Call Day

We are staying in Iowa! In fact it’s Central Iowa, much closer to Grandma and Grandma and our sweet nephews and nieces. This makes us very happy! We are also thrilled to have a (insert our denomination) school. Luke’s class will be combined with another grade to make about 20 students, so it is small. We feel this will be great for him and perhaps will be more focused if less bored by being able to listen to the 6th graders’ instruction. Either way he will receive the Word on a daily basis and we are thrilled. Leah is so excited to enter Kindergarten this fall, but will be happy it’s a smaller classroom and also hear of Jesus’ love!

Hopefully, I can change my profile to read …. Back in Hospice. The hospice house is smaller… but I will try to work PRN or at least volunteer to get my foot in the door and hopefully a job will come in God’s timing. I will be working full time (in 1 or 2 jobs) as the student loans come due… but since my baby will be leaving me for the big exciting world of Kindergarten, my role as Mommy will change and a paycheck will mean more!
Ed is so excited about his possibilities, however still wants’ to keep his focus on Shepherding our vicarage church as they are just starting their call process for a experienced Pastor who could also supervise a vicar to meet their needs.
There are so MANY BLESSINGS in our new call, that we (and Grandma) are GRATEFUL! One challenge is to find a home as there is not a parsonage. We plan to find a small house to rent, until we can find the perfect house to buy. Actually owning our own home will be a blessing once the process is complete.
GOD IS GOOD! He has also blessed us tremendously with wonderful friends and family to support and encourage us along the way. THANK YOU!!

Seminary City

We have been so excited to visit Seminary City for Call day. I find this so surprising because in 2005, I never thought we’d call Seminary city home. We lived in an old damp “townhouse”, that was more like a small apartment with the bedrooms up a flight of stairs. I am embarrassed to admit I have been so spoiled that I was so unhappy in an apartment. Many of God’s people can serve him while living in a tent, but I need a house. That is the reality, as ugly as it is. We were so MUCH happier in a house with a basement for storage and a backyard to play. I also made it to hospice and left hospital nursing for the hospice house and wonderful Christian and supportive co-workers. Somehow Seminary City became home and we still have twinges of homesickness. Vicarage town has so many blessings and I’m sure I will be saying the same until our new home fits around us.

Seminary city has so many luxuries… like Targets and Walgreens and multiple free family activities and milder weather and dear friends that “get” what being a seminarian it and “get” how thrilling and scary is to put our faith in God’s plans for us. We have a list of people we want to see and places we want to visit “one last time”.

As we are driving in to Seminary City… even just the county suburbs… Luke says he feels choked up and could cry “happy tears”. Of course he is too grown up to cry, but not to grown up to feel he should be allowed to stay here forever! He plans an afternoon visit to his former school and a playdate and finish the week with a Boy Scout rally. Hopefully a visit will be healing and fun…. But not too fun to make him want to stay forever! Leah wants to see her friend “HSM girl” and play, play, and then play some more. She wants to see the elephant named after her, play at some favorite parks and check out a kid’s museum. Mom wants to her former coworkers and a special patient who “graduated” from hospice and generally see her family have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation that “heals homesickness”. Dad has some shopping to do at the bookstore and graduation details to work out. He has a bunch of friends to reconnect with a wants a taste of his favorite coffee.
On the trip here we stopped for a wonderful lunch with friends who have graduated from the sem and have started a great life. They are such an inspiration and still give us great support. When we were leaving, Ed said “did you get your Kate fix”. Nope… I could have had twice as long! Hopefully, our new call will be closer and I can get my “fix” more often!

Stay tuned…. our next post will be Call day!