Another week under our belt

Another week has come and gone and we're settling in a little more each day. Last week was full of activity. We met a friend at the park one day, attended a MOPS group and checked out the Exploreum. It seems that every day holds the inevitable trip to Wal-Mart, Lowe's or both, but luckily our lists seem to be getting shorter each day. Haley has been such a trooper, not that she's given much of a choice. Wednesday morning we met a friend and her little boy in Mobile for a morning at the park. The time to run, climb, swing and simply be outside was very refreshing for both Haley and me.
On Thursday morning we ventured out to a MOPS meeting. MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, is an international ministry that I was involved with in Tennessee, so when I saw it in the bulletin of the church we visited last Sunday, it caught my attention. The group at this church is fairly new, but they were very sweet and welcoming. Haley had fun playing and really liked checking in on the little babies, and I had an opportunity to meet moms that are in the same life stage as me. We had breakfast, an ice breaker, a speaker/video and a craft. I was really glad I went and will likely go back.

Friday morning we trekked off to the Exploreum. Not being much of a science enthusiast or having any children when we lived here before, I didn't pay much attention to it during our first tour in Mobile. After doing some research online, it looked like a fun place for Haley to play, explore and learn and boy was I right! The vast majority of the offerings there are way over her head, but there is a toddler area designed for children five and under that is awesome. It is blocked off, so she can run and play on her own without me worrying about her wandering off. In fact, we bought a membership so we can enjoy this great play time on hot or rainy days...both of which come around often in these parts. With our membership, we can even take other friends along with us!

By Friday afternoon I could tell that Haley was pooped, so we opted to stay home and play all afternoon. Well, I hadn't considered how difficult that would be for an extended period of time given we have no sofas, limited furnishings, and few toys. By the time Toby got home from work, I was about to bounce off the walls! Sadly, I was ecstatic to leave the two of them here while I headed to pick up a nutritious pizza dinner.

Over the weekend Toby had class, so Haley and I headed north. We spent Saturday with my mom buying fabrics for various projects around the house. All of which will be monumental in transforming this place into our home. My favorite is Haley's room...I can't wait to finish it and show you pictures. On Sunday I drove to Atlanta to meet a friend from Knoxville. We rendezvoused at Bethel Church on the south side of town. I love Bethel Church from Redding, CA and this church is a plant that was started up about three years ago. The worship experience was amazing and totally worth the drive! Frequently during worship, I heard prayers of praise and thanksgiving going up all around me...some in English, some in tongues, but all in beautiful harmony. Several times I opened my eyes to see this worship, but I never saw anyone in particular moving their mouth. It was incredible! This must be what the prayers of the nations sound like!

Anyway, our sweet neighbor in Tennessee had gathered some necessities from our home and sent them to Atlanta with my friend. I was so excited to unpack these boxes today...Haley's bath toys and Auburn shaker...not things I had asked for, but sweet thoughts to make the transition a little easier. When we left Knoxville three weeks ago, we thought we would only be camping in our vacant Mobile house for 10 days, and so we packed accordingly. Our schedule changed later and it will still be another four weeks before the moving van pulls up here in south Alabama. The neat thing is that God is teaching us (again) that stuff really is irrelevant and that we really can get by just fine on much less than we often demand. Thank you, Jesus, for that sweet reminder.

Operation Cookie Dropoff has already shown fruit! Months ago, long before we ever made the move, I was fearful of how I would establish roots here. God clearly assigned five houses on our street and told me to start there. Last week I made cookies and delivered them to three of these houses. At one house I missed the wife and woke up the night shift, sleeping at the time, husband, but today the wife knocked on my door! As I opened the door she stood there with a huge smile and a plant in her hand! She was returning our cookie plate and had gone out of her way to buy us a plant and a card!! She didn't come in, as her car was running, but we chatted for a few minutes before she headed off. After she left I read her card and it was the most thoughtful note that expressed how excited she and her family are about our being here and how anxious she is to get to know us. Sweet Jesus, you are planting seeds and developing relationships already! Thank you for this incredible reciprocity of kindness! Now, I just pray that opportunities will become available (or that we will be proactive to make them available) for this relationship to grow and develop and for You to be glorified in the process! Two more houses to go...