Hahaha. Get it? IN? Indiana? Bahaha :D Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Can you believe we have been gone a month? I can't! Exactly a month ago, Caleb and I packed up the car and set off on the longest roadtrip we ever had, trying to get over the strangeness that we weren't driving back, that it was for real. Well. Lots has happened since then!
Living over here has had its ups and downs so far. Adjusting to our new life has been much harder than we anticipated. I mean, we knew it would be hard. We left everyone we knew, everything we understood, and moved 2,000 miles away. We just hadn't expected it to be this hard. I don't think we have gone more than a couple days in a row without one or both of us breaking down in tears. We are so blessed to have been asked to make this journey as a married couple. To those who have moved away by themselves, I give you big props. I couldn't do it.
God is definitely teaching us a thing or two though. Caleb and I are getting the very CLEAR message that we need to be flexible. We both have expectations and when those expectations don't occur, we get frustrated. Surprise, surprise, God wants us to ease up on our expectations and recognize that He is in control and not us. He told us to learn patience through a broken fridge over the last week, showing us that we need to rely on Him, not in what we can control.
He has also answered some serious prayer requests :) I found a job that I really enjoy, talking about books and learning about popular authors. Caleb's volunteer meeting last night went very well and it looks like we'll have some strong leaders. Our fridge was finally fixed. We are discovering a church that we are connecting at. We haven't gotten lost in a while. (Knock on wood!) Our apartment in Spokane was rented out and we got a rent refund. God provided enough for us during the time we worried about money to pay for things. God is just so good!!!
Some prayer requests:
- Clubs start Sept. 12th!! Pray that we will have enough volunteers and organization so that we are prepared for the kids
- We can connect to other young couples and begin friendships
- That we can feel loved and connected both to people back home and here
- We can learn flexibility as we get used to both of us working and at different times
- We can gain back motivation to raise support for Lifeline
We love and miss you all! The Stantons :)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Getting Settled
Hello all you wonderful people who read our blog :) Thank you for actually reading this! I never know who actually does lol so thank you for being one of them.
It's hard to believe we have been in Elkhart for two whole weeks!! At times it feels like a lifetime ago we were in Spokane, and at others, it feels like yesterday. Trying to learn the city has definitely been an adventure! Here are some highlights of what we have been doing:
- Church hunting. It's way harder than I thought. We have been to three different churches so far, searching for where God wants us to be. We really like one but do not want to limit God just because we are comfortable in one setting. (But that is also a dangerous statement haha)
- Caleb is really enjoying his work at Lifeline. He is getting to know some of the boys that visit the office and growing accustomed to the fact that he never really knows what his day will actually look like. We painted his office yesterday, so it looks all fancy and grown up :)
- I got a job! The Lord definitely provided, as the opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. But I will be working at a small used bookstore in a nearby mall. It's working Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next six weeks, and then re-evaluating after that. It's not alot of hours or money, but I get to do something I am passionate about. So thank you for your prayers!!
- We finally got internet!! It took a week from the first time we called, 8 or 9 calls back to Comcast, well over four hours on the phone, and three Comcast service guys, but we are now connected :) which feels wonderful. God really wanted to teach us patience, apparently.
- Lifeline got enough people to sponsor school supplies for around 100 kids from the River Run Apartments (government assistance housing) all the kids who signed up arrive at school on Tuesday with new backpacks and all of their school supplies!! Many families in the Elkhart school systems cannot afford the school supplies necessary for their children, so for the last three years Lifeline has helped by finding people to sponsor those in need. We get the exciting privilege of handing out full backpacks tomorrow night. You can pray for the kids as they start school this Tuesday!! (Yes you read correctly they have to start already!)
Love you all! Look for the post coming with pictures!!
