only one person per department can be off at any given time. He knew someone has the week of Mar 24-28, off, and we would like to get the process going before Mar 31, so he looked at the calendar at work and saw that nobody was scheduled off on Friday, March 21. He requested off, and the supervisor promptly denied it because another employee does have off, he just didn't bother to post it. * sigh * Ken said he really needs to be off, the supervisor pressed him for a reason, Ken backed off deciding Mar 31 would be better than revealing his reason, and the supervisor finally said he would see what he could do because the other employee is actually going into family medical leave for several weeks or possibly longer (which doesn't bode well for the time off Ken is going to need for this process!).

We prayed that our steps are ordered by the Lord and we'll do our best to stay calm and go with His flow. Ken called me this morning to say he has off this Friday! I called Mr. Claudio and scheduled an appointment. So... we are on our way for the first step!

I called Ken's parents to let them know we are coming (I had already called last week to be sure it would be ok), and Ken's mom said when she had talked with the fellow who referred Ken he said he doesn't see any way Ken won't get hired. "You should see some of the people who work there!" (his words, not Mom's!) Ken is, of course, nervous, so your continued prayers are much appreciated! Thanks in advance. :)

We were wishing we could be with family for Resurrection Sunday but had decided we shouldn't make the trip over there only for that reason since we have been and will be making this trip so many other times. Well, wish granted! :) "Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way!" (Did I just show my age?!)