When God tells you to go, you better MOVE IT!!

For the past few months, our little family has been more than a little unsettled. We have felt God's call to be...elsewhere. For those of you who know us, or follow us, or stalk us, or whatever, you know that God placed the desire in Josh's heart to be a Senior pastor. Yes, we know he is an amazing youth pastor, but that ministry is ultimately not his calling. Going a little further, you also may know that God called Josh to plant a church, which ultimately led us to Westside Community
Church, where he was hired to be an Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship, and eventually plant. Well as time went on, we moved closer, then farther away, then closer, then a little farther away, then EVEN closer, then farther away still, from planting. There was a point, probably around February, where we had to have the following discussion: "Okay. What are we doing? Is planting where we are really called right now? Why are the doors closing?" And we got back to the root of what Josh is called to do: LEAD GOD'S CHURCH. So that discussion led us on a nationwide search to find where God is leading us, and what church He wants Josh to lead for HIS glory. After much searching, praying, discussing, and a little bit more praying, it looks like God wants us to be in...

*Drumroll Please...*

...Granby, Missouri!!! I know what you're thinking: "Uhhh, what? Where?" That's what we said, too. Granby is a little town about 30 minutes south of Joplin, and about an hour west of Springfield. So that puts us in Southwest Missouri, for those of you not familiar with the Show-Me State. We visited in late May, and have been working out the details ever since. Josh pulls out of the parking lot on August 15th with all of our worldly possessions (Thank goodness there's not much!) and I fly out with the goober on August 17th.

Yes, I am leaving pretty much my entire family. I have never lived this far away from them before. I don't know how to do it. We will be strangers in a foreign land, where everyone ELSE's family lives right down the street from them, but we are multiple states away. At our very core, we don't want to leave this comfortable life where my parents are right down the street and Josh's are just a couple hours away, but we know that God has called us to go, and we better MOVE IT. I hope in the next few weeks to fill you in on some of the things God has revealed to me through this process, because they are quite amazing. Please pray for us as we prepare to move. Our most immediate request is for a place to live.

And if you have any advice on what it's like to live far away from your family, please pass them along.

love
Rachel

My baby is growing up!

Zeke eating a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich all by himself!!!