Tuesday, July 17, 2012

From the Mighty Mississippi to the Rio Grande

Hope you are all having a great summer. I just wanted to fill you in on some changes going on in our lives.

As many you already know, Joe applied for a position with Homeland Security, or Border Patrol, about two years ago. It has been a very long and time consuming process, involving physical tests, written tests, background checks, and lots and lots of waiting. He finally received a call with a job offer on June 25th! He was offered a job for Santa Teresa, NM, which is just west of El Paso, TX. We drove out to Nashville yesterday, and today he passed his final medical exam and physical test. So it is official. We will be moving to El Paso! The next step for him will be a 5 month live-in academy in Artesia, New Mexico. So we will be living separate for that time period. His start date is July 30th. I plan on staying in Memphis until about December.

This is a very bittersweet time. I am so excited for Joe. It has been my prayer for a long time now that he would find a job that he can enjoy and thrive in. I am excited about living in El Paso. It looks like a city that we will both be able to really love. But at the same time, I am going to really miss Memphis. We have a church here that truly does feel like family. I am going to miss it very much. I love Memphis and it has been a privilege to be here for a season, though short, to serve and love on the people of the city. Ever since I've lived here I've noticed that people either love Memphis or they hate it. And I really love Memphis. It will always hold a very dear place in my heart, and I am certain that I will be back to visit some day.

It's crazy for me to look back over the past year. When I graduated nursing school, I was in a very spiritually dry place. I was applying to so many jobs and not getting any response. I remember feeling so discouraged. But moving to Memphis ended up being such a blessing. I went to feeling like I was in a place of spiritual abundance. I had a job I enjoyed, a church I loved, and was able to get involved in so many incredible ministries in the city. God has been so faithful to me and I feel so blessed. Now I pray that I can find the same sort of community in El Paso.

If you could please keep us in your prayers. It will probably be very difficult for me to be living apart for five months, but I know that this is what God has planned for us. You can pray for Joe too... the academy will be very mentally and physically demanding. Love you all and hope all is well!

Blessings,
Cory

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