The What

Ok, so what is this that we are talking about? It is a position called "House Parent." For those of you from the south, this might be a familiar term, but for those of us in the North West, it is very foreign. It refers to two people who live in a home for children and play a parental role. These homes are often part of a greater community; communities found both in the private and public sector.

We will be joining a pre-existing organization, one that has been around for 100 years in fact. For the safety of the kids we will be working with, and for purposes of this blog, we will be leaving our organization unnamed. In references in this blog, we will refer to where we live as "Live Oak."

Live Oak is a community that serves children from 7-21. They come from personal references, professional references, and state references. Each child stays for an amount of time that best suits their needs. Our role will be to live in a house that will be provided, and take care of the daily needs of 8-10 children. We will cook meals, do laundry, drive children to school and dr. appointments, watch movies, cry, laugh and simply live life.

We will work one week on, one week on, sharing our responsibilities with another couple (whom we have not yet met.) On our off weeks, we will live in an apartment separate from the children. When we are "On" we will be very busy, caring for the needs of the 8-10 children, filing paperwork, cleaning and trying to show love.

We are BEYOND excited for this opportunity. We have been praying since we met for the chance to work together. Everything about this next step was very guided by the Lord. Not only do we get to do ministry, but we will get paid for what we do and not need to spend time fundraising. We anticipate this to be a difficult transition, with many days of stress and tears. But, we feel called and able to do this.

This blog will follow our journey. I hope to use it as a place to process my thoughts. To share and update those of you who want to know what we are doing. While our physical address will soon change, our love for friends and family will stay the same. We will need your relationship just as deeply when we leave as when we are near. Please stay in contact with us. Read my blog, call us on the phone, or if you wish, come visit!

The Why

      When were first met, Austin and I were linked on one thing: We wanted to do youth ministry together. We both cared deeply about kids and youth who were under privileged, marginalized, unloved or tossed away. I have always dreamed of opening my own community center, Austin has goals of bringing mental health awareness to the church.

      We have both had Social Work as a degree in our line of focus at some point and are both passionate about social justice. I have spent the last five years working at a community center and with children who have behavioral and developmental needs. Austin got his youth ministry degree and has spent the last year and a half working for a non-profit with youth who have behavioral needs. We know that this population can be challenging. We have been cursed out, spit at, bit, had objects thrown at us, publicly humiliated and felt extremely defeated; yet when we come home from our daily jobs, we still find stories to tell each other that make us laugh until our ribs hurt. We know that we have been gifted and strengthened to do this sort of work well.

     During our initial interview, we were asked "Why Florida? Why do you want to move all the way here?" Our response? "Why not?"

     We have nothing holding us back, we have no mortgage, no pets, no plans in cement. As we have begun to share with people what is next, the most common thing we hear is "This is the perfect time in your life to do this!" And we agree.

The How

It started with a look into the world of international teaching jobs. But seeing as teaching is the last profession I wish to enter, we continued to click our way through the maze that google offered. We cam across this website:

http://www.workingcouples.com

We considered Bed and Breakfast managers, but put that into our queue for retirement. Next we considered "Domestic Couple Jobs," but found that these were really modern day volunteer slave positions.

When we found a category called House Parent, we felt the fit almost immediately. That very night we sent out inquiry emails to a handful of locations. One particular location (which for the protection of the children who live there we will leave unidentified) responded to us very quickly.

The process from first email, through two interviews and us accepting a position took exactly one month, and exactly a month after accepting the position, we will be on the road traveling 3023 miles!

We are packing up our belongings now. We took half of them to store at his parents house in Spokane. Of what is left, we will get rid of all the furniture, and pack up everything else. We will pull out of our first apartment with what will fit in our new Subaru and a 5 x 7 trailer.

My Guy

See this Guy? My Guy. That is what I like to call him. This is the man I have chosen to spend my life with. The one who draws passion out of me and makes me laugh and helps me learn about birds. This is the man who savors amazing food and has taught me to appreciate a great cup of coffee. This is the man who drives in the snow when I am too scared too, who watches "my" movies and genuinely likes them. He introduced me to zombies and indie music and tartar sauce (which I still don't understand...) 

This is the guy I am moving 3023 miles with.

Rails

The wheels hit the rails
at least were on track
but headed the wrong direction
cant stop now, no good looking back

Talk to my face

no need to disgrace

The wheels hit the rails

now its a race

Racing for your life

Running from this fight

You've had about enough

but you cant stop now, cause I'm up in your stuff.

Your stuff is scary
your stuff stinks
but our lives are meshed now
and were skating outside the rinks

There is hurt in your eyes

people telling you lies

trying to survive

I know why you hide

Come on man,

lets fight

fighting together to win

fighting against sin

Wish this sh** would end

The wheels hit the rails
your sliding downhill
I know you don't like me
don't want my goodwill

But don't push me me away

not now, not yet

don't disapear

don't do something you'll regret

 

You've got it inside:

passsion - water boiling

rocket chaged - lion roaring

wheels hit the rails

come on man, lets ride

 

Julia Child

If Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart are the hero's of the kitchen, than Julia Child is a saint.

For Valentines Day, I made Austin Beef Bourguingnonne. Julia Childs Beef Bourguingnonne. I also checked #8 off my bucket list. 

I went to two different grocery stores, and a local market with a butcher to get my supplies. I spent 6 hours and 12 minutes in the kitchen, and as I finished the sauce, I watched Julia herself on the first episide of French Chef, make the same dish in 27 minutes. 

Bon Appite!

Saving my Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuheuIDqo6c


I was living with my parents, in a crowded house. Sharing space with my brother, his wife, and my niece.

I was in an in between season. I had just returned from Eastern Europe where I lived my dream and returned broke. I had a pierced eyebrow. A two door Dodge that was my very own. And nothing to do with my life.

Sharell was still in high school, working at a diner to pay her way through her senior year. Heather was at University, getting smart and playing dodge ball.

Those days were rather dull. It was hard to wake up. It was hard to be motivated. It was humiliating to work at a pizza chain.

There were a lot of evening walks, and even more night time drives. There was a lot of list making and rule following, and even more bribing to get  myself to accomplish every day tasks such as showering and getting out of bed before 10:00 am.

College group was there, but what I remember more than that, was Denny's that followed. I spent a lot of time with Nathan and Aimee. And when she was off work, Sharell and I would meet up. And we would talk. And we would plan our lives over a pot of coffee at Sharis.

Sharell and I sat up more nights than we slept. We sat at Sharis. We sat in the car. We sat at the beach. We sat in front of the TV at her parents. We sat in the back yard at my parents. We sat and looked at the stars. We sat and looked at our toes. We sat.

Sharell and I determined that together we were going to take over the world. We determined to stay sisters all the way through the next ice age. I promised to never let her work at Costco, and she promised that I would get married. We talked a lot about the future. About how life sucked. And about how good Jesus was.

When everything else was going wrong, we always came back to Jesus. And how he saved us. And how we sure didn't understand very much, but we understood that he had a plan for our lives. We clung to him during that time as if he was our very last hope. Because he is our hope. And I can say that those nights, sitting, saved my life.