Journey to Prineville- Part 3

The move:  We are moving in 24 days.  It is hard to hear myself or others say that.  I have to swallow down a big gulp of sadness before I can answer questions.  However, God has been faithful! He has gone before us and things are falling into place!  

We got renters for our house without posting anything online.  While standing in line to get Eli & Noah from their classrooms at church, Jonny overheard someone talking about needing a rental in Albany. Jonny introduced himself and briefly told him about our house.  He said, "Its pretty set up for kids because we have four boys."  The man replied, "We have four boys also!"  They're moving in on the 25th.

Pastor Rob asked Jonny to share his testimony and story of moving with the men of the church last Monday.  I snuck out of the Women's Study to listen.  I love my husband.  He shared icky, sinful stuff for the glory of God.  To show that Jesus makes all things new.  That as a freshman in college, Jonny became a new creation.  And is still being renewed and transformed.  Surprise, surprise- I cried.

The same sort of stuff is working out for the house we're going to rent.  The rental market in Prineville in July/Aug is SLIM PICKIN's.  Our friends asked their friends if anyone knew of a rental in town for a family of six.   Low and behold, something came up!  And here's where I see a bit of God's humor in it.  The house is on Blackbear St.  Blackbear!  Like the restaurant where this whole thing started! And the house number- oh, its 524.  Like Ephes. 5:24!  Oh my gracious!  HAHA, Lord, that was a funny one!  

Everyone keeps saying, "How exciting!  It'll be an adventure!"  

I respond with, "I have four boys.  Every day is an adventure.  I don't need more adventure!"  

But it looks like God thinks this planner, organized, don't-like-change kind of chick needs more adventure in her life.  Maybe I should go buy me some adventure boots!  

God is good all the time and my life events ARE NOT by chance!  Neither are my children's.  Neither are yours!  :)

Journey to Prineville- Part 2

The next eight months:  The months following the Blackbear meeting were filled with lots of praying, talking, crying (me!), praying, talking, crying, praying, talking, crying.  I felt so sad at the thought of leaving the place where I've spent my entire adult life.  The place where I became a wife and mother.  The longest I've ever lived anywhere.  Our church.  Our homeschool group.  Our neighbors.  => our community and support!!!  There are SO many people I love and so many reasons why I love raising my kids here.  

During this time, I spent most of my quiet times in the book of Psalms.  I've read Pslams before, but its funny how things jump out at you in a different way when you're going through a trial.  There is SO much on trusting God!!  One particular "on my knees" sort of day, I was crying and pouring my heart out to the Lord.  I was telling Him how scared I was and how I couldn't do it.  Jonny had been pressing me about being willing and open.  It was so hard to just open my hand, my life and do a "trust fall"- if you know what I mean.  I told Him I needed help.  I needed Him to hold me by the hand- the way I did to my boys when they were learning how to walk.  A little later, I read:  "The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand."  SO GOOD!  Exactly what I needed!  So thankful for His word!  

I was also struggling with the Ephes. 5:24 verse about wives submitting to their husbands as the leaders of their home.  My husband felt like God had told him something, and he wanted to lead us in what he thought God told him, but I was really struggling with it. 

The decision:  The job did post in the middle of May.  I decided to let Jonny handle it.  He gets to decide.  Ephes. 5:24 is hard!  BUT- For the glory of God.  I had explained and explained and explained why I didn't want to move... however, its not my husband's personality to "not budge" when I feel so freaked out about something.  He truly felt very fervently that God was leading us to Prineville.  I was on my way to the "trust fall"... but believe me- it was NOT pretty!  

Jonny applied and was called for an interview. Right after the lady spoke with me to schedule Jonny's interview, I took a deep breath and ran to my bible.  I opened to Psalms 115.  In verses 9-11 it reads: "Trust the LORD!  He is your helper; He is your shield."  Not just once, but THREE times! Next to this verse was the date May 6, 2009.  Below that read:  "help with our future... moving?"  That was my handwriting four years ago when we were praying about moving to Wyoming!  

Two days after his interview we were headed to Lake Tahoe for my sisters wedding.  Talk about a STRESS filled TENSE car ride!  Jonny was told they would call by the end of the week.  By Friday morning we still hadn't heard anything and no references had been called.  Jonny was BUMMED.  He thought he didn't get it, and he was telling me to be happy.  I felt so bad for him but was bracing myself for a call.  I told him I wasn't going to assume anything until 5pm Friday night.  Sure enough, at 3:30pm, (TWO HOURS before my sister's wedding rehearsal!) the principal called and offered Jonny the job.  Luckily, the rehearsal was outside with the sun setting, so I could wear sunglasses to hide my red, puffy eyes.  But the strangest thing happened.  When we went to the dinner after the rehearsal, I wasn't thinking about everything.  God allowed me to block everything and enjoy and celebrate with my family.  It was a sweet, sweet time for my whole family!!

