A Year in Review...

In less than three weeks we are headed to College Station.  I'm so glad we can never guess the ways of God.  He is so much more unique and creative than I would or could ever be!

However, before I delve into the what and why of our upcoming move, let me back up and explain how we got here.  In essence, here is our brief (hopefully) year in review, and what's next.

At the end of last June we moved back from being overseas for three years to Houston.  We dove right in to looking for houses, bought a car and thankfully did not buy a house.  In July we went to Icon (a conference put on by our sending organization for those who may not know), which was so very good but so very hard.  We were already grieving leaving Kurdistan, but now the weight really hit that we would leave Antioch, our church body and what felt like home for the last 10 years.  Though we were parting on great terms and really felt like it was God leading us to Houston, it felt like an unwanted and unwelcomed divorce.

So we grieved, and grieved a lot.  Lots of tears, loneliness and clinging to what God had said in the midst of wrestling through had we really heard God rightly.  It didn't help that it took us a good three months to find a church in Houston.  Not that Houston lacks good churches, it was just hard for us.  Hard to go from a small town and a small team to a huge town with big to really big to really, really big churches.  We did find a church, and I have been really thankful!  I have also been so thankful for my parents who are only 45 minutes away (we technically both live in Houston, crazy, I know).  I've also been thankful for other friends around Houston and elsewhere who have loved me and been there for me.

In the midst of grieving, God was so good to us.  He let us have a season of rest in Houston after lots of ministry and leading, and continually affirmed that we did hear Him.  Houston is where we were supposed to be.  I could go on and on about things He has taught me in this season, but this is already getting to be a very long blog post.

So at that point it was sometime in September and I was due in October and we already knew that Houston was not long-term, but just a stop on the journey.  However, we had no idea what was next.  We would like to go back overseas one day, but weren't sure where to and when.  Paul also has had a desire to get his PhD, but wasn't sure in what or where.  At that point we really weren't sure about anything other than we weren't going to stay in Houston.  We had a convo with our former missions director at our old church, and realized it's not higher education vs. missions.  It can be a both and.

  Quintin, the new love of our lives, was born on October 22, after I was induced since he was nine days late.  Our world changed, and for the better.  Paul started applying to a few different schools who had a program in the business field called management science, which is basically the math behind how business and operations works.   Not many schools even carry this program, and even if he was accepted we were committed to doing it debt free.  Seemed unlikely anything would happen.  We didn't hear back from any schools.  Back to square one, not knowing what we were going to do.

On a last minute whim Paul applied to Texas A&M the day before the deadline, after seeing that they had that same program.

We went to Florida for Christmas to be with my Dad's side of the family.  While there, Paul got a call from his former boss offering him a position at his plant in Austin.  We like Austin.  There's a good church there.  Seemed like it could be a great fit!  Over New Years we drove up to Austin and had a little retreat there (so, so good) and visited the plant and church there.  They were both great, and we still liked Austin.  The only bummer would be having to move much sooner than we thought, since they needed Paul to start in February.

So we prayed.  Prayed and waited.  Paul talked to his current boss (who have been so gracious and supportive of us) to let them know we may be moving really soon.  Paul scheduled the formal interview in Austin for some Thursday in January (can't remember the exact date).  The Wednesday before the interview in my quiet time I just didn't have peace about moving to Austin.  When Paul got home from work he told me the same thing before I had a chance to tell him.  God is good!  That same day he also got a call from Texas A&M wanting to interview him.  He canceled the Thursday interview and went up to A&M for an interview that Friday.

More waiting ensued.  Two weeks later (seemed much longer at the time) we heard back from A&M.  Not only did Paul get accepted, but he got a full ride and will earn a salary being a part-time teaching and research assistant.  Again, God is so good.  I am also so proud of my husband!!!  He is smart and hard-working, and leads our family so well.  I would follow him to the moon and back.  I'm so glad to be on this adventure with him.  Another fun little fact, the two areas Paul has work experience in, both from before we left and the job he has now, are two relevant areas of research for this program at A&M.  Go God!

We have enjoyed the last few months in Houston.  It's been so good to learn to be content and enjoy life no matter where we are or what we're doing.  I've also loved being near my family and having them around Quintin after being so far from them the last three years.  I truly am thankful for this time we've been in Houston.  I also must say, the city has grown on me.  I think that's a good sign.  :)

However, as much as I'm thankful for our Houston season, I'm really thankful to be headed to College Station.  The program is five years, so it will be the longest we've been in one place since we've been married!  I'm also REALLY excited to be jumping into the Antioch College Station church there.  And I'm really excited to live in a town where you can get across the city in 15 minutes.  Mainly I'm excited to be on this adventure with my family, in the middle of God's will.  What a great place to be.