Well, we are in our fourth full day here in Charleston and it is awesome. The weather has been nothing but sunny and warm. We are 95% unpacked. And Lauren had her first day on the job yesterday, and loved it! Todd and I had our first staff meeting here yesterday and it is so much more fulfilling knowing that what we plan we can take more action now that we have landed in the place where God has called us. It feels like home already.
We had no idea what our apartment looked like on the inside before we got here, because the apt. we originally were going to live in fell through after we were back in GA. Our first impression… this is BETTER than the original one. As we started unpacking we noticed that this apt. is more spacious than our house in Hiram (minus the garage). Lauren is pumped about all the cabinet/closet space this place has. Charlie has a fenced in dog park in the complex, so he can come off the leash and run.
The church has a lot of stuff going on as well. We have a group of approx. 40 middle schoolers from Ga coming and doing some missions with us here in the city over spring break. We are building relationships with partners from local businesses, churches, and government agencies. Developing what our preliminary meetings and services will look like. A lot of it is just networking and making contacts here, which thankfully Todd is a master at.
I am currently looking for a part-time job. The past 2 days I have filled out more applications and turned in more resumes than I have in my whole lifetime. If anyone knows of anyone looking for a part-timer in the Charleston area let me know.
Thank you all who are praying for us. We have continued to see God work through us and bless us in these times. And I know it is because so many folks are lifting us up to Him in prayer.
Some other prayer requests are:
- That I find a part-time job this month.
- That we continue to receive financial support
- That the transition continues to be smooth.
- That the people we encounter are receptive to Christ and us.
If you are not on our support list and would like to be, please respond to this post with your email address. This list contains everyone who has commited to pray for us over the following year or have commited by financially supporting us. Our goal is to have 100-200 committed prayer partners.
We will be keeping you undated.
Hi Mark and Lauren,
Thanks for the update!
Please count me in as a prayer partner for you all, as well as the rest of those who are there in Charleston.
Like you, I have moved into my own apartment in Smyrna, Ga and it is awesome to have a place to call home.
I will send you a copy of the newsletter that I am putting together about the events of the last few weeks.
Thank you all for sharing Christmas day with me. I wish I could have seen you all before you left but a lot of things were going on with family in Virginia, etc.
I will send you my new address, etc via facebook, you might try Skype if you dont have it, for audio and video calls, I use it with my family, etc all the time.
I maintain a backup of Hill Country Thoughts here at wordpress, it is called Hill Country Thoughts Too, everything I post at my site, I post here, as a backup.
Blessings to you both,
Paul
The Mayor of
Starbucks
You’re killin’ me… I can’t wait. Just plain can’t wait.
And, uh, oh yeah…sign me up for the prayer thingie.