Notice a theme in these pictures?

We’re moving to L.A.!!!!!! Well, Pasadena actually, but close enough!

When? Next month!

Why? Hmm…do you want the long answer or the short answer? (Disclaimer…this post is a bit long, but it’s very therapeutic for me to write it all out!)

Basically, Elvis and I have always wanted to work together full-time in some sort of hands-on-helping-people-in-a-practical-way ministry. We just didn’t know where or when or how. Over the past few years, we have felt a burden and compassion for immigrants in the US and so we want to pursue that calling and eventually work full-time serving immigrants, their children, loving them and getting to know them and offering them a friendly face and someone they can trust.

How? We’re still not sure yet. But that is why I started studying my master’s degree in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Seminary last year- to gain training and insight and wisdom and practical ideas about how to go about pursuing this calling. When Elvis encouraged me to go back to school last spring over a cup of white chocolate latte, we knew that I could only take half of the classes online and the other half would be on the Pasadena campus. We had just read my good friend Derek’s book about managing and communicating about finances in marriage (Get Naked)and started making some long-term goals. The idea of moving back to the US, something that neither one of us had ever really wanted to do, popped up and it just seemed right, even though we are comfortable here with two stable jobs, a house, 2 cars, a great nanny, a great church, etc. So basically this is something we have been thinking about for a year and a half since we made the decision to start my master’s degree.

So, why California and not North Carolina? First of all, that’s where Fuller is and I have LOVED my experience there so far. Being there for a week this summer was even more confirmation because I loved my class, the campus, the diversity of students, the fact that Kelly and Brian live there, and just the city…I can’t believe we get to live in such a fun and beautiful place! Second of all, even though we are leaving El Salvador, we want Suzy and Elvis to be in a place where their Hispanic heritage is celebrated. What better place than LA? We can still get pupusas, but no longer will be dealing with the stress and fear of living in the country which was just named the most violent country in the world. Seriously. No, we’re not leaving because of fear, but we are trying to take into account the best options for Suzy as well. And I’m ready to be able to walk outside by myself again.

It’s pretty much the hardest and easiest decision of my life, comparable to when I came down here to El Salvador. The hard part is always the unknown, the uncertain, the almost certain rocky spots; yet the easy part is knowing that although we are hard-headed sheep sometimes, we have a gentle and good Shepherd who is leading us into the unknown terrain. Now that we have a daughter, I feel a lot more responsibility to have everything planned out and all the details ironed out because if it were just the two of us, we would be fine eating Ramen noodles for a month straight and camping out in someone’s backyard. However, Suzy needs milk, diapers, food, a bed, etc, all of which require a steady income, something we don’t have yet. But when I think about it, if I’m concerned about the details for my daughter, how much more is a Perfect heavenly Father concerned about the details for his children? I think I can rest in that assurance.

Plus, it wouldn’t be a step of faith if everything was laid out so obviously, right?

Remember a couple of months ago when I asked you to pray for two specific dates? That was for Elvis’s residency papers. From the time we submitted his first round of paperwork to get his US residency, 4 months later he had his residency in hand! This is unheard of, yall. That paperwork usually takes at least a year or two. Confirmation? I think so. So the good thing is that Elvis will be legal to work and support us while I study full-time and stay at home with Suz.

I also take it as confirmation the fact that last week I sent out an email, a “virtual garage sale” with pictures and prices of all of our furniture, to our close friends. Within 20 hours, we had already sold everything except for my piano, which we sold this week (Suzy and I both cried when they left with it). Confirmation? I think so. Hard? Definitely. Although it’s just material things, some of those “things” have a high emotional price. Like the cabinet that Elvis designed for my birthday. Like the furniture we bought when we got married. Although we are extremely excited about starting new and fresh in a new place, it was scary telling our bosses that we are leaving without having another job waiting for us yet. It was scary telling the owner of the house that we are leaving without having another house waiting for us. It might sound cliché, but we are reminding ourselves that “home” is where our family is, not where our house is.

So, what can you be praying for?

· A job for Elvis. We would like for you to pray with us specifically today and this weekend, as we just have a feeling that a door might unexpectedly burst open real soon.

· An apartment. Fuller offers housing, but nothing has opened up yet. I would feel a lot better knowing that we have somewhere to sleep. Not that we own a bed yet, but at least somewhere where we could put a bed if we had one. Oh, so you could pray for a bed, too. And a table with chairs. Or, we could just have picnics everyday and that would be fine too! Oh, but I would like a rocking chair.

· Smooth transition for Suzy. It will be hard for her to not be with Di-Di during the day, but I’m so excited I get to be with her now during the day. We’re praying that she will continue to learn both languages and make lots of new friends.

· To finish well in El Salvador. That we can run strong to the end in our ministry at church, at work, and with our friends and family.

· Confidence that we made the right decision. We feel confident right now, but I bet one day those doubts will start creeping into our minds.

p.s. Although most of our close friends know the news already, we are going to announce it this weekend at church for everybody else. So please don’t write anything to me on facebook yet about this! Thanks =)