An Ebenezer

 As I sit here in the coffee shop writing this, it has been exactly 2 years since we woke up for our first morning in Grove City.  

Moving here was was a step into the unknown, and we were filled with a variety of emotions and anxieties.  I wrote about how I knew every move didn't always mean a step "up" in the world, and some moves lead to harder times.... We weren't sure if giving up our nice life in Charlotte was going to lead to something we liked better or worse.  Not that that really matters... we are trying to go where God leads us in faith that He uses all the circumstances, whether we like them or not, for our good.  We felt like this was an open door that God was beckoning us through, so we came.  It was difficult leaving my family behind, and very, very hard leaving Strider in NC, but we did it anyway.

Not surprising, the Lord has blessed us here in GC.  But the extent to which He has provided for each member of our family so specifically is really astounding when I stop to think about it.  So I thought I should write some things down, in the manner of an Ebenezer.  Thus far, the Lord has been faithful.  We don't know what tomorrow or next year will bring, and maybe this GC chapter will end in sadness or defeat, but thus far, it has been good.  Very good.  So I thank God for all of the ways He's provided:

For Jinna --  Moving her away from a more diverse population to a more "white" small community was a concern for us and I wondered if she would mind.  Well, in an almost humorous way, God has surrounded her with people she has some major things in common with.  Our very next-door neighbor is one of the few Asians in this town, and we learned in our first week here that she, too, was adopted from an orphanage when she was young!  She has been so good to teach Jinna some Asian cooking and share special Asian foods with her. (She is also now Jinna's art teacher)  Then we found out that the kids' youth leader was also adopted from an Asian orphanage!  What are the chances that 2 of the significant adults in her life were adopted?  In addition, the first family we became friends with here has 3 adopted children, and they have become Jinna's good friends.  She has also loved playing our other next-door neighbors and a few kids from church.  She was welcomed into a girls' group at East Main church, which she loved, and now actively participates in the Grace Anglican youth group.  She seems quite content and thankful for just about everything.

For Miles -- We moved from NC before he had really developed good friendships with many kids besides his cousins, but what a difference 2 years makes.  Here he has quite a posse of kids who think he's hilarious and he's invited to play disc golf, basketball, or soccer almost daily (during the summer anyway).  He's also developed a new passion for the guitar, thanks to lessons from a teenager here, and the encouragement of his youth leaders as they've invited him to play for the group.  He's even done a solo in his class at school.  Speaking of school, he's been given amazing teachers here -- Liesel (Katie's old friend) for both years, and now Mr. Retucci at the Christian academy.  Both have challenged and encouraged him in very specific ways.  His soccer coaches have taken special liking to him.  I love that there are so many adults who know him and tease him and enjoy him.  His YouTube channel has been a local hit and he's even been asked for his autograph by a cute high-school girl when he was out once.  :)  He loves his freedom here and is often out at a coffee shop or for a run or getting his haircut or biking or playing disc golf.  What a blessing to have the park so nearby so that they boys can go mountain biking or disc golfing daily if desired.

For Colsen -- The last year in NC was pretty tough for Cole socially.... He couldn't quite find friends who he could hang with regularly, partly due to our location and partly due to being homeschooled.  He landed in GC with a bang, and it wasn't long before people were joking how he was like the Mayor -- he knew everyone in town, and everyone knew him.  He jumped right in with soccer and got to know the main players in town.  For about half the year there are pickup games every Tuesday and Thursday and even though it mostly college age and older, he participates all the time.  Then he got sucked into the running/track community, and started working hard on that, to become one of the faster milers in his age group.  In the first year he won the geography bee, the science fair competition, and the inventionland contest.  He has greatly benefited from the Pennsylvania school laws that allow kids to attend the public school part-time if they'd like, and allow homeschooled kids to play public school sports. Yes, this experience has been very good for him.  Both boys have also benefited from the fact that PA pays higher teacher salaries so there are more men that teach.  They have essentially had only male teachers since they moved here -- and they love that in these middle school/high school years!

