So... if you haven't heard... we're moving to Prineville, OR!
It's a long story, but I'll go ahead and start:
Background: Over the last few years as Jonny has been commuting the 20+ miles to work in Turner, while we've been living in Albany and fellowshipping 20+ miles away in Corvallis, Jonny has felt that we're too stretched. Our monthly gas bill is outrageous, we're super busy, and we don't have the man of the house home 2+ nights of the week. Jonny wants our life to be more integrated. He wants to be able to invite the students he ministers to- to church. He wants to see families we're living near, working with and homeschooling with at our church. Living life together in ONE community. SO.... we've been praying for a job in Albany/Corvallis. No open doors.
Even further background: Four years ago our dear friends were moving on, spreading their wings to pastor a Calvary Chapel. They didn't know where, but knew it was God's timing. Jonny felt that we were to go with them- wherever that would be. They almost moved to Wyoming to start a Calvary, and Jonny was even offered a job there, but it didn't end up happening. Our friends ended up taking over the Calvary Chapel in Prineville. We've stayed in touch with our friends in Prineville and have gone to visit them- usually a couple times a year. Every time we've gone, Jonny has mentioned that maybe the Lord would have us move there. I've always shook my head at the idea- not liking how different Prineville is from the Willamette Valley and enjoying the community we've sunk our roots down into. Prineville is high desert area, a small city of 9,000. Very different from green, lushious Albany/Corvallis- college town(s) in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Divine appointment: Last Oct. we were praying a lot about the issue of being spread out in three communities and that God would open doors for us. Jonny went to Redmond to attend a Driver's Ed Conference. He took Eli with him to visit his buddy (our friend's son.) At the end of the conference, Jonny had some time to kill while waiting for our friends to bring Eli to him. He went to lunch at his favorite restaurant, Black Bear. (A restaurant we discovered together in high school and frequented a lot.) He sat down and ordered his favorite- bacon cheeseburger with fries and cracked open his bible to Hebrews. He read through Hebrews 2:2-4, " For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how
shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who
heard Him, God
also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" Jonny made a note in the margin of his bible: "God sometimes confrims things to be true by signs and wonders." His burger arrived as he finished writing. He turned to the side and began talking to the older gentleman next to him. As it turns out, the man was a biology teacher at the high school in Prineville. He told Jonny he was retiring in the spring and that nobody was in line to take his spot. He laughed and told Jonny, "You should apply!" Jonny left the restaurant shaking. He called me and he said, "You're never going to believe what just happened!?" Knowing he was in Prineville territory, I got very serious, and said, "WHAT!?!" You ladies know my tone... the sassy tone that doesn't really want to hear what is about to be said.
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