Monday, April 23, 2007

Bellingham Update

Ben and I had a great time in Washington! Since you're looking at the picture, we did get to fly in a plane with one of the elders. The next picture is from up in the plane. I intended to take pictures of some of the families to show my kids and this represents the pictures I actually took...

We stayed with one of the elders and his wife who is also the children's minister/office manager, Rich and Diane Helke. Diane also happens to be a former roomate of my mothers at Columbia. (Side note: When someone has attended Columbia Christian College, there is no reason to say Cascade. It means something totally different. My mother never went to Cascade. It doesn't matter that it's the same place. I like to allow Columbia to have it's own identity!) Small world. We were thankful we stayed with them and were able to have lots of relationship-forming conversation.

The elders and their wives are fantastic. We really like the church as a whole. We had a good amount of time to spend with people in the congregation and we all seemed to like each other a lot. We also knew the Flory's, who went to Vancouver C of C way back in the day, and Ben knew a recruiter from Pepperdine that resides there with her family now.

We got to learn about the soup kitchen that goes on at the building twice a week and ate with some of the clients. We saw what an impact Soup's On makes in the community and the people of the Sterling Drive. It was way cool!
We looked at houses and different neighborhoods. We road on a ferry to get to the island that one of the elders lives on... We saw lots and lots of trees and had NO rain! We
drove on steep Mountainsides and looked inside houses way beyond our price range!

And after a long and exciting weekend we sat at the Helke's and watched a deer in their backyard for the first time ever, eating all their bird food.


The last picture is of Diane and I. On Sunday evening we invited the Helke's to go out to a movie with us. It was a great way to end our time!

We had such a great experience and I know we would be blessed to be a part of this congregation. We are excited about the possibiltiy of serving along side them and are trusting that God will bless us wherever we end up!
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9 comments:

Priscilla said...

Thanks for keeping us posted as you go through this process of finding your new church. It's a very mysterious part of life because it's not just a job...but it's where God is going to tell His story through you and how the people in bellingham will respond to god if you are there...maybe i'm over analyzing, but it is exciting regardless. Let us know what you find out.

Anonymous said...

what a beautiful place!! i want to live there. i am so thankful that your weekend went well. wherever your family ends up will bring much blessing to you and the church community. we are keeping you before the Lord.

Anonymous said...

YEA! for you two! We're excited!

Jason Hill said...

You guys are so grown-up.

kaydub said...

We're praying! Yikes, Diane hasn't changed a bit ... just like me and your mama!

Ryan Woods said...

You guys really are so grown up...no seriously, you're nearly 30!
I don't know what that has to do with getting a job, but if you got a job up there I'd probably come and see you! That makes it all worth it right?

Robby and Lynsey said...

Good to hear that you guys liked it up there and that your interview went well. We are praying for you guys as you wait to hear more. Good luck finishing up school, Ben!

Anonymous said...

why do you go somewhere for like an hour and have 10 new best friends? you must be the coolest girl ever!
im praying that this job works out!!

Anonymous said...

Yea!! I'm so glad that it went well! I REALLY hope it works out!! : )