The tears did come... oh it was a down-pour!  On the 9hr drive home, I cried pretty much the entire way.  I was SO sad.  Monday morning Jonny called Crook Country School District to accept the job.  I have never felt grief like I felt it the first two weeks of June.  It was awful.  Like a permanent ache in my soul that rudely awoke me in the middle of the night and first thing in the morning.  Weeping throughout the day.  I lost all desire and motivation to pour into my kids.  There was constantly a lump in my throat.  I cried SO much.  The heavyness lifted some, it turned to numbness at times, confusion at other times, and even shock.... its still been painful.  Its been ugly.  But God is working in it for both of us.  A refiners fire sort of process for us each personally and for our marriage. 

Journey to Prineville- Part 1

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. 

A roller coaster ride

Alright; everyone probably already knows everything I'm going to share, but I'm going to explain what's going on and why we turned the job in Casper down.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, exactly one week before Jonny's interview, Pastor Rob called Rory to tell him he got a call from the pastor at Calvary Chapel- Prineville, OR- saying he is moving to Co to start a church. They are looking to hire a pastor to fill his position in Prineville, and Rob automatically thought of Rory. Prineville is 3hrs from Corvallis, and 3hrs 15min. from Klamath.

Rory applied for the position and met the pastor last week. He will have an interview on Saturday and then teach there on Sunday. They'll find out if he gets the job the Sunday after that. So anyway... how that applies to us..... Since it wasn't 100% clear that Rory and Lindsey would be moving there, we turned the job in Casper down. In Prineville there is only one high school and they are not hiring science teachers this year, so we will have to say goodbye to our friends. :( We won't be going with them- not this year anyway. We're not sure if the Lord wants us to go a few years down the road. We'll just wait and see!

Isn't this crazy! Nothing like God working at the last minute, huh? Is the Casper thing like an Abraham & Isaac situation where God wanted to see a step in faith, where we were willing to obey and do something hard, and then at the last minute God blesses us with what we wanted. (staying in the state) Or was this Prineville thing just a filter to keep Jonny & I from going? I don't know.

Whatever God's reasons, I'm glad we finally know what we're doing. (Even though poor Rory and Lindsey don't yet.) It is still very emotional. This whole thing has been a big emotional build-up, so its no surprise that the let down is also emotional. I must say, though, there are many, many reasons I'm happy to stay! :)

I'm so proud of my husband!

Okay, so we turned the job down. No Casper, Wyoming for us. Not that I was totally and completely in favor of going, but I was a little disappointed the way it all worked out. It was such an emotional build up, so now the let down is also emotional. I'll give more details about why and what is going on later...

But may I just say- my husband is awesome! Okay, well, he wouldn't want me to give glory to him; and I know it is the Lord, so let me rephrase-- isn't the Lord in my husband awesome! He has given Jonny the gift of teaching, bible teaching- yes, that too, but also, teaching science. He is great at it! This whole 'Casper journey' has taught us many things, but one of the things it brought forth was a renewed strength in Jonny as a teacher. And for me- a renewed respect for my husband. His hard work has proved that he is a valuable teacher, and all those late nights and Saturdays spent preparing curriculum was not done in vain. As a teacher, Jonny doesn't often see the fruit of his labor, especially when it comes to the lazy, disrespectful high school students. (Not all of his students are lazy and disrespectful, but a large portion are.) It's so cool that Jonny got picked for an interview in this random place, and out of the five interviewed Jonny was the most appealing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised. I mentioned a few blog posts back, 'who wouldn't hire my fab husband.' I am just so proud of him! Good job, honey-bunch! You are a great teacher.

I'm so lucky to have a husband who loves the Lord and is used by Him. That job in Casper was going to pay Jonny oodles more than he is currently getting at Cascade High School. Jonny's heart is obviously not in love with money, but with Jesus. (And believe me, we could use that money!) I pray that Eli and Noah grow into men living for the Lord just like their daddy. They have a great example to watch as they grow up. (I don't want to lay it on too thick. Maybe the boys could learn to clean up after themselves a little better than Jonny. He's a great man, but he's not a perfect man! :) )

Okay, Lord....

Well, Jonny was offered the job this morning. We are going to take a few more days to pray about it before making our final decision.

Jonny's interview

Alrighty, time for the interview update. The job he interviewed for is 9th grade physical science, which Jonny is okay with, but it wouldn't be is first choice to teach. Biology is what he loves to teach. In the physical science position, there is some earth science material he'd have to cover that he wouldn't really be that excited about, but he doesn't think it's that big of a deal. He thought he did a good job, but that it really didn't seem very eventful. Jonny said the four people (vice principal and three teachers) interviewing him were all nice. They asked regular questions he knew how to answer. There wasn't any unusually hard questions. Jonny brought examples of some of his power-point slides, so he could show them his teaching style and explain how he discusses various topics. They told Jonny he was the last to be interviewed, so we're thinking we might find out sometime next week. We don't know how many other people were interviewed, but Jonny thought maybe four or five.

We shall wait and see what happens. The Lord knows, and we just want to be right smack-dab in the center of His will. :)

I just thought I'd add a little cuteness to this post! :)

Hold the Phone!

