How marvelous are Your thoughts to me, O God? How great the sum of them!

It's imagine any other life but the one I live right now. I've known this place all my life, never even changed cities. Now, with about two months' notice, I'll be moving to Lancaster, PA for a whole year with Rachel Kennelly.

For some of you, this may be news. Well, it kind of is for me, too. Not entirely; I've been entertaining the possibility for about a year to a year-and-a-half now since she's been looking for a job/internship in Children's Ministry. Then, she had an all but definite opportunity in Indiana, and I prayed really hard that if God wanted me to go with her, that He would make it clear to me somehow, because I was terrified to tell my boss (we were already going to lose Roni to Lynchburg for sure in a few months and I wasn't sure how he'd react to the idea of replacing two people). So then I wrote my boss a letter explaining the situation, and stated that I wasn't sure if I would actually move with Rachel, but that I was considering it. Before Dr. Ratcliffe left on his lunch break he took the time to clarify what I'd said, and then said, "I think you should do it, that sounds like a great opportunity!"

I took that as the confirmation I'd asked for. It wasn't what I'd expected, but it was a definite clearing -- instead of my "worst fears" being realized, I got the "go-ahead". So when the church in Indiana cancelled the internship, I knew that wherever Rachel did end up getting an internship that I'd be going with her.

Most recently, for close to a month, the possibilities were Florida or Lancaster, PA. While I was away on the youth summer camp retreat, Rachel heard back from the two in Florida (Lancaster had already told her she was accepted so we were waiting for the ones in Florida); they said they weren't ready to fill the positions at this time. So we have only known for sure where we'd be going for about a month and a half now. We began working on arrangements, and last week on Friday, we put down a deposit on an apartment! Ever since then, things have been falling into place pretty smoothly: most of the furniture we need has been provided; Rachel's mom and John are giving/lending us a lot of things we need; a couple of my friends are lending us some things that they have a lot of extras of from getting married and moving; and I know that the Lord will work out everything else that's still being worked on: the approval for the apartment, a part time job for me in Lancaster that will allow me to return on holidays with Rachel, the rest of the money Rachel needs to raise for the year, the rest of the appliances and such that we need, and the rest of the furniture that we need, and the help loading that we'll need on the day we actually move. Also, whatever else that I didn't think of.

The apartment, and the surrounding area, are absolutely gorgeous!

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, whatever happens in this next year, even if it's not always as smooth as it is right now, but I believe that at least the moving will go well, and this next year will be His will.