Life

There is a TON of stuff going on around here. A ton.

So I'll start with the not so bueno news. Our sweet, sweet cousin, Connor, died on February 17. I have tried to type the specifics a few times and I just can't wrap my head around the fact that this has happened... so I will just leave it at that.  We all miss him.  Luke and I fell fortunate to live in the same town as Ron and Nan (Connor's parents) but its also extremely hard. Nan is my friend.  One of my closest friends, and I hurt... so badly for her.  I feel numb and I question everything I say, do and think around her.  I just want to help them, but feel at a loss for where to start.

I, personally, wasn't able to fully feel the loss of Connor for days.  I still find myself just crying and asking why.  When rocking Lillyan, when fixing dinner, when trying to fall asleep and especially when I read the notes left on his caring bridge site.  I really do wish that everyone would have had the chance to know him.  He was SO special... so special.  He got me and my silliness... we had fun together.  I loved watching the boys when Ron and Nan went out of town.  Connor and I would sit in the kitchen and eat, sing and talk.  I just can't believe it.  I don't know that I ever will. 

Okay... now a much lighter topic!

I'm on my way to a new job! 

But to tell you why, and to tell you what it is... I have to give some background.

Luke and I feel like God has asked more of us.  More than what we are giving right now, more of our time, money, effort in reaching others and... well... just MORE!  So we are on our path to being missionaries.  We aren't 100% sure where we will end up but it looks like Australia or church planting in the Northwest somewhere.  The only avenue we have sought after, right now, is Australia... because that seems like a huger leap of faith for us.  (IS huger a word?  No?  It must be a Kara-ism.) But we are still praying about which direction we should go in... so please pray with us!

So I am currently a Children's minister at a wonderful church!  I LOVE my church family and feel so blessed to call them friends.  But Luke and i need more money from my income to reach some financial goals we have to be almost debt free when we go to Australia.  We have a three year plan, but I will talk more about that later.

So I am in the process of trying to be a relief house parent for High Plains Children's Home.  I would work one or two weeks a month until there is an opening for a set of house parents.  Then Luke and I want to be house parent there.  Luke is in the middle of getting his certification for being a pharmacy tech. and he will finish this to it's end.  It's crazy because we've been waiting for this test so that Luke can get paid more money, but we have been waiting for this so that God can use it in our lives in Australia or in church planting.

I don't know how much information I will be revealing about all of this.  We are trying to keep it pretty close to our chest because there are so many details that we don't know and don't know when we will know.  But we do know that we want to do what God asks of us!  We are through with doing what we want, and this is the beginning of a long, hard and rewarding journey!

Congrats if you made it this far!  Later!