Yes, as of tomorrow, we will have been away from Portland for a month. It sure has gone by quickly.
The first ten days was our trip out here, followed by 3 days in our new home, followed by a six day visit to our SC family and the beach. By the end of it, I was just ready to get back to life as normal and settle into a routine.
Two more weeks have past. All of the boxes are unpacked, pictures hung, and we are officially settled in. We have even had two successful weeks of home school!
Jody is working on transferring his business licenses to NC and SC. We are about halfway through the process. He has advertised anyways, and has already completed two small jobs with another scheduled for Monday. Praise the Lord!
We LOVE LOVE LOVE our new home. It is just a bit smaller than our old house, but much newer and nicer. The kids have their own rooms (son is not fond of this, but daughter loves it) and I have my own bathroom! (Well, I do have to share with Jody, but I do have my own sink!!)
We could not ask for a better neighborhood, either. It is a very safe and quiet neighborhood---quite a contrast from our SE Portland neighborhood!!
Nearly all of our neighbors are Believers, and there are several families with kids. It took awhile, but the kids have finally made friends, now count down the hours until all their friends will be home from school, so they can go outside and play.
We are beginning to get to know our new church family as well, and have enjoyed several meals with different families in the church.
We live less than a mile from Morning Star Ministries, which means we live ON what used to be the Heritage USA grounds! The Heritage Tower is just a hop, skip, jump away from our front door.
I knew that WOC (World Outreach Center) was located on the old Heritage Property (located about a mile in the opposite direction from us), but I forgot that morning star had also bought several buildings of the old Theme Park.
Sunday, we decided to go to the early service at Morning Star, which is where we discovered this bit of history. Their services are held in in the recently renovated Grand Hotel. The Children's center is on "Main Street". (Which we thought was an actual street at first.)
Later that afternoon, we took a drive and found as many remaining portions of the theme park as we could. It was a very fun and interesting adventure. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, google Heritage USA, and you will learn all about it.)
Now that we are settled in, we are turning our focus back to the reason we are here: to prepare for Africa. Yesterday, we watched a program about Ghana on TV. It made us all homesick for Africa, including the food. :-)
A week from Tuesday we will begin our internship. We are very excited to plunge into learning more about ministering and living cross culturally.
We are also excited to continue to raise funds, and get some help/tips in that area during the internship. God has blesses us, and we are beginning to see things take shape financially for Ghana. We still have a ways to go, but look forward seeing Him provide for us. We serve an awesome and faithful God!
A few prayer requests...
--Kids continued adjustment, and comfort to their hearts when they miss Portland and their family and friends.
--Continued wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and guidance during this season of our lives, and the season to come in Ghana.
--Continued Business/Jobs for Jody. Financial provision for our family.
--Finances for Ghana.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Final Update From the Road
August 26, 2010
Today was the first day we have been able to sleep past 6:30 all week! Once we finally got up and about we went to the prayer room at IHOP. I just love being in His presence! It was a great way to spend our morning.
No trip to IHOP is complete without a trip to the bookstore (our check book flinches any time I go near a Christian bookstore!). Son is all decked out with a IHOP T-Shirt and Hat. Daughter got the long coveted IHOP water bottle, "just like Nana."
The rest of our day was spent hanging out with my sister. I was spoiled to have her near for so long, and I miss her so much. It was nice to be with her again.
Our stay is too short, and tomorrow, it's back on the road. I am trying to talk Jody into pushing through and driving the final 18 hours all at once. It's a tall order, yes. We'll see how persuasive I can be.....
August 26, 2010
What a LONG day. 14 total hours in the car with very few, very short stops. We didn't quite make it all the way home, but we're close. Only 4 more hours.
Our car has been so great, but the "driving stick/shifter thingy" decided to go out on us today. We can still drive it, but we don't have park, and we have to start it in neutral. We stopped in in a little town to have it looked at, but the mechanic said to just go on home with it as it is. He was about to close shop, and we would have been stuck over the weekend.
So, we went on, but decided not to push our luck and drive in the dark. We stopped in Canton, Ga. After a bunch of "cheap" hotels we sprang for a nicer hotel with an indoor pool. The kids, who were excellent in the car all day, needed to "release the wiggles."
We all enjoyed a swim and quickly decided not to try and get up early tomorrow, but to sleep in and enjoy to free hot breakfast. We are all so tired....
August 28, 2010
We are here!!!! Finally! We pulled up to our new home at about 1:30. After a quick look around at our new place and new furniture, we wall worked together to unpack the trailer and van. It didn't take long, but us wimpy North Westerners were about to pass out from heat exhaustion! I forgot just how humid it is here, and just how much I HATE humidity.
To celebrate our arrival, we went to our favorite Southern Restaurant, Cracker Barrel. YUMMY!!!! Then a quick trip to Wal Mart for some essentials, and we were back home.
We have already met several of our neighbors. One even brought us cup cakes! We live on a street that is still being developed and there is a large parking lot and field behind us, so the kids have lots of room to play and ride bikes.
Tonight's goal is to just get the best put together and made. Tomorrow, we will paint and start unpacking after our first morning at World Outreach Community Church.
Today was the first day we have been able to sleep past 6:30 all week! Once we finally got up and about we went to the prayer room at IHOP. I just love being in His presence! It was a great way to spend our morning.
No trip to IHOP is complete without a trip to the bookstore (our check book flinches any time I go near a Christian bookstore!). Son is all decked out with a IHOP T-Shirt and Hat. Daughter got the long coveted IHOP water bottle, "just like Nana."
The rest of our day was spent hanging out with my sister. I was spoiled to have her near for so long, and I miss her so much. It was nice to be with her again.
Our stay is too short, and tomorrow, it's back on the road. I am trying to talk Jody into pushing through and driving the final 18 hours all at once. It's a tall order, yes. We'll see how persuasive I can be.....
August 26, 2010
What a LONG day. 14 total hours in the car with very few, very short stops. We didn't quite make it all the way home, but we're close. Only 4 more hours.
Our car has been so great, but the "driving stick/shifter thingy" decided to go out on us today. We can still drive it, but we don't have park, and we have to start it in neutral. We stopped in in a little town to have it looked at, but the mechanic said to just go on home with it as it is. He was about to close shop, and we would have been stuck over the weekend.
So, we went on, but decided not to push our luck and drive in the dark. We stopped in Canton, Ga. After a bunch of "cheap" hotels we sprang for a nicer hotel with an indoor pool. The kids, who were excellent in the car all day, needed to "release the wiggles."
We all enjoyed a swim and quickly decided not to try and get up early tomorrow, but to sleep in and enjoy to free hot breakfast. We are all so tired....
August 28, 2010
We are here!!!! Finally! We pulled up to our new home at about 1:30. After a quick look around at our new place and new furniture, we wall worked together to unpack the trailer and van. It didn't take long, but us wimpy North Westerners were about to pass out from heat exhaustion! I forgot just how humid it is here, and just how much I HATE humidity.
To celebrate our arrival, we went to our favorite Southern Restaurant, Cracker Barrel. YUMMY!!!! Then a quick trip to Wal Mart for some essentials, and we were back home.
We have already met several of our neighbors. One even brought us cup cakes! We live on a street that is still being developed and there is a large parking lot and field behind us, so the kids have lots of room to play and ride bikes.
Tonight's goal is to just get the best put together and made. Tomorrow, we will paint and start unpacking after our first morning at World Outreach Community Church.
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