Yep, It's True

I am so glad today has come and we have finally been able to share the one thing that has been most prevalent in our hearts and minds for the past 6 months or so. In case you haven't heard or we haven't been able to tell you face to face, Kyle and I have distinctly felt the Lord calling us to relocate our family to Charlottesville, Virginia in order to plant a church. Planting a church simply means we will be starting a church from scratch. I say "simply", but it obviously entails a whole lot of work, prayer, support raising, etc. even before it can give off the ground. We have a heart to reach the students of the University of Virginia, young professionals, and young families who have not heard the gospel and/or who have not been discipled in the Word.

Many people have asked how I'm feeling about this. I feel many things: very sad to be leaving the life we love in College Station and especially the college students that we have ministered to and built relationships with, fear to be leaving things that are familiar and family living so close, and uncertainty about what the future holds for us and our children. But the main thing I feel is peace....peace that we're following God's will for our lives. He has called us to take a major, gigantic leap of faith and we have looked Him in the eye and jumped. I am excited knowing that my faith will be challenged, that I will be challenged to build relationships and share the gospel with people unlike me, that this is a new adventure that will make me "grow up" in maturity more and more. 

Of course, I have been praying through this for a while now. Even though my first reaction to Kyle was "Let's do it", I immediately cowered in fear. But God has spoken to me through Joshua and Caleb's story (how ironic that those are two of our children's middle names). They went to spy out the promised land and were the only ones who faced the giants and still said, "let's go for it....God is faithful." Why not trust God who has been nothing but faithful to me in the past? He will (and already has) answered question after question after question that we've had.

So soon (how soon is another question) we will move to Charlottesville where many many people do not know Christ. Charlottesville is like a smaller version of Austin with a Rice University plopped down in the middle. UVA is an elite school, a "public ivy", and there is very little evangelical activity reaching these students. The cost of living is high.....another way for God to show His faithfulness! We imagine a church where intimate community happens, where every member is a missionary to the community, and where discipleship is a core value. 

As we prepare and plan, we really need people praying for us and supporting us financially (if God so leads you). Thank you for your love through this! I'm sure I'll be writing more about it in the next few months.