Closed doors and "Now WHERE is that window?????"

You all know that saying....'When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.'? Well....our new updates on how our time is going in the US has quite the tangent to it which has us looking for windows.

It seems that the doors are now closed for us to return to Mexico in a full time capacity. After months of prayer and walking the path one step at a time, we are seeing that God is bringing us back to the United States. We are being 'repositioned'. For five years, we have been allowed to live out our faith in Mexico; and while I KNOW that that is precisely our calling no matter what soil our feet touch down on in daily practice, I had not expected it to be here...yet.

We have big decisions ahead and big changes for our family that we don't take lightly. As we transition, we will still be in need of various levels of support. Financial, yes. Prayer - especially. If you feel led to continue to support us in one or both ways as we do 're-entry', we would be grateful.

Here are a few key prayer needs and some stories to let you know that even in the chaos, we are finding humorous ways to deal with it. Or so we think...

One - This shift will entail another trip to Oaxaca for us to clear out our things and make the house we were living in available for others. (This part is not so funny....)

Two - a new plan. A job specifically and a place in which to live w/ said job.

Three - adjustment.

The mental imagery I have with that word is: 'chiropractic' and OUCH. There will be some pulling, tugging, twisting, and easing our bodies and minds back into a new framework verses the one we've been functioning in for the last five years. My prayer is that we don't break something in the process. Alan and I are adults and will try and be as mature as possible through this but I'm thinking more of our children at this point and how we work with them in adjusting. When we shared this final notice with our children, we got two stoic faces and a more dramatic response from our Natalie. With HUGE eyes and mouth agape she screeched, "HOW can we LIVE HERE!!!??? I've spent more of my life OUTSIDE the US than IN IT!! I don't know how to live HERE!"

Someday I hope she thanks us in her Academy Award winning speech, but she does have a valid point. You can see why we are praying daily for them.

Four - Oh that we could/would purpose to retain the lessons we've learned. I remember listening to a missionary speaker wwwaaaayyyy back and she said, "Everything can be preparation for something.....if we let it.", and I'm coming to realize the wisdom behind that statement in ways I never would have grasped before. That we would continue to be prepared.....for something.

Now here's where I get to do some 'praisin'.....in the scheme of things it may seem small, but for ME - it is ginormous.

You cannot imagine my terror at one point in the game where I realized - "OH MY GOODNESS - not only does it seem that the doors are closing (OH WAIT - No! No! No! and I'll just shove my fingers in that gap and maybe I can pry the door open a bit...) but that:

One - we seem to have done things backwards. (THIS is very hard for my personality who loves to see efficiency at work.)
Two - we are going to be homeless.

Nice.

Well - God is much bigger than I allow Him to be some days and wouldn't you know it, housing was provided. And provided with no strings and GORGEOUS yellow couches. I. am. not. kidding.. I almost passed out right there on the spot.

Transition is not a fun address right now YET God is showing me that He does sometimes have the cake coming out of the oven at just the right time in spite of the fact that I originally picked a different flavor.... and there is even frosting.

With much love,

Faith for the entire zoo.....