A Year of Change

Aaaah! How did almost a whole week go by? I told you last Monday that I was hoping to do more posting about this last year. Well, tomorrow we send Emma off to summer camp for the first time, so that kind of consumed me all week. I can't believe she is already old enough to be a junior camper! She and I had a very special day yesterday. We went to lunch at Panera Bread and then had frozen yogurt at Cherry on Top, one of our new favorite places. There were a few more things we needed for camp, so we went over to Target. I bought her a pack of disposable cameras to use this next week, so we can see all the fun of camp. BTW, Olivia looked at one of the cameras and said to me, "Did you show Emma how to delete the ones she doesn't want off of this kind?" hee hee I told her that it was not a digital camera but one with film. She looked at me like I was nuts, so I tried to explain film to her. She then wanted to know where you see the picture. I guess I really am getting old and kids are just so used to the technologies of today.

So back to the memories. . .It is exactly one year ago today that we pulled into CA to call it HOME! I can remember crossing the border and talking with Kris and the girls about being in our new state and how weird that sounded. We were finishing our cross-country drive and about to stop. . . and stay. . .not head back this time. There was a lot of excitement, nervousness, and heaviness in our hearts all at once. My own thoughts--I was so far away from everyone, besides my immediate family, that I knew and loved and was now in the most different of places I had ever lived. I had never been to CA before in my life until just several months before, and now it would be my home. There was no question in my mind that this was right, as different or weird things may be, and that God had clearly led us to CA. What a calm that brings to the nerves and comfort to the heavy heart--saddened to have left good friends and family on the other side of the US! The excitement and desires only grow when the thought comes back that this is about God and His glory, and what a wonderful opportunity to be part of His kingdom work in this part of our country! Well we got to our hotel, thanking the Lord for giving us safety across thousands of miles and asking Him for grace and strength, as Kris would start his first Sunday as pastor of Heritage Bible Church the next morning.

So much has happened since that first Sunday in our new church here. I will try in the days ahead to hit the highlights of things God has done and what He is teaching us. I have spent some time this week going through pics and even some short videos I found on my phone of our trip across the country. First though, I will go back to the final service and farewell given to us in MI. Here are the memories of saying goodbye at Calvary that the Dumonts so sweetly captured for us:


Sunday evening--our last choir number (I choked through it!) Wow--after further review, it looks like the picture was shot either right after we stood to begin, or during an interlude. Those faces were not typical of our expressions during singing. ha ha


Kris leading the congregation (background shows proof of my "choking")


We sang "Jesus Paid it All" and this time KRIS choked! Oh, and what is the dead give away that we were living in MI and NOT the CA sun yet? Yikes!


Kris got to play one last time on the borrowed euphonium.


My dear friend, Deb, presented me with gorgeous roses from the church.


Pastor Dan and Pastor Mike presented a beautiful, etched glass plaque to us.