Have you ever spent so much time hoping and praying for something to happen that, when it does, you are left with a sense that it can't possibly be happening to you? That might be the best way to describe how Steve and I have felt for the past couple of months. The whirlwind of changes that we have experienced lately have left us a little breathless and in complete awe of what God is doing in our lives.
To catch all of you up, Steve graduated COT at the beginning of Nov and we had a joyful reunion before packing both of our vehicles to the brim and heading east to Goldsboro, NC. I have never visited eastern NC before (except when passing through on the beach-bound highway), so it was interesting to see this part of a state that I have called home for the majority of my life. There isn't much to impress or dazzle out here in Goldsboro, but I'm sure I will grow to love the wide-reaching cotton fields and broad Carolina-blue sky. We also are hoping to be able to take advantage of being nearer to the coast, and look forward to learning more about the rich history of this area.
Our new home, Seymour-Johnson AFB, has been a very nice place to live so far. There are a lot of open park-like spaces with filled with spreading oak trees that hold the promise of fun shady picnics in the future. The base also has many great amenities for families such as an indoor fighter-jet-themed playground, many outdoor playgrounds, pools & splash pads (it will be so fun to try those out in the summer!), and a library with a large children's room. Luke and I have taken advantage of many of these perks of being on base - they were a lifesaver during our time in our tiny TLF (temporary living facility) apartment. We also have a free "air show" almost every day with fly-overs from F15's - Luke really enjoys the airplanes!
At the very end of November, we finally were able to move into our new home here on base. It is interesting to move into a house you have never seen before (they don't offer anything except an architectural layout online), but we have been very pleased with this house so far. Apart from the master bath being very tiny, we are enjoying the bright, spacious layout and are beginning to feel that this place is truly home. Moving into a new home while 8 months pregnant has been a little challenging for me, though. I'm thankful that Steve's new schedule has allowed him some time to do a lot of the unpacking and organizing that I don't have much energy for these days. Luke and Phoebe-the-cat both have settled into this new house very happily. After a couple of stressful months for poor princess Phoebe, she was very excited to see (and smell) familiar furniture and greeted her new space with much purring. After living in a tiny hotel-like situation for about a month, we all are very happy to finally be in a real home together again.
Steve's job has been going well so far. He is thriving (as I knew he would) in his new role, and has already had many opportunities to minister to airmen and their families. His role consists of many different things, so every day is a little different for him. He spends some time counseling people who come to him with various life challenges, he also goes out to different units to build relationships and rapport with the airmen and offer front-line encouragement and support, he will be preaching in the base chapel about once a month, and he helps with some event planning for support-related events here on base (ex. a monthly dinner for families of deployed airmen). The chaplains also provide support if a service member dies - Steve's background in hospital and hospice chaplaincy has served him well as he ministers to people in those crisis situations. I am very proud of the work he is doing, and it is a blessing to see him finally be able to work in a role that he has prepared so long and hard for. Living on base has also provided us with a lot more family time than we had in the civilian world - Steve's commute is only a couple of minutes, so he gets to come home for lunch almost every day, and Luke and I are sometimes able to join him for chapel-sponsored events on base in the evening.
Of course, not everything about our huge life change has been roses and butterflies, though. Homesickness is a real struggle, but also a reminder of how blessed we are to have great friends and family to miss so much. We loved getting Christmas cards from dear friends, but they were also a bittersweet reminder of the distance and the community we have lost. We are experiencing God's faithfulness in providing a new community for us here, though. I have been thankful for some very sweet ladies who have reached out to Luke and I for playdates - I heard the Air Force community was a welcoming one, and now I am getting to experience that for myself. It is a little taxing for me, as an introvert, to push myself out of a self-protecting mode and jump into meeting new people, but I have been very blessed by these new budding friendships. We also think we have found a new church family to become a part of - Steve was encouraged by his Chaplain superiors for us to find a church community outside of the base chapel so that we can have accountability and community outside of just the Air Force.
We are also looking forward to meeting our sweet little Lydia face-to-face in a few short weeks. This pregnancy has flown by with all of the big events and changes we have experienced lately. I am thankful that everything has gone smoothly so far (or as smoothly as pregnancy can go when you also are caring for a toddler! Haha!), and that I have been able to find a group of doctors and midwives that I really like here in Goldsboro.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support, everyone! Even if I don't always text or call back quickly (or sometimes I forget to respond back at all, and you become a causality of my baby brain), I really appreciate hearing from you - it helps me feel connected and loved during this still-crazy time of transition for us.
Some of the things are are praising God for right now are:
Some of the things are are praising God for right now are:
- Continued health in our marriage - we have been blessed with good communication and unity in our relationship during all of these big changes
- Physical health for all of us
- Our new home on base
- New friends and a church community
- Opportunities for Steve to use his gifts and training while serving airmen and their families
Things that we appreciate prayer for are:
- A healthy, safe delivery of baby Lydia and our family's transition into having a new baby
- Wisdom and strength for Steve and I as we parent Luke - he is a sweet, loving boy who brings us a lot of joy; but we are also starting to learn that he has a quick temper and is very strong-willed. Pray especially that Luke will learn to use his teeth appropriately (biting the couch, his toys, or his parents when he is frustrated is not ok!)
- Continued opportunities for us to develop relationships and community here
- Pray also for the men and women of the Air Force and that Steve will have wisdom and continued opportunities to show them the hope and love that God offers freely to everyone who trusts in him.
