We made it to Texas!

Yes that's right.  We moved to Texas... in August... voluntarily. 

It was a long 1,996 miles but we are so thankful to be here!  Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement as we said goodbye to our family and friends and headed for training in Texas with To Every Tribe!  Also thank you for the prayers for Dan and Clara!  They got horrible food poisoning the night before we were to leave Montana from bad clam chowder.  So we had an extra day in Montana while they and the clean up crew recovered. I will now follow the advise I received from some friends....... never eat clam chowder in Montana.  After all it's almost 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean.  Valuable advice :)

Orientation starts tomorrow and with unpacking, finding out where to buy groceries, completing a very thorough checklist of school paperwork, support letters, (please let us know if you don't get our mailing and would like to.  We have new prayer magnets in the update we just sent out),meeting a lot of staff, second year students and first year students, and receiving our first assignment that is very daunting for someone who hasn't been in school for 11 years.  On the other hand we have heard samples of how incredible thew training is here in the classroom and in Mexico and that is very exciting for us!

The kids are transitioning great with 30+ kids to play with.  We will post more on that and the things they get to catch in another post!
 
So here  is a picture update of our road trip and a few shots of our new (and still unfamiliar) life in Los Fresnos.

Got the uhaul the day before we leave

Mr. Litle decorating our suburban while we slept. Loved it!

2 hours into the 2,000 mile trip (notice the naive smiles)

3 hours into the trip (First "are we there yet happened at mile 72)

7 hours into the trip

7.5 hours into the trip

 

Coveted Subway (Great job mom and dad giving Evie soda...scary!)

 

A one day stop a Water World! All the anticipation was worth it!

 

 Somewhere near Pueblo, Colorado-  ARE WE THERE YET?!

 Brothers.....

Sisters.....

Cool spider on our way.

Seriously, cotton.  That is cool!

We're not in Montana anymore

Our apartment.  We are upstairs on the left

Our living room

 Clara and Evie's room

Working on sending updates

Relaxing on the porch with mama

 View from our kitchen

A few hours at the beach!

 
We are so thankful for all of you! We feel like God has been so faithful and he is ready to fill us like psalm 81:10!

10 I am the Lord your God,

    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

This coming week is orientation week. Check back for a recap!

 

1 Month Whirlwind in Pictures

So the last month has been a crazy whirlwind of activity.  More downsizing, packing up our apartment, meeting friends and family for the last time in a long while, and yes preparing to move 2,000 miles away to Texas... in August.  One scripture has just been hitting me hard with the greatness of our God and what we are doing.   Luke 5:2,3,5,6,10, and 11 says:

² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” ⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

 

Wow! Simon had worked hard all night and came up empty. The tough job of cleaning the net was almost done. Then he heard Jesus speak. His words had power. So when Jesus told Simon Peter to put out into deep water it meant two things: more work and doing something that doesn't make sense. I can relate! And Simon said "But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

We do this because Jesus says Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel. How will they hear unless someone preaches and how will they preach unless they are sent?

So here we are going into deep waters with Jesus, preparing for what lies ahead because He called and that is enough.  And the joy of being called and following Him is exceedingly great, for there is joy in His presence forever!

 



Taping out the uhaul trailer in our apartment

5'x8' or 6'x12'

 

Filling up the invisible uhaul

 

Some beloved shirts didn't make the cut

(not my decision)

 

Table gone and mess everywhere but the kids don't mind

 

Our bed is gone and the room is surprisingly spacious

 

Mama and Evie cleaning Grama and Grampa's garage for our stuff while we

are out of our apartment and before we leave.  

 

The invisible uhaul transitions to the garage

 

 

Our stuff in the center (we aren't kidding ourselves

with the possibility of a 5x8 trailer anymore)

My new office in the way back

Evie and Brianna at the A.M. Welles going

away party.  What a great company to work for!

 

Worshipping at New Hope for the last time, so bittersweet.

Evie with her great friend Samantha

 Too much partying for some

Enjoying camping in the back yard 

A rowdy game of broom ball with uncle Joe and cousins
 

Serious discussions with Brita
 

Craziness heading up to pick huckleberries

Evie hitting the jackpot

The cousins

Grampa and Grama enjoying a brat with the grandkids

Special swimming with Nana and Papa

And the cousins too

 

A special gift from our awesome New Hope church family!

 

 

On Tuesday August 13th at 5:00am we leave for Texas!  We love you all and ask for prayer as we go and prepare to cast our nets!