It's hard to believe we have been in Elkhart for two whole weeks!! At times it feels like a lifetime ago we were in Spokane, and at others, it feels like yesterday. Trying to learn the city has definitely been an adventure! Here are some highlights of what we have been doing:
- Church hunting. It's way harder than I thought. We have been to three different churches so far, searching for where God wants us to be. We really like one but do not want to limit God just because we are comfortable in one setting. (But that is also a dangerous statement haha)
- Caleb is really enjoying his work at Lifeline. He is getting to know some of the boys that visit the office and growing accustomed to the fact that he never really knows what his day will actually look like. We painted his office yesterday, so it looks all fancy and grown up :)
- I got a job! The Lord definitely provided, as the opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. But I will be working at a small used bookstore in a nearby mall. It's working Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next six weeks, and then re-evaluating after that. It's not alot of hours or money, but I get to do something I am passionate about. So thank you for your prayers!!
- We finally got internet!! It took a week from the first time we called, 8 or 9 calls back to Comcast, well over four hours on the phone, and three Comcast service guys, but we are now connected :) which feels wonderful. God really wanted to teach us patience, apparently.
- Lifeline got enough people to sponsor school supplies for around 100 kids from the River Run Apartments (government assistance housing) all the kids who signed up arrive at school on Tuesday with new backpacks and all of their school supplies!! Many families in the Elkhart school systems cannot afford the school supplies necessary for their children, so for the last three years Lifeline has helped by finding people to sponsor those in need. We get the exciting privilege of handing out full backpacks tomorrow night. You can pray for the kids as they start school this Tuesday!! (Yes you read correctly they have to start already!)
Love you all! Look for the post coming with pictures!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Finally! A Real Update :)
Hello all!! I finally found some time and internet to write a real and full update!
Our Trip:
The trip was a blast! We took five days to get to Indiana, spending time in Yellowstone and at Mount Rushmore. Yellowstone was positively breathtaking. We wished we could have spent more than just a day there. If you haven't been there yet, you should go! Mount Rushmore was incredible and definitely worth seeing as well. There is nothing like four giant faces to take your breath away ;)
We had perfect weather up until the time we decided to leave Mount Rushmore. We had beautiful sunny days for all of our touristy stops, and then the rain came. Out of the 36 hours we drove, the 13 hour drive from Rapid City, SD to Davenport, IA was the roughest. South Dakota and Minnesota weren't too bad, but Iowa and it's constant corn were a bit rough haha. All and alll we had a fun trip over, though it was strange to get over the tendency to think we were driving back. Glad we aren't doing that drive again anytime soon!
Elkhart, IN:
We officially arrived Friday evening around 6pm. The place we are staying in is so nice. We often feel like we are being spoiled, it's just so big and modern. Wood floors, new appliances, and five bedrooms (two unfinished). It didn't feel real the first couple days. Our possessions didn't arrive until Monday night, so we kind of felt like we were camping in our own house! No cookware, dishes, silverware-it was quite a challenge to find something to make for dinner.
The best part of the weekend was seeing some familiar faces. Russ, Shannon and the Davis kids were in town visiting family, so we received the huge blessing of having them show us around town and invite us to church. As many of you know, Caleb and I loved our church back home, so finding a new church will be a journey, but God is faithful and knows our needs and desires.
Lifeline:
Caleb's welcome into his office consisted of pink Barbie wrapping paper, Hannah Montana plates, and a Justin Beiber poster. His co-worker, Andy, wanted Caleb to feel welcomed for sure! Today is Caleb's third day of working at Lifeline. He received a work computer, which is another blessing!! He is slowly getting a feel for what is expected, what he should know, and the humor of the other staff members. Caleb has already showcased his mad basketball skills with some of the Lifeline boys and is getting a feel for the kids he will be working with and loving on.
As for me, I am unpacking and organizing the house for now. Our ReloCube came at 7pm Monday night, so I have been working away at making our house feel like a home. I miss home and my family alot, but am enjoying the adventure of living here. Next week, we will hopefully have internet and I can begin a job search. After some direction from God, I have decided to help out with the Junior/Senior High girls club here.
Last night was our first activity! It was Elkhart's Night Out Against Crime, helping support Elkhart Police Department. We made cotton candy from 3pm to about 9pm last night, so we were hot and sweaty, and a little sugary! ;) It was fun to see the community we live in, and meet those who live in it.
