Pelicans are the new deer!
/So Abram left, as the LORD had told him.
Genesis 12:1-4
It's been a looong time, not because the Lord hasn't been working, He has! It's been amazing just witnessing Him working in our lives since I last emailed!
A brief update:
The wedding date is May 31, that's very soon! You can visit our wedding webpage if you want to, www.mywedding.com/chrisandannakathryn, things are just coming together perfectly, and I'm having so much fun planning our hot pink and orange wedding! Haha, you wouldn't expect anything less from me would you?
So... as the wedding date draws nearer, so does the ending of our jobs at Eagle Ranch! This is very sad, as we both love our jobs and the kids we work with SO much. It's been bittersweet for all of us! We're so excited to get married and start our new adventure together, but we're so sad to leave. The kids are so excited for us, as they daily remind me to change the countdown on the board in my classroom, but they're sad for us to leave also. The relationships are deep, one kid in my prayer group who lives in the home where Chris works asks me often, "Why are you taking Chris away from us?" while two others beg me to stay and keep helping them with science. Another one prays for us, and offers wholehearted support, as he knows his season at the ranch is soon ending as well. He'll miss us, he says, but we're all moving on... we'll be in touch, I know we will.... I'm fighting tears regularly over the thought of saying goodbye to these precious kids and the people I work with. This has been an amazing adventure...
...but a new adventure awaits!
Life after May 31 consists of a week in Mexico, and after that it's been a total mystery! For months, we've been looking and applying for jobs......... nothing........... The Lord kept reminding us "Be patient! I'm still here. I won't let you down!" But He continued to allow our futures to be a mystery. Here we are, a little more than a month from the wedding.... and the Lord has proven Himself trustworthy (duh!) and blessed us beyond comprehension! The Lord has taught Chris and I so much about trusting Him through A LOT of patience, and at the pit of our discouragement, through much prayer and daily renewed faith, we have learned the lesson and seen God! He has diminished doubt and worry from our hearts!! Things seem to be coming together in an amazing way, and it's clear we're at the forefront of a bigger adventure than we ever thought!
We all know I love adventures, I've jumped out of many airplanes in the last few years, but now we're being asked to blindly jump into something big, and it's going to be so exciting to trust God and go on a new adventure as a new family. We'll be asked to leave our families and go into the land He shows us... I fully believe that where we're led, He will honor our faithfulness and be with us every step.
I heard a sermon recently on this time in Abraham's life. Abraham took a huge step of faith when He left his home to follow God. He didn't know where he was going or how things would turn out, but He trusted God and went, and God blessed Abraham and those around him in a huge way! Chris and I are praying for the strength and trust that Abraham had as we leave our homes and go where He leads us. We pray that He uses us in the lives of those around us and that He blesses us through the people He places in our lives. We are so excited to start this adventure together and are constantly on the edge of our seat waiting to find out what will happen next!
The state seal of Louisiana features a pelican tearing away her own flesh to feed the three chicks surrounding her in the nest. Apparently pelicans actually do this in order to keep their young from starving. I'm reminded of how much Jesus loves us, so much so that He sacrificed Himself in order to keep us from suffering. He provides amply for us as we put our lives in His hands to keep us, His children, from starving.
God has been very good to Chris and me, and I know I'll be daily reminded of His blessings as we relocate to Mandeville, Louisiana on June 10th and watch the pelicans fly overhead. Chris has been offered a job as Director of Youth at New Covenent Presbyterian Church and He has accepted. This is a great opportunity, and we are so very excited! Please pray as I look for work. We were in Louisiana for a visit last weekend and I had an interview on Friday with a private Christian school. Hopefully we will hear back soon, but while we wait we could definitely use your prayers! We have a place to live, lots of room for Chris's dog, Joe, and a lot of wonderful people who already have welcomed us into their families!
So, last Thursday, as we crossed the 24 mile bridge over Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans to Mandeville, I found myself as enamored with the pelicans as I am with the deer I see in Georgia. I knew I wouldn't miss the deer too much as I have a new animal to watch for now!
Thanks for your support and the way you've prayed for me over the years! I apologize for being so absent, I hope to keep you all more updated after all this wedding and moving business is over with! Keep praying, the Lord hears all your prayers, and I'll continue to thank Him everytime I think of you!!
His,
Anna Kathryn
"I thank my God everytime I remember you!
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy!"
Philippians 1:3&4