For Rayna --  In NC we were told that the school Rayna attended had the best special needs program in the county, so we were very thankful she was there.  But we have found that the one in GC is actually better -- which is surprising since the school is much smaller.  The teachers and administrators here have been so flexible and welcoming to us, inviting us to choose what she would like to participate in.  (The whole school system has been so welcoming at every level!)  The kids have been very friendly and she has been able to take all kinds of fun classes.  In addition, she was even able to audit a college class, which she LOVED.  She got a real kick out of walking to and from the campus by herself each time.  She's had opportunities to work/volunteer at the elementary school cafeteria, the college dining hall, and the college bookstore.  The Young Life Capernaum group here is quite active and she's been invited to all kinds of activities with them.  Best of all, she feels like she finally has friends, for the first time ever.  The college girls have been sweet to include her.

For Strider -- We never thought we would see this, but Strider has just completed his 2nd semester at Grove City College.  And even more amazing -- he's actually enjoying it.  This has been a huge answer to prayer!  He was so reluctant to leave his life in NC, but once he did, he really didn't look back.  He was worried there wouldn't be good restaurants up here for him to work at, but it turns out that he is actually making more money at Primanti Bros, than he ever did at the places in Charlotte.  Even though he started school here in the middle of the covid mask mandates, and in a semester when the activities were all cancelled, and it was winter!, he still managed to meet people and ended up becoming good friends with the guys on his hall.

For Pete --  His new job has been challenging to say the least, but he's often remarked that he's so glad he's here.  Even if he had stayed at Wingate, covid would have made his life miserable, but at least here he's with leaders who he fully trusts and agrees with.  The spiritual component and commonality is so key and he has felt that keenly.  There can be both pros and cons to living with, going to church with, and working with the same people... but so far I think he's mostly only experienced the pros.  Some of his closet friends are his work colleagues.  Another big blessing has been living near the Browns, and Pete and Brian have been intentional about checking in with each other regularly.  It's good to have a friend so close who really knows him.  He also really loves the church, Grace Anglican.  After listening to Ethan's sermons online for years, it's been good to really get to know him in person.  And, it's been nice to just be a church attender, and not a leader/elder, for awhile.

For me --  I have been surprised by how much I love life here.  It all feels so simple and not overwhelming.  I love that all the places I need to go are within 2 miles.  I love that my kids can get themselves to their classes and appointments and youth groups and sports.  I love that there is no traffic.  I LOVE that my whole family is within a square mile; it makes me chuckle when I run into Pete or one of the kids when we were out and about in town.  Our house makes me happy, despite its money-pit-ness.  Most of all, I am thankful for all my new friendships-- which don't feel that new.  It's so fun having friends right on my street that I can pop over to or spontaneously take a walk with. I love having our close friends live close enough that we can bike over to their houses for dinner.  One of the things I missed most when we first left NC was my book club... I loved having those friends and time with them each month to discuss something we were all pondering.  The Lord has filled even that void for me -- our book club here is going on its 7 book I think and it's been such a joy getting to know the women well.  This town seems to be big on hospitality and we have received so many invitations to others' homes... it's been such a treat.  Plus there's the fact that we live so close to the college campus, which I love.  The students are so inspiring and funny and hopeful and creative.  I love seeing them, and participating in many sporting and cultural events.  I'm glad my kids have the opportunities to see and hear speakers and singers and authors.... I guess I could go on and on, but I will just sum up by saying this has been a wonderful place to live.  I don't even mind the weather that much.  Except for March.  And April.

I had to cut myself short in each of those paragraphs above.... There are so many more blessings the Lord has poured out, and so many I'm not even aware of, I'm sure.  He is so generous and kind.  So I write this now to remind myself about His character for those days in the future when the clouds may block His light and I may doubt.  This season, when we moved to one of the cloudiest parts of the country has ironically been some of my most "sunny" years.

"Thus far has the Lord helped us!"