We Made It (updates)
Above: Sunrise over Scottsdale.
You might feel like this all happened so fast, but the reality is, God has been dealing with us about this transition for the better part of two years. We will talk more about the story behind the move, but for today we wanted to tag in with some updates.
But first, our hearts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by the floods back home in Texas. In particular, the story of the camp that lost over 20 students hits incredibly close to home, as we have worked youth camps in our district for the last 10 years. I cannot imagine what the families, staff, and community around Camp Mystic are feeling today. We held South Texas camp (UPCI) in Kerrville for years before moving locations after our new district formed. The community is a close knit one, and our hearts hurt for them.
We have officially been in Arizona for two weeks! It’s still somewhat hard to believe, but we are settling in well. We arrived to Phoenix on June 20th, after a long drive with our two vehicles and a moving truck. We stopped in Las Cruces, New Mexico on the 19th to break the drive up. Thankfully, my father-in-law joined us on the journey, driving the truck and offering some much needed muscle with loading and unloading. We could not have done it without him! We put all hands on deck when we got here, turning our apartment into a functioning living space for the 5 of us. The two big kids got loft style beds, making it easy to make use of all the floor space in their shared room.
Above: Somewhere outside of Las Cruces, NM.
The kids have had to adapt to a new routine of walking our dog, Freddie, to go to the bathroom. Freddie seems unsure about living in a desert, but he does enjoy the plants and cacti around our complex. The kids have really enjoyed the pool. We’ve already had a day or two where the temps topped 110 F, but I don’t care what anyone else says, 110 and dry is more bearable than 90 F and 90% humidity. It’s nice to step out the door in the morning and not instantly be sweaty.
One the note of mornings, it is kind of wild that 5:00 AM in Arizona has daylight. I know that will change in the winter, but I’ve never seen daylight that early. If you don’t know, Arizona does not do time change, so as it stands now we are 2 hours behind central time, but when time falls back for everyone else, we’ll be one hour behind. If you are in central time and we’ve texted you at midnight (10PM our time,) sorry about that.
I’m looking forward to exploring the area on foot. There are loads of trails and mountains just a short ride from our apartment. I’m currently sidelined from running due to an injury, but I’ve enjoyed exploring on the bike, including a long 30 mile ride through a back rode that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the desert with nothing on any side. In reality, it’s pretty close to civilization, and perfectly safe with wide paths much like the San Antonio greenway system.
Above: Pulled off to the side for some views.
Ashley has claimed to have found the cleanest and most organized thrift store she’s ever been to. She’s also starting work today. This is one of the biggest changes for us. She is excited to start work at North Valley Christian Academy, and we plan for the kids to all attend school there, starting in August. I started working (remote) right away when we arrived, so Ashley and the kids have been exploring all of the libraries nearby. She’s also taking the opportunity to get over the Scottsdale for some grocery shopping and errands, in an effort to get into the community. Even though we are a way out from starting services of any kind, our goal is to be in the community as much as possible, meeting people and making connections. We even found a Mexican restaurant to try out after church this past Sunday. It’s not Tex-Mex, but it’ll do.
We appreciate the overwhelming support and cheers from friends and family, far-and-wide. While there are definitely bittersweet elements of the move, we are excited and eager to see what God will do in the northeast corner of Phoenix, including Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and beyond! Please keep us in prayers. We will share updates as often as we can.
Below are a few more photos from the last 2 weeks.
Above: Jack & Joy enjoying the fireworks at the 4th at The Fountain celebration in Fountain Hills. Fountain Hills is known for having the tallest fountain in the world.
Above: The Fountain.
Above: Found a great Facebook Marketplace deal on a standing desk to enhance my work from home setup.
Above: Jack and Ethan qualified for Bible Quizzing Nationals in June, and we will be headed to Branson, MO next week to compete. We are grateful that the Arizona 1 & 2 teams that are also going to Nationals have invited Jack to practice with them. Today we quizzed with the teams from Tucson/Payson and Gilbert/Queen Creek, all of which are representing AZ in the beginner and junior divisions. It was a fun time, and we look forward to participating in Arizona Bible Quizzing next season!
Above: Jack is happy to live anywhere, as long as it has an In-N-Out.