six years

Six years ago today, Dave and I, and our newly married selves, packed up a U-haul and moved from Bellingham, Washington to Portland, Oregon. It's been a crazy ride ever since.

We had no idea what we were jumping into, let alone who we were as a married couple. I knew this was the move God had for us, but I didn't know how I was going to cope without my wonderful friends.

The moment we pulled into town, I sobbed. Uncontrollable sobbing. The "Ugly Cry". I didn't stop for 9 months. It was a LONG nine months. And just today, as Dave and I were talking, he told me for the first time, he knew the job wasn't right and had to hold it together for me. Man, that must have been tough.

If you would have asked us that day where we thought we would be in 6 years, I'm sure we would have told you that high school youth would be the center of our life. I pictured kids but didn't think much beyond that. I just pictured bliss and that's the way ignorance works.
Today, we sat in almost the same pew we sat in when we arrived at our church, and watched the high school seniors graduate. They were the entering class when we left. The pastor made reference to the fact that they didn't want to be the class that was forgotten and it stung just a bit. I loved those kids and desperately wanted to minister in whatever way I could to them, but I needed to be first to my husband and he was being called away from his position. They have made their mark and will not be forgotten.

What the last 6 years here has brought I would never want to go through again, but I would never trade it for anything. We suffered through some of the rockiest times yet in our marriage and we came out 100 times stronger b/c of it. Our faith grew in ways that it needed to for us to be compassionate to those suffering in ministry. And we developed a stronger sense of God's direction in all areas of our lives.

Beyond ministry, personally, we have many friends now. Friends that enrich our lives and our children's lives. In those 6 years, we have developed a dinner club with four other families that has continued to meet every Thursday for 5 years. We are approaching baby #13!

I can't say that we haven't pursued moving back to Bellingham many times. We dearly miss our friends there too, but for now, God has said, stay. And here we are living day to day in Portland. We are learning more about what it means to love God daily and most of all, Love others and teach our children to do the same.


To our friends here, we love you and thank you for your support. To our friends in Bellingham, we love you, miss you and thank you for your support too. We'll see you this summer.