First Board Meeting: (Caleb)
I just got done with my first board of directors meeting and I was very encouraged. I just wanted to share with you a quote from Scott the president of our board of directors. In a rather intense discussion with the advisory board, they discussed the idea of merging/working with other organizations to save money. The problem arouse of possibly losing our central mission at this time Scott finally spoke up only to say "Here is my only thought, I would rather die than be apart of an organization that does not share the Gospel every day!" I was so excited I almost jumped out of my seat. That is why we are here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the youth of Elkhart.
How you can be praying:
- That we can daily seek God's direction
- Jenna can find a job that is fulfilling
- Caleb can learn his way around and relate to Elementary kids
- Support will continue to come in now that we are in Elkhart
- That we can adapt to a new community and culture
We love and miss you!! Love, The Stantons
Our Trip:
The trip was a blast! We took five days to get to Indiana, spending time in Yellowstone and at Mount Rushmore. Yellowstone was positively breathtaking. We wished we could have spent more than just a day there. If you haven't been there yet, you should go! Mount Rushmore was incredible and definitely worth seeing as well. There is nothing like four giant faces to take your breath away ;)
We had perfect weather up until the time we decided to leave Mount Rushmore. We had beautiful sunny days for all of our touristy stops, and then the rain came. Out of the 36 hours we drove, the 13 hour drive from Rapid City, SD to Davenport, IA was the roughest. South Dakota and Minnesota weren't too bad, but Iowa and it's constant corn were a bit rough haha. All and alll we had a fun trip over, though it was strange to get over the tendency to think we were driving back. Glad we aren't doing that drive again anytime soon!
Elkhart, IN:
We officially arrived Friday evening around 6pm. The place we are staying in is so nice. We often feel like we are being spoiled, it's just so big and modern. Wood floors, new appliances, and five bedrooms (two unfinished). It didn't feel real the first couple days. Our possessions didn't arrive until Monday night, so we kind of felt like we were camping in our own house! No cookware, dishes, silverware-it was quite a challenge to find something to make for dinner.
The best part of the weekend was seeing some familiar faces. Russ, Shannon and the Davis kids were in town visiting family, so we received the huge blessing of having them show us around town and invite us to church. As many of you know, Caleb and I loved our church back home, so finding a new church will be a journey, but God is faithful and knows our needs and desires.
Lifeline:
Caleb's welcome into his office consisted of pink Barbie wrapping paper, Hannah Montana plates, and a Justin Beiber poster. His co-worker, Andy, wanted Caleb to feel welcomed for sure! Today is Caleb's third day of working at Lifeline. He received a work computer, which is another blessing!! He is slowly getting a feel for what is expected, what he should know, and the humor of the other staff members. Caleb has already showcased his mad basketball skills with some of the Lifeline boys and is getting a feel for the kids he will be working with and loving on.
As for me, I am unpacking and organizing the house for now. Our ReloCube came at 7pm Monday night, so I have been working away at making our house feel like a home. I miss home and my family alot, but am enjoying the adventure of living here. Next week, we will hopefully have internet and I can begin a job search. After some direction from God, I have decided to help out with the Junior/Senior High girls club here.
Last night was our first activity! It was Elkhart's Night Out Against Crime, helping support Elkhart Police Department. We made cotton candy from 3pm to about 9pm last night, so we were hot and sweaty, and a little sugary! ;) It was fun to see the community we live in, and meet those who live in it.
First Board Meeting: (Caleb)
I just got done with my first board of directors meeting and I was very encouraged. I just wanted to share with you a quote from Scott the president of our board of directors. In a rather intense discussion with the advisory board, they discussed the idea of merging/working with other organizations to save money. The problem arouse of possibly losing our central mission at this time Scott finally spoke up only to say "Here is my only thought, I would rather die than be apart of an organization that does not share the Gospel every day!" I was so excited I almost jumped out of my seat. That is why we are here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the youth of Elkhart.
How you can be praying:
- That we can daily seek God's direction
- Jenna can find a job that is fulfilling
- Caleb can learn his way around and relate to Elementary kids
- Support will continue to come in now that we are in Elkhart
- That we can adapt to a new community and culture
We love and miss you!! Love, The Stantons
Monday, August 1, 2011
We made it!!
Sorry there hasn't been an update lately! And this post isn't it. Our new home doesn't have internet yet, but an update is coming soon I promise!!! We love you all!
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