16 Days
We are currently in Michigan, visiting family. We have been asked tons of questions from friends and family about our move. The top 3 are:
"What if you have a child you will come back right? Wouldn't you want your baby to be an American citizen!"
If the school/house is good for the children that live there it would be good for our own child as well. Also, yes of course if we had a baby some day he/she would still be a U.S. citizen.
"You don't mean forever."
Only God knows where He intends us to be in the future but right now and as far as we can see, we are going to the right place.
"How will you survive?"
1- Story international is working on a new way to pay house parents. We will set a fundraising goal and be paid that amount while we work on fundraising it. It will be adjusted yearly according to our fundraising capability and needs.
2- We will continue to run our small business (7 Continents Minerals and Mining) in order to save money for our future and hopefully have a bit of extra money to do fun things with the kids. (We sell minerals online as a business. We can do the computer work from Guatemala and have the stock in the U.S. where it is also shipped from.)
Currently, we have paid off all of our private student loans and other outstanding debt with the exception of our Federal Student loans which total around $130,000. We have applied for the 10 year forgiveness program which means if we continue to work for a nonprofit for 10 years and make minimum payments during that time the remaining balance will be forgiven. That is our long-term plan B. Plan A is to make enough money with the business to pay them off in less than 10 years. Currently our loans accrue over $400 in interest a month, EEK!
3- We have two monthly blog subscribers (THANK YOU!) That are providing us with some stability and consistent income.
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We have 16 days left until we arrive in Guatemala. Things are real now. We can no longer say "In a few months..." or "In a month..." we can say "This month."
Its now the time is now.
Its easy to think of doing something when its in the future but its always startling when it is upon you.
Our apartment is cleaned out, everything has been sold.
We have our suitcases packed.
We have our plane tickets.
Time is counting down.
We have been feeling anxiety. Not about what we are doing, we feel certain we are supposed to be moving to Huehue. We feel anxious about traveling with everything we own but mostly about our future responsibilities.
Will we be any good at parenting?
What if we don't know what to do?
What will we do when we get overwhelmed?
What if our kids don't like us?
They seem like silly questions when we talk through them but they have been nagging at us.
I came upon some verses today that got me really thinking.
Jesus said, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me
-John 14:1
You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
-Psalm 9:10
I believe that we have gotten this far with God. He has provided when we felt like it would be impossible.
He is enough.
He knows what we need/want.
He is enough.
He is enough.
He is enough.
That's when I remember that worry has the ability to steal my joy.
This is a huge adventure and I want to take it all in.
God, I will not be troubled. I will trust you fully and completely.
Celebrating our nephew's birthday.
Happy #10 Travis!
Hanging out with our Niece and Nephew and Niko.
Our last photo at our Philadelphia apartment before driving to Michigan.
Our last photo in the city before picking up our rental van.
