Several times we've been asked, "Why Vermont?" and though we could always give them some canned answers (that it's beautiful, that we wanted to see a different part of the country, that Josh really liked the residency program, or simply - why not?), the true answer was always, we don't know, but we have a feeling that God is going to use this place to shape us for use in His Kingdom. Well, the Lord has definitely been blessing us with our time here, and we have the distinct comfort that He has sovereignly placed us here. Prior to coming to Vermont we asked many of you to pray for three specific things: a good church, a good home, and good friends. We'd like to share of how the Lord has displayed his goodness to us.
Request #1: Good church. Have you ever browsed the web looking for churches to attend? Quite interesting. You try to look at their doctrine and theology, the different ministries they have, a sense of their overall direction, and whether they seem to have free coffee in the foyer. Well, Josh was doing a web search prior to our first Sunday, and suddenly I heard an excited call come from the study. I went to the computer monitor to see what he was so pumped about, and I saw two words that always thrill Josh's heart. "Ulitmate Frisbee". Yes, the church had an ultimate frisbee ministry. So, with that said, we had no choice but to try Christ Memorial Church first. We also knew that is was one of the only reformed doctrine churches in the area. We attended the church and were amazed by the true feeling of the Body, the delivery of the Word, and evidence of active praise and repentence through their sharing time. We were immediately invited to dinner by a couple our own age, which have become fast friends. We have attended other churches in the area, but it has been incredible how we feel like part of the body of Christ Memorial Church after such limited contact. We have continued to attend CMC and are starting to get involved with their young adults ministry, women's ministry, and hope to be in a home group this fall.
Request #2: Good home. After being here 3 months we are starting to get the feeling of being settled in. It was a bit of a wake up call to see the prices on housing here, but the Lord provided in a way that we did not expect. We purchased a condo very similar to our Lexington townhouse, but one that could use a few home improvements. We are situated in a great location, in a crux between the busyness of Burlington, access to the "box stores" of Walmart, Home Depot, etc., and still on the the border of the open country. The Lord provided the home, the funds, and the relationships in our neighbors which we have been able to form so quickly. It is not the cute little single family home that I dreamed of, but it is perfect for us at this time, stage of life, and resources.
Our new address is:
4 Hayes Avenue
South Burlington,VT 05403
Request #3: Good friends. The Church has been amazing in its provision of friendships. It continues to astound me at how the bond of Christ enables you to form relationships so quickly. We have met an incredible group of people who are teaching us a lot about what it means to serve and strive after holiness. We also have made friends with our neighbors and people at work. Josh really enjoys his other Orthopedic colleagues. Our social life has not been boring and that is a great thing.
Josh and I are both enjoying the jobs that the Lord has provided also. Josh's residency demands a lot of him, but he truly has been able to enjoy it. He's more tired than usual, but he has continued to be the man of God that you all know him to be and an incredible husband to me during this transition. I am working part-time at an orthopedic outpatient clinic and per diem with a home health agency. The combination is suiting me well, giving me a great mix of job and time to get our house in working order.
We have also had a blast enjoying the beauty of Vermont. We have done lots of hiking, biking, and a little sailing! We are looking forward to the beauty of the fall and the new sports of the winter. I have my eyes on some snowshoes :). We are trying to mentally prepare ourselves for the cold of the winter, since I am freezing in the mornings right now, but we know thar it will be fine.
