Jason recently accepted a six-month Forester job with Great Basin Institute working in the Sequoia National Forest of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. We are super excited about this opportunity and I am thrilled that we will live a mere three-hour drive from my family. This will be the first time that we will be closer than an 18-hour drive from them and we are really looking forward to it.
The last time we visited this area was during the camping portion of our honeymoon — 15 years ago!
This past month has been full of huge ups and downs as Jason worked to find employment and we both scoured the internet to find some sort of housing for our family. Jason had to turn down one job offer because we just could not find any housing. He accepted this one because we were able to line up housing, but it has subsequently fallen through (twice!). So, we are still on the hunt and waiting to see what God will do. Third time is the charm, right?
As we come to the end of our time here, there are even more ups and downs. We’ve questioned ourselves more than once, asking “why did we think living in two places every year would be a good idea?” The packing up, finding storage for the things that will stay here, the hunt for a new job & new place to live, and the uprooting of our kids (again!) has all left us feeling exhausted and emotionally depleted. And yet … we feel weirdly confident that this is what we are supposed to be doing. So, here we are once again saying some super hard goodbyes and looking forward to what is to come.
We completed our final Spanish class and the school had a “graduation” for us and another departing student. It seems very strange that I won’t be chatting with my teacher (on the far left) for an hour every morning anymore.
We will miss the people and landscape of this place very much while we are away. The life-changing images of the Maya women’s beautiful strength will remain with us always.
Prayers for wisdom, discernment as you transition to your new adventure. Love and hugs! Gwen