Ready or not, here we go!

***Warning:  This is long!***

Like I mentioned last week, Ryan and I have been praying about some changes.  Just over a month ago, Ryan saw a job posted for a counselor position at a place called Shelterwood.  It is a residential facility for teenagers whose parents are at their wits' end about what to do with them.  They provide counseling not just for the kids but for their families as well.  

For as long as I've known Ryan, he has always had a desire to do family ministry.  He always knew that he was supposed to do counseling, and knew God had given him a heart for families, but wasn't sure exactly how that was all going to fit together.  All that to say, after reading about the ministry he decided to email the contact.  A couple of days later,  he got a response that the job had been filled.  Several days later he got another email from a different person within the same ministry (actually it was the COO).  He asked if Ryan was still interested and if so to fill out an application and send his resume.  They had another position open at a different location... Kansas City, Missouri.  Ryan and I both knew that the chance of this working out was pretty slim, but decided to send it anyway.  We just prayed that if it was right, that God would show us and them.

A week later, Ryan had a phone interview that went really well.  They told Ryan that they wanted to fly him out to interview again.  So Ryan and I were like, okay, we'll just keep taking the next step until God closes the door.  

Long story short, Ryan flew out for 2 days and they of course loved him.  Who wouldn't?!  On the following Monday they called and offered him a job.  Yay!  But then they told him the salary.  Boo!   For a whole day we moped around, thinking that this had seemed so perfect but there was no way we could pack up and move our family on that.  Well, on Tuesday morning, I woke up with that voice of God saying, "Your faith is too small."  So on Tuesday I just started praying again, that God would provide what we needed if this was where he wanted us to go.  On Wednesday, Ryan talked to them again and they offered a little more salary and then told us some more little blessings that we had been praying would happen.  

For the next week, we just prayed and prayed and went back and forth between going and not going.  Finally, through lots of praying, searching God's Word, and listening to the advice of people we trust, we felt like we had a clear answer from God.  He wants us to move to Kansas City.

So, at the end of September, that is what we will be doing.  Ryan keeps telling me I'm crazy for following him there, but I'd follow him anywhere.  Have I mentioned that I've never in my life been to Kansas City?  I probably won't until the day we move there.  Despite that, I have peace about going.  

At the risk of writing an entire book, I'll be concise about our answered prayers.

1.  My parents didn't freak out when I told them about Ryan's interview.  They have been great about the whole process and know that we are going to where God wants to use us.

2. We prayed about the salary.  God gave us just enough to make it a step of faith for us.

3. We prayed about housing.  They will pay for some place for us for about 6 months or until our house sales.

4. We prayed about moving costs.  They reimburse for that.

5. We prayed about a part-time job for me.  God is working that detail out and I'll share about that exciting possibility tomorrow.

He has been so faithful to answer us and to give us just enough of the picture to know that we're going the right direction, but not too much that we aren't still having to step out in faith.

I'm sorry that some of you are having to hear this through a blog.  We've been crazy with trying to figure out what to do next.

Please continue to pray for us through this transition.  Pray that our house sells quickly.  Pray that I don't go crazy trying to pack up our house.  I'll keep giving you more things to pray about in the weeks to come.