Time To Head East

It's official. We are moving east to Boston.


"Don't you know how expensive it is out there?"

"You don't have any family there?"

"It's an extremely liberal state!"

"Don't you know they legalized homosexual marriages there?"

Let's back up about 2 months.

Duane had already had an interview with New Balance and we were awaiting a call from them to set up a second interview. One weekend, we spent looking online for churches and at the price of houses in the area. I have a "fleece" about churches. I'm always looking for Vineyards or a church that we can connect with other people. I found several but it would be a long commute. We subscribe to a magazine called Relevant Magazine. Their site: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/ offers a link to area churches. On the site people who have visited these churches or attend them, these churches all boast a more contemporary feel and cater to young adults and young families, can write reviews. After reading several favorable reviews of one in particular I went to their website. Duane and I watched a video message from the pastor. At the end, I was crying. Their heart for the community was so evident and their desire to grow as a church knowing and loving Jesus spoke strongly to us. http://gracepointne.org/about-us.htm

The very next Monday, the girls had swim lessons. I sat on a bench to watch and another mother and her young son came and sat near us. We began talking and I found out she was in town here to visit her parents. She grew up in Wichita and her family had just relocated from Denver to Virginia. At the mention of "relocated" I found myself telling her about Duane's interview and the fact that we'd been praying about this. She smiled and began to tell me that she and her husband had some really good friends that lived in Boston. "In fact," she said, "they pastor a church called Grace Chapel in an area called Andover." I started to laugh. I told her that we'd been online looking at churches in that area but I wasn't sure that was the church. Anyhow, we spent the rest of the time talking about Wichita and her move to Virginia.

I was excited to tell Duane about this conversation. "Can you believe how crazy that is Duane? What are the chances that she'd know someone in Andover?" (To give an idea how small the town is: the town of Andover's website states in a 2000 census the population was 31,247.)

Duane looked at me and said, "Don't you think that this is the Lord, Maria?"

Me: "What? No, that too weird, don't you think?"

Then it hit me...it was the Lord speaking very clearly to me. I had been praying that the Lord would show me clearly that this was the direction He was leading us in. I was so anxious to talk with my new friend, Rachel, the next day.

We met Tuesday morning and the first thing out of her mouth is:

"Maria, I told you that the church was Grace Chapel and that is wrong, it is Grace Point."

I began to cry.

How much more specific could the Lord be?

The pastor of Grace Point, Steve, grew up with Rachel's husband and their families were very close. They remain very close to this day. Rachel contacted Jenny, Steve's wife, and shared with her our conversation. Jenny has been emailing me these past 2 months telling me about the area and sharing about the church they've felt led to pastor.

Fast-forward to today...it is the Lord leading us and I am very confident of it.

Yes, the cost of living is 31% more expensive than Wichita. The housing is 112% higher.

No, we don't have any family nearby. Closest family to us is 13 hours away.

It is an extremely liberal state but that doesn't scare me.

Of course they allow homosexual marriages. Although I may not agree with that type of lifestyle I still love people that choose to live that way. Didn't Jesus? Doesn't He still?


We know that only 1% of the population considers themselves evangelical Christians. But isn't that the best place to be?

I'm leaving the "bible belt" of the U.S. I have experienced tremendous growth in my walk with Jesus in the 5 years I have been here. So has Duane. We were brought to a safe place to be nurtured for a time before the Lord leads us to the next stage of our lives.

We're ready. Our family is ready.

Although these past 2 weeks have been a battle for us, we are still confident that this is where He wants us. We are leaving "family" behind here in Wichita. We were given a word when we first moved here that the Lord wanted to knit us in as a family. I didn't believe it at the time. I barely knew anyone, let alone the fact, I didn't want to make myself that available to anyone here. But God began to break pride in me. He began to show me incredible friendships, people we have spend many holidays with, Forth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. When family couldn't visit or we couldn't travel our friends joined us we have celebrated birthdays and holidays together.

Isn't that the definition of community?

Many times I find myself crying at the craziest times but I know the Lord is allowing me time to grieve our loss. But I also find myself anticipating what our life will be like in Boston. I want to be excited about the place He is taking us to. I want to be prepared for what is ahead. I want my eyes fixed on Him, not on my circumstances and I have found myself falling into that quite often the past few days.

I see enormous mountains ahead of us, so big that I can't even see the summit. How are they going to be moved? He's big enough to do it and I am learning to trust Him to move them instead of freaking out and trying to find my way around the bottom of them.

In all this I am so thankful that He's there with us. He's with you too.

Annie's Faith

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.

Matthew 18:2-4 (The Message)