Wednesday, June 1, 2011

On the move!


May was a big month for our family. We said goodbye to our Lawrence friends and the KU Navigators, moved out of our condo, moved our things into storage in Wichita, and then packed our car as full as possible to move to Jacksonville for 10 weeks to lead the Summer Training Program. It has been a whirlwind!
We really loved living in Lawrence and will miss the ministry and our friends dearly. We are thankful for the opportunity to start our marriage and ministry together there, and it still hasn't sunk in that we won't be returning after the summer like we normally do. At the last Nav night of the year Jason and I wore t-shirts that were made for us by our fellow staff. Jason's says, "I miss Lawrence", and mine says, "Someone in Kansas loves me". We will certainly miss Lawrence and know that there's still a lot of love in Kansas as we transition to Texas!

We arrived in Jax last week, and just yesterday all the students finally arrived. We are thankful for their safe arrival and are praying this is a life-changing summer for them. Below are some pics of our summer adventures so far. Elisabeth has been doing well despite all the life-change she's experienced.
We drove to Florida in three days, stopping in St. Louis and Atlanta. We packed picnic lunches and this was a great way for Elisabeth to get out and run around at parks.


Our Summer Training Program is housed on the campus of the University of North Florida, which is situated on a nature preserve. It's a beautiful campus, and there are geese roaming everywhere. Elisabeth and I go for a walk every morning, and these geese were literally on the doorstep of the dorm as we walked out our first morning. It's like going to the zoo every day!

This goose has been around for the past four years we've been here. His name is Daffy, and though he looks a little scary, he is super-sweet and even wags his tail like a puppy. Elisabeth got aquainted with him on our walk this morning--she wasn't quite sure what to think of him!

We live in the dorm with the students, and staff with kids each have two rooms. Elisabeth has been having a good time settling in, and is of course charming the students right and left.



Every summer I'm reminded at what a unique experience it is to invest in this generation of college students, our country's future leaders, in such a real and personal way. Today was the last official day of orientation, and Jason gave a talk on the Navigators calling statement to set the stage for the summer. We're excited to grow alongside these students this summer. What a privilege!



We are grateful for your love and support!