Two Weeks In...

Well, we are about two weeks in, so I feel like it's about time to update you all on how things are going. At this point, I still feel like we are on vacation. 😊 This isn't surprising, since we are staying with Michael's parents for the time being. But I'm embracing the vacation feel and taking things as they come. It's been so great to be able to rest, recover from jet lag, and work on getting our lives in Lynden settled without having to be stressed out about it! 

Gerrit has been thrilled thus far with being back in the Pacific Northwest. We finally convinced him to start practicing riding a two-wheel bike by taking him into the woods and riding on the path. He is more confident because the ground is softer...but it's also bumpy with rocks and roots, which provides its own challenge! He fell off into the ferns the other day, and since then we've been joking about how ferns give good 'hugs' when you crash into them. 😍 (And why trees don't give good hugs when you run into them!)

Gerrit also has been occupied this week by building the dream treehouse with Pops in the backyard! They have been talking about building it for close to two years now, since we couldn't travel to the US last summer, so it has been incredible to see their excitement as they've gotten started on the project. I'm really not sure whether Gerrit or Pops is more excited about it! 

Excited to have work gloves!

The first board goes up

Putting up some stairs

Pops and Gerrit take a break in the trees after a long morning of work

Excited to join Gerrit on the platform in the tree for the first time!

They have been watching "Treehouse Masters" in the evenings as well. Treehouse is the main theme of this summer so far! 

I have continued to be amazed at God's provision for our lives. Michael has already started his new job as a custodian at Lynden Christian, which is the same school I will be working at and Gerrit will be attending in the fall. The change in type of work has been really good for Michael so far. He loves serving in this way and is excited to continue down this path! This job also provides something else we've been hoping for - insurance. 😄 

In addition to a job for Michael, God has graciously provided us with a house that we can rent for the next year. We will be able to move in sometime in the middle of July, once we return from visiting my family. It's a nice small 3-bedroom house in a neighborhood that's within easy biking distance of the school. We wanted to get away with having just one vehicle if at all possible, and the location of this house has made that possible for us this coming year. 

While Michael has been working, Gerrit and I have spent some time park-hopping around Lynden. There are several great parks that give us the chance we need to make new friends and be a part of the community. That has been another blessing in my life. Although I know a variety people here, it will take time for me to actually feel like I have real friends in the area - the kind of friends who really know me and who can encourage my heart. Meeting up with people I know is a step in the right direction. And taking the initiative to start up conversations with whoever I meet at the park is another step I need to take to feel like this town can become a home where I'm comfortable being my own person.

We'd appreciate your prayers as we continue to transition. The reality of it has not hit me yet, and I think it won't until we move into our house. I anticipate a lot of difficult moments as much as I anticipate joy and peace. There are a lot of things that are required of functional adults here that we've never had to do before, and those things really scare me. I know that greater moments of culture shock are coming as well, and that they will catch me off-guard. On the flip side, I know there are a lot of new things to look forward. Starting a new job at a new school comes with a lot of exciting things, and I look forward to the surprises and challenges that I'll encounter. 

Overall, I often wonder why God has called us to this place at this time. The last six weeks have been a whirlwind. I haven't wrapped my brain around all of this yet, and my heart is still very far from believing we are remaining here and not returning to Thailand. But this new season of rest and God's continual provisions for our lives are constant reminders that, while I don't understand all of this, I can rest assured that it's good. It's the right thing for us. And in time, it will feel more like home.