I keep using these silly sayings, and I don't really know what they mean or if I'm using them in the right context. .... anyway.... So of course the day after I update everyone that Jonny hasn't heard from Wyoming- we get a call! Minutes before I'm about to head back to my cozy bed and quietly cuddle up next to Eli for a little nap, our cell phone rings with an incoming call from Wyoming! It was the Vice Principal at Dean Morgan Middle School in Casper asking to speak to Jonathan Oelkers. In the few minutes I talked to him, he sounded like a very nice guy and also interested in Jonny. I immediately made a few of my own phone calls, (Jonny, Mom, Becky, Lindsey, Patty & Julia, Grace, etc ... you know how it goes) My mom was pretty funny. She said, "Did you say, Jonathan who? I don't know who you're talking about!" Oh, Mom..... They guy (Larry) gave me his cell number to pass along to Jonny, Jonny called him, and now Jonny has a skype interview scheduled for Friday. Okay, so stand by for more updates...

Oh, and by the way... Monday Jonny found out that his job will not be cut, but also that he gets to continue teaching what he's been teaching. (He doesn't have to prepare curriculum for classes he's never taught!) Then, today he found out that they might actually be moving him from the middle school to the high school to continue teaching 10th grade bio, and maybe a little bit of 9th grade science. This is what he's wanted. It would be awesome! So... It's up to You, Lord!

What's going on with Wyoming

Oh, goodness! I got so nervous this afternoon when I called Jonny at 3:10, and his phone was busy. I didn't get nervous then, but when I tried back after 10 minutes, and then another 10 minutes after that, and it was still busy. My mind automatically thought, "Oh my goodness! He's having a phone interview with Natrona County School District in Casper, Wy.!" For over an hour, every time I tried his phone it was busy. I called Lindsey & my mom, "Oh my gosh!... What if...." While on the phone with Lindsey, Jonny walked in the front door. Yeah, turns out the phones at Cascade are down- hence the busy signal. Oh gosh! How embarrassing. I totally panicked!

So to update... Jonny has not heard anything from Wyoming.

I like the Proverb, "A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." It is good to know that God has our future all planned out, and we don't have to worry about making decisions. We can just trust that He directs our steps to follow His will and see us through the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult.

In other news, Mr. Noah is up to eight steps! He still prefers to crawl, but he's been a little more brave. He thinks its so funny. He takes a couple steps, starts laughing and then falls over. :) 11 months tomorrow, can you believe it!?

The cat is out of the bag

Who came up with that saying anyway!? But really, it feels so good to be able to talk freely about this now. Maybe I should clarify, just in case. We might be moving to Casper Wyoming! Ahhh!

Our really good friends, Rory, Lindsey, Russell & Baby are moving there in July. They just announced it at church yesterday. Rory has a calling on his life to be a paster & teach God's Word. For the last two years Rory has felt like it was getting time to move on & paster his own church. People have spoke into his life confirming the same thing.

Around fall time of 2007 Rory & Lindsey told us about this & the place they were thinking of. Jonny, pretty quickly, felt like we should pray about going with them. About a year later, just this last fall, Rory & Lindsey took a trip out to Pullman, WA to check out the area for a possible home & planting a Calvary Chapel. To put it simply, they sensed a closed door there. Then Rory started looking on the 'Calvary map'... yes there is such a thing on the official Calvary Chapel website to see where in the US there are & are not any Calvary's. Rory found this place called Casper, Wy. Casper is a nice town about the size of Corvallis, but out in the middle of nowhere. It is similar to Klamath Fall's high desert climate. The winters there..... the wind.... oh don't get me started.... brutal! Jonny & Rory both got excited about this place right off the bat because of its similarity to Klamath Falls.

During the week of our church's corporate fast this was something we were all praying about. The first work-day into the fast Jonny had a big meeting at work where he found out his school district was going to be making big job cuts- about 15 people, & the first to go was probationary teachers. Okay, so we were thinking- that seals our fate because we're going to be unemployed! Jonny's Superintendent specifically said, "Look for jobs out of state, because you won't find a job in Oregon." Jonny called the school district in Casper that day & found out they weren't being hit by the recession at all & were going to have several science openings. Okay....

Right before Spring Break Jonny found out that another science teacher at his school was leaving to teach over-seas, so he may not lose his job. Okay... During Spring Break Jonny mailed out his resume` & letter of interest to Natrona County School District in Casper Wy. (By the way, who wouldn't hire my fab husband!? He's got an excellent resume`!) Then, the week after Spring Break Jonny's principal tells Jonny that he won't be cutting Jonny's job. Okay..... Today the jobs in Casper are officially open to apply for, so Jonny's going to 'apply' & see what happens.

So that's it. That's what's been going on. That's why I've been so stressed out, scared & basically feeling every emotion in the rainbow. It's been a real hard four months. I know that fear can't co-exist with faith & trust can't co-exist with worry, so yeah... I'm just a mess. :)