Our Trip to South Carolina

Wow, it has been two weeks since we left for our trip to Columbia, South Carolina! It has been a very busy two weeks, but more on that later. We had planned this trip several months ago as preparation for our move there this summer. Andrew will be enrolled at Columbia International University in the seminary program, and we planned the trip to visit the school as well as look at housing and employment opportunities.

About two months ago, we stumbled across a great opportunity for employment and ministry! There was a posting for houseparents for the resident program at Ben Lippen High School, located on the Columbia International University Campus. The majority of residents in this program are international students, so this job was especially exciting to us. We knew that taking on the role of houseparents would be challenging, but we felt that it would be a great fit for us and that we would really enjoy getting to build relationships with these students. We saw this opportunity as a blessing from the Lord, and held it with an open hand. We applied and had a phone interview, but when we left for our trip, it was still uncertain what the outcome would be. We knew that God was in control and prayed that He would make it clear what His will was for us in this move.

We were about an hour away from Columbia when we got a call from the Resident Director to schedule a second interview and a chance to meet with some of the houseparents for the next day! Suddenly our itinerary went from very open to very busy! We arrived Thursday around lunch time, and were going non-stop until late Friday evening. We enjoyed meeting the houseparents, and Micah was such a trooper with all the traveling, meetings, and visiting that we did over the whole trip.

We were so busy, we forgot about taking pictures! The only picture we took while in Columbia is the one above of our gracious hosts - Dr. & Mrs. Cashin - with Micah. Dr. Cashin is a professor at the Seminary, and he contacted Andrew to congratulate him on his acceptance to CIU. When he heard that we were coming to town for a visit, he offered to host us in their home. Their generosity was such a blessing, and it was wonderful to get to know them as well as some of Dr. Cashin's advisees at picnic on Saturday. We also enjoyed a nice hike with them around a lake near their home.

On our way home on Sunday, we stopped overnight for a short visit with our friends Tim & Janet Shea. It was great to see them again and catch up on what is happening in their lives. They are also anticipating a move this summer, as well as a new addition to their family! I am so excited for them as they enter this new chapter in their lives!!

Uncle Tim getting some practice with Micah!

We took our time driving the rest of the way home on Monday, which Micah seemed to appreciate. He got some extra time out of his car seat, especially when we stopped at a rest area in Virginia for him to eat. The scenery was so beautiful, we just had to take some pictures!

Micah loves to stand up!

Shortly after we got home Monday night, the Resident Director from Ben Lippen called and offered us the houseparent position! We are so grateful for this opportunity, and it is such a great answer to prayer for what the Lord had for us for employment, housing and ministry while we complete this next step in our lives. We have totally seen God's hand in how He worked and guided us through this process and how He has provided for our needs and desires. We are also humbled to have the opportunity to work with such a great team of people. There are five other houseparent couples in addition to the Resident Director and her husband, and all have had a lot of great experience to draw from for this job. We look forward to being able to glean wisdom from them, and hope that we can be an encouragement to them as well.

So now the reality hits hard. We have about a month and a half until we say goodbye to our family and friends here and start the next chapter in our lives as we prepare to serve the Lord cross-culturally overseas. The plan is to pack everything up and clean our apartment on July 5th, and head out the next day. We are glad that we will be able to move a little earlier than expected so that we can get settled in before our students arrive in August, but we suddenly have a little less time here than we thought. There are so many logistical items to think about, I pray that we won't lose sight of the relationships here that are important to us. This time now is bittersweet, and we want to make the most of it!