BIG NEWS (HUGE, ACTUALLY)

I'm skipping ahead by like six posts, because I can't hardly stand keeping the news to myself. Before I tell you, let me put out a disclaimer by saying there is no way I can adequately explain/express everything that has suddenly transpired and changed in our family.

Seriously. No way.

So I might make this a couple of posts long, and you're welcome as always to call or email or whatever to ask more questions or chit chat with me about it. So here it is:

*Michael and I have accepted the offer to become house parents for a "cottage" of teenage girls at a nearby children's home.

*We start the beginning of September.

*This means we are putting our house on the market, packing, and moving, all in the next 3-4 weeks.

*This change has taken place in nine days (they called us to request an interview on August 2nd).

Now, you may think we are a little bit crazy, and you may be right, but my mama always said a little bitta crazy never did nobody no harm (okay, she's never really said that, and certainly not with such horrible grammar, but I still think it's true).

Here's how things unfolded, as best I can explain it through typed words:

*We have a passion for raising and loving kids, and a passion for mission work - these two passions combine into something pretty awesome in this specific job description.

*We applied to be house parents a year ago, and they didn't need anyone then, so we assumed that was a closed door.

*We have been waiting and praying, and waiting and praying for over a year for God's plan for our next phase of life. This opportunity was dropped in our laps with a big fat bow tied around it, right after some recently difficult and confusing events, and the more we have talked and prayed about it, the more we have realized the timing and situation and house we will be in just couldn't be any more perfect for our family.

*We went in to interview, then toured the house we'll be living in and met the girls all in the same day, and I instantly felt peace about it, like this is just what we should be doing (Michael is ECSTATIC about the whole thing - I was the one with reservations and concerns at first when we got the phone call).

*I have been emailing back and forth with the current house mom since then, asking lots of questions, gathering information, etc.

*Tonight I went back to the house and had dinner with the girls and the house mom, and then me and the current house mom spent two hours talking about things, asking and answering questions, etc. VERY exciting, went SO well.

*We officially accepted the job today and will begin training in a couple of weeks.

Here is a breakdown of more factual info about the children's home, where we'll live, etc.:

*The place we are going is a children's home, but it is not operated by the state and not at all affiliated with CPS or anything like that. The children who are there choose to be there, and their parents/guardians choose for them to be there. A group of us all meet and decide about each individual child entering the home.

*Bennett and Jasper are safe and we believe will actually grow and mature spiritually because of this opportunity. This was my number one concern, and all of my questions about this have been answered without fail.

*We will be living in a beautiful seven bedroom home on a campus with land, horses, a pool, sand volleyball court, multiple playgrounds, computer lab, gymnasiums, etc. It's pretty amazing and the boys will be pumped about it.

*Our home is about 15 minutes further down the road from where we live right now, so we're still close to everything and in the same area (thank you, God!).

*The girls already attend the same church we attend, so that will not change at all.

*I have to quit praise team for now (or at least only sub), which is hard, but it's a sacrifice that is needed to minister in this new way.

The long and short of it is, God has called us to do this and we have answered the call. It feels so good to finally know what we're doing and where God wants us after crying out to Him and trying so hard to be patient for what has felt like a very long time (even though it hasn't really been that long). We are thrilled by this opportunity.

Please pray for us over the next few weeks as we prepare the boys, put our house on the market, sell it, pack, move, and get ready to love on these girls!