It has amazed me that in such a short time, this place has felt right. It doesn't feel like home yet - and I honestly don't know that it will because our family and close friends are so far away. But just like the unshakable sense of peace that God gave me before the move - I feel this sense that we fit in here. Already within a week, we've met some really great people, tried out some cool churches, and I have two potential job opportunities.
I really love the small town feel, ha, especially in winter. I LOVE knowing that I only have to drive like 2 minutes down the road to pick Jay up from work and I think the longest it'd take in town from one side to the other would be about 10 minutes.
We are staying in Jay's company's crew-house - a big house that we have all to ourselves currently. We have one of the upstairs bedrooms which is soooooo nice after living in a basement apartment for 3 years. Light makes such difference!!! I've got up early pretty much every day. It was a lot harder to do that when we had no windows in our bedroom.
Downstairs there are more bedrooms and a living room, big screen tv, and a pool table. Not bad for $500/month. But alas, we can't have Sadie (our dog) here with us as they don't allow dogs. So the hunt is on to find another apartment. Problem is, apartments here start at $1075 and the ones I've looked at are like $1400 for a 2 bedroom apartment. It's crazy expensive to live and drive here. Insurance is high too. So those are the downsides for sure.
I have really embraced this move and when I think of home in Ontario, I don't think of the apartment we lived in for the past 3 years - I think of my parents' house and Jay's parents' house. The places we spent the most time, and the relationships that we have there. But I think because we were so ready to be out of the basement apartment that this move has come a lot easier.
Something that's definitely lacking in an obvious way is my involvement with high school kids. Young Life provided such an amazing bridge to reach kids within the safety net of a thoroughly established organization. Here, I'm finding that it's mostly church youth groups that do stuff with high school kids. I really have a vision to start up some community youth music nights, to give high school kids a chance to come out and play music and share that appreciation. I really wish Young Life was up here - I know Jay and I would throw ourselves wholeheartedly into it if it was.
Still hoping to talk to the YL Alberta director to get his thoughts on Young Life in Slave Lake. There's so many factors - making sure it would work in the community, that the community has been praying for something like this, and that it's open to something like YL. I think there would definitely be a need in this place. Hoping to make some connections with a church group just to be able to get involved with the kids.
Awhile ago, I spoke to Dave Thakker about wanting to be a YL leader. He asked me if I thought I'd work with high school kids outside of YL or if it was just YL-related work that I was interested in. At the time I had to confess that it was just within YL but since the last year and seeing God move in kids' lives and seeing how desperately they need older mentor-type relationships - I have been equally blessed by them. And here in Slave Lake, my hope is to not lose touch with working with high school kids.
So if you could pray that God would show Jay and I what doors He wants to open. First and foremost - we have to be surrendering ourselves on daily basis and reading His word and studying and growing - and I see in myself that so many times I don't get to live out the plan that God is working in me because I let apathy and complacency take over and I stop reading my Bible regularly and all these silly habits creep up in me that distract me and prevent me from walking into what God is calling me into. Pray that I won't get in the way of what God wants to do through me.
I really love the small town feel, ha, especially in winter. I LOVE knowing that I only have to drive like 2 minutes down the road to pick Jay up from work and I think the longest it'd take in town from one side to the other would be about 10 minutes.
We are staying in Jay's company's crew-house - a big house that we have all to ourselves currently. We have one of the upstairs bedrooms which is soooooo nice after living in a basement apartment for 3 years. Light makes such difference!!! I've got up early pretty much every day. It was a lot harder to do that when we had no windows in our bedroom.
Downstairs there are more bedrooms and a living room, big screen tv, and a pool table. Not bad for $500/month. But alas, we can't have Sadie (our dog) here with us as they don't allow dogs. So the hunt is on to find another apartment. Problem is, apartments here start at $1075 and the ones I've looked at are like $1400 for a 2 bedroom apartment. It's crazy expensive to live and drive here. Insurance is high too. So those are the downsides for sure.
I have really embraced this move and when I think of home in Ontario, I don't think of the apartment we lived in for the past 3 years - I think of my parents' house and Jay's parents' house. The places we spent the most time, and the relationships that we have there. But I think because we were so ready to be out of the basement apartment that this move has come a lot easier.
Something that's definitely lacking in an obvious way is my involvement with high school kids. Young Life provided such an amazing bridge to reach kids within the safety net of a thoroughly established organization. Here, I'm finding that it's mostly church youth groups that do stuff with high school kids. I really have a vision to start up some community youth music nights, to give high school kids a chance to come out and play music and share that appreciation. I really wish Young Life was up here - I know Jay and I would throw ourselves wholeheartedly into it if it was.
Still hoping to talk to the YL Alberta director to get his thoughts on Young Life in Slave Lake. There's so many factors - making sure it would work in the community, that the community has been praying for something like this, and that it's open to something like YL. I think there would definitely be a need in this place. Hoping to make some connections with a church group just to be able to get involved with the kids.
Awhile ago, I spoke to Dave Thakker about wanting to be a YL leader. He asked me if I thought I'd work with high school kids outside of YL or if it was just YL-related work that I was interested in. At the time I had to confess that it was just within YL but since the last year and seeing God move in kids' lives and seeing how desperately they need older mentor-type relationships - I have been equally blessed by them. And here in Slave Lake, my hope is to not lose touch with working with high school kids.
So if you could pray that God would show Jay and I what doors He wants to open. First and foremost - we have to be surrendering ourselves on daily basis and reading His word and studying and growing - and I see in myself that so many times I don't get to live out the plan that God is working in me because I let apathy and complacency take over and I stop reading my Bible regularly and all these silly habits creep up in me that distract me and prevent me from walking into what God is calling me into. Pray that I won't get in the way of what God wants to do through me.
My dear Beth, it's so good to hear that you are still listening to the heartbeat and the still quiet oice of God in all that you do; I admire that you are waiting upon Him rather than forging ahead with your plans and ideas. May He continue to bless you and your dear husband. I think of you often... love in Jesus, sandy
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