Ready...Set..GO! Part 1 0f 2

 Ok… I’ve been putting off writing this for a little while longer than I intended!  I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to communicate with everyone but there have been a lot of things happening here. J And there’ve been a ‘few’ ‘overwhelmed moments’ so, please forgive the length of time it’s taken me to get this out.  We’ve been in Florida 2 1/2 weeks already!

 ALONG THE WAY

We packed the truck up on Saturday, October 20^th, with help from friends.  The next morning, we left our (very special) Nierman family and Indiana and began the journey to Florida. We spent a total of 3 ½ months living in their home and we miss them. (Duane, we haven’t seen Duck Dynasty for weeks now!)

We arrived in Merritt Island, Florida, after 2 long days of driving, multiple bathroom and rest stops, hours and hours of changing scenery, and (getting within about 60 minutes) we hit a bear…actually, we hit it 2 times!  Shonn hit it with the moving van/car and we hit it in the van/cargo trailer behind him.  And we weren’t the first to hit him!  Everyone was shocked to hear there are even bears in Florida…we found one.  But, we arrived safe and sound with only the need to change a tire on the trailer and a missing fender.  (Inserting a shout out to a special friend, Kate Method, who drove with us to make the trip easier and stayed a few days and rebuilt a shed in our backyard!  What a blessing she is! J Also thanks to Susie Adams, a friend who put us up for a night in Chattanooga and blessed us greatly with her gift of hospitality!)

AT OUR DESTINATION

We got in pretty late but noticed that someone
had been in the trailer and cleaned it for us. There were essentials in the way of food and drink, too.  The staff and students had blessed us! J  We were able to get a few mattresses and some bedding in and we all crashed pretty quickly.  When we woke up the next morning, we were blessed again when 5 staff guys showed up to help us unload the truck!  We’re settling in…it’s still an ongoing process. Boxes are still piled up in corners and awaiting unpacking!

We started work on Monday, October 28th. Shonn is in the Motorcycle Sunday School Missions department. He loves what he is doing. Right now he is working on a project for a group that will be heading out next September for a 9 month tour to raise support for the Motorcycle Sunday Schools being established all over Africa and Malaysia.  I’ll be cooking for the students on Tuesdays and have cooked several times already. (One week a month I will be cooking Tuesday, Thursday and a weekend with no days in the office.  I’m part time since I’m a home schooling mom).  I also started in the Aids Orphans Street Children department this week and will be doing projects for the director.

Erinn’s adjusting pretty well!  The first Friday we were here we heard a racket on our porch and it was the neighbor kids (many of them staff kids) asking if she wanted to come play ‘man hunt’.   The kids have been great to include her and she’s enjoying that.  She also spent a few evenings at the ‘Fright Night’ a local church was hosting for the community.  We’re getting caught up with school and she’s actually picking 2 weekend days a month to do school so she can be done when the local kids are done.  We took our first week here off due to the transition! When I work, she has the option to stay at the house or come along.  TMI is very kid friendly for moms who homeschool.

It’s nice to be able to see Jesse on a daily basis! He’s doing well at the Bible, Missionary, and Work Training Center at TMI.  There are 23 students here right now training for full time missions.  They’re really a great group of young people.  Jesse has classes in the mornings and then works in the videography department in the afternoon.  He’s been creating a video for the preteens who did ministry this summer.  It’ll be going out pretty soon.

See Part 2