Thankful Friday

 I know that Thankful Thursday has a much nicer ring to it, but I don't think any of you really want me to add a second Thursday to this week...so thankful Friday it is!

First of all, I have to share a note of thanks for God's protection over us last night. Ryan and I take a walk at some point throughout every day (weather permitting) and yesterday we weren't able to get away until later in the evening. We were walking past the ball diamonds, and Ryan had just gotten done telling me how much he loves living in a little town with ball diamonds that are full in the summer. I was telling him a story that he was apparently listening to very intently, and all of the sudden, I heard a bunch of panicked yelling. I knew there was a foul ball somewhere, so I paused us and tried to search the sky, but I couldn't find it in time. It came smashing down less than a foot from our heads. 

It was pretty scary. We are so grateful that God protected us from what we couldn't see! (And now we'll either start wearing helmets to walk or we'll find new walking paths.)

But today I also want to tell you about another huge answer to prayer. 

Remember when I told you a while back that our support couple, Tim and Justine, were leaving WillowBridge? I am so excited to tell you that God is bringing us a new couple to work alongside us!

I've been waiting to tell you until the news was made official, and it has been, but the couple hasn't announced it on social media yet. Since we know some of the same people, I want to make sure I'm not sharing their story with people they haven't had a chance to tell just yet. So I'll keep names and pictures under my hat, but I'll tell you a bit of the story.

Back when we first came here - which has been almost a year ago now - we mentioned that this one couple we knew would be pretty perfect in this line of work. I think I even joked that maybe we should just go back where we came from and send them instead. And that was the end of that story...for a time.

Then when Tim and Justine told us they were leaving, we thought of this couple again. We told Rob about them, and he said they were welcome to inquire about the posting if they were interested. So we told them about it, answered their questions about the work we do, and left it to them and God. We thought they'd be a great fit, but if they didn't feel called here, we didn't want to pressure them in any way. 

They did inquire, and a bit later, they came for an interview. We made brunch and everyone had a chance to meet each other, and we spent hours wondering what all was happening in that interview room. (It reminded us of our own interview day. Whew! That was one long interview!) 

And then we waited. And waited. And waited. And lost hope. And tried to have faith that regardless of the answer, it would be okay. 

Tim and Justine officially left. We were on our own.

And we waited. And waited. And waited. And lost hope. And tried not to think about how many months we might be on our own if they didn't feel called to come here. 

Then Rob called one afternoon. It wasn't unusual. He calls us often. Ryan put the phone on speaker, and he said, "Hey - just wanted to let you know. They said yes." 

I straight up burst into tears and couldn't stop.

I can't explain to you the relief that fell over me in that moment. I knew we still had weeks of solo work ahead of us. But to know that help was on its way was a blessing I cannot put into words. 

So they're coming! They're really, really coming! We are so excited. We are excited because we believe they have a beautiful heart for this kind of work. We are excited for what God has ahead for WillowBridge. We are excited because we will get to share the workload of our days again!

I know some of you have been praying for us in this season, and we are so grateful. We are coming up on one month since Tim and Justine left, and I honestly have no idea how we've been able to do these days other than the prayer support of friends and the strength the Lord gives each day. 

** Our job is confusing and I know that, so let me try to explain this part. Tim, Justine, Ryan, and I were the full time team at WillowBridge. Together, the four of us took care of the building and property, transport tenants, go to meetings, do all the office work, plan and hold community nights, have daily interactions with the tenants, and more.

WillowBridge is part of a department called LARC, and we have two co-workers in LARC named Travon and Cordin. They do a lot of things with our tenants, but they also have many responsibilities outside our building, helping other youth in need. But in this time that we've been without our other half, Travon and Cordin have stepped in to sit with the building throughout some days so we can take a few hours off, run errands, and rest. We are profoundly grateful for them and the sacrifices they are making so we can get a few breaks. (Because of their help, I was able to have my birthday off work, which was such a gift.) Rob and his wife have also filled in to help cover some hours. 

We aren't alone, and I don't want to misrepresent in any way that would make it seem we are. Without Travon, Cordin, Rob, and Sierra, we might not be standing and smiling. But the whole team is so eager to welcome our new support couple. Excited to see what God has ahead for us all! 

We're thankful today!