Life Changes

I'm terrible at this blog thing. I mean it seems that it would be good to post at least once a week, but for some reason I just don't make the time for it. Life has been quite full--as usual. So much has transpired in the couple of months. To save myself time I am going to copy and paste a letter that we sent out to all our friends and family with an update on our family. So here it is:

We've been in Hawaii almost 1 full year now (we arrived here April 5th). As always God has been so faithful to us. We've been doing a lot of reflecting and sharing of memories, recalling what God has done in our lives and others this past year. We have gone through and lot and learned a lot and grown in different ways. So, with our 1 year of living here coming up so has the end of our lease for our house we've been renting. We've been renting a house with our friends, the pastor of our church, his wife and daughter this past year. As our lease is coming to an end soon we had been planning on renting another house with a college age girl in our church who also would be needing housing. (Our friends are pregnant with their second child and will be finding a house of their own). Anyway, about a month or so ago as we were looking for houses to rent here, but after a short while we really felt convicted that we needed to just seek the Lord and pray for his will for us. So, we began praying and just really seeking God and his will for our family. Initially we were just praying for God to provide a house for us here and for him to make it really clear which one it was. But the more we prayed and sought the Lord we began to sense a call elsewhere. Portland began to come up and God began showing us that our next step would be heading to Portland. So, through much prayer and discussion, seeking God for guidance and peace, we are confidant that God is calling us next to Portland. In the first sense we were saying "back to Portland," but we've come to realize that God is not calling us back, but calling us forward--to Portland. We honestly thought we'd be here for at least another year or two but we really have a peace that our time here is coming to a close.

It's rather bitter-sweet as we look forward to leaving this place that God has had us this last year. We've gone through a lot, and it's been really amazing to see all that God has done this past year. We're not certain of all the details yet about what we'll be doing in Portland, but we're certain that in time God will make his will known to us. We're continuing to just follow one step at a time. Our hope remains in the Lord, and even though the field that we labor in may change, the Rock that is our foundation will remain forever. Our purpose in Portland will remain the same as our purpose out here: that we would grow in love and grace as we become more like Christ, that He would be glorified through our lives and that many would come to know and treasure Him as Savior and Lord because of our light.


We would love prayer for continued increase in faith and trust in the Lord. God is always faithful, he has always taken care of us and provided for our needs, but oh how we struggle with doubt. But we're to believe and not doubt, so pray that we would not doubt.
Pray also for:
-Strength for the journey, for today and what lies ahead.
- Buyers for our possessions we'll be selling.
-Continued good health for the boys and Ryan and I too
-That we would be all here while we're here, for the remainder of our time
-God would provide for our needs now, and future needs:housing, car, job etc.

Love Candie, Ryan, Moses and Elijah

ps
we are moving back April 30th