Tim and Claudia’s Story
Our team likes to say that a recruiting fair is just the beginning of a journey. Tim and Claudia Tetz, an ISS teaching team who attended our New York IRC, have shown this in the most beautiful way! When we reached out to wish the Tetz family safe travels home from the fair, Tim shared this story:
“We had an amazing flight back. I met a man on the plane on our leg from Chicago to Portland. Long story short, this man and his wife and three children were arriving from Iraq to live in Oregon. He was super nervous about the details for enrolling his kids into school the next day. My wife is a former ESL teacher and current administrator and myself w/ similar experience were able to sit and share information that would bring him peace of mind.
We arrived at 10:30pm, 1:30am our bodies time from East Cost). His ride was not there, but ours was. So my friend drove my wife home (45 minutes one way) to pick up our truck while I stood and waited with them and there 12 large pieces of luggage and a few carry-ons and backpacks. She returned at about 12:30, just after midnight. We loaded the truck and drove them to our home, stopping at Winco to pick up food for a snack and breakfast the next morning. We were family from the moment we stepped off the airplane. We had our snack, gave them each a new toothbrush, and went to bed around 2am.
At 8am I got a call from their Lebanese friend living in Beaverton, an hour from us, who was scheduled to pick them up and provide an apartment. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the beautiful weather, took a walk, played w/ our dogs — the kids had never touched a dog — and I took him to see a car I had for sale (2002, 212,000 miles) in immaculate condition for the year. It is a four-door and seats five…perfect for them. When he renews his driver’s license and gets insurance, the car will be his. We also have items in our shop that will serve them…bunkbed, pantry items, etc. You can imagine how grateful they are. But Claudia and I feel the most blessed to be able to make new friends. They say we are their “brother and sister”. The children already call us Uncle and Aunt. It felt soooo good that the first impression of the USA was positive.”
It’s one thing to navigate the busyness of international interview sign-ups, and another to display an open kindness to our global family in your day-to-day. The Tetz family did both this season. We’re so grateful to walk alongside educators like you, Tim and Claudia!