A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of shooting Colleen and Jeff's beautiful wedding at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Check out their wedding on the photography blog.
You've probably have heard our latest news at this point...we tried to let people know in person as much as possible before blogging about the fact that Adam and I are indeed headed BACK TO BOSTON and not just for a visit, but to LIVE!
How did this turn of events come about you may be wondering...It certainly came as a bit of a surprise to me that this could in fact wind up being the Lord's plan for our lives moving forward.
Well, back in December Adam was browsing through jobs looking for good opportunities for a friend who was on the job market. During the search he happened to come across a posting for the Youth Director at Park Street Church in Boston. Park Street Church is one of the oldest churches in the country and a historical stop on the Freedom Trail, but it is still an active Conservative Congregational Church that has a lot of life. The timing of Adam finding this job posting coincided with us also finding out we were expecting for the first time and we thought that perhaps it would somehow allow me to only have to work part-time or stay home with our children, so I gave Adam the go ahead to apply. We also still own a house in the suburbs of Boston that we currently have rented, so we've always wondered since moving away what the ultimate plan was for that house. I had also just read a book interestingly enough that had a whole chapter on saying yes to your husband's opportunities...I mean who am I to limit God right?!
Well apply he did.
I really thought it was a shot in the dark since we had no contacts at the church and I really had no expectation of leaving Hampton Roads unless it was crystal clear that this was the Lord's will. I mean we had established a good life here surrounded by amazing friends and family. I have a great job and was just honored at Teacher of the Year...what crazy timing would it be to leave in the midst of all this good.
Then the ball started rolling with the job interview process. Adam would have more ministerial responsibility in this new position since he would be over both middle and high school and theologically it seemed like from conversations with the Family Pastor, who would be his direct supervisor, and further research of the church that it might a really great fit. Adam went through interviews with parents, church leaders and volunteers and staff members and then in late February we found out it was between him and another candidate. My prayer all along was that is this was the Lord's plan for our next season of ministry that I would have a peace throughout the process because I tend to get VERY anxious about things, that His will would be crystal clear and doors would be flung wide open. Time after time, interview after interview my prayers were answered. Even the other candidate took another offer leaving Adam as the main candidate and providing even further confirmation that the Lord was hard at work. It was challenging at times because we weren't really sharing this journey with those around us because we didn't know what God had planned and we didn't want to make any of our volunteers, many of which are very close friends of ours, feel like things our current ministry were unstable with the possibility of Adam being called elsewhere especially since the church had already been without a high school pastor for a few months. If it was indeed the Lord's plan then we would walk through the process of telling our friends and volunteers according to the pastors' wishes.
Then in March, we were asked to travel to Boston for a weekend of interviews, so people could get a feel for us and so we could get a feel for the church and the students in person. It was a very full weekend and we got to meet so many people from staff to deacons to students and parents. We really enjoyed our time at the church, especially the worship services Sunday morning. Let me just tell you these students are a one of a kind group that only the northeast can offer and we enjoyed experiencing them in full force both Friday night at their student ministry service and Sunday afternoon as they interviewed us over lunch. By the end of the weekend, Adam was given his offer unofficially and he was told the students felt he was "smart enough for them". We headed home to pray about the opportunity and seek the Lord one whether this truly was His will for our next season in ministry.
After praying that next week, we both continued to feel a peace that this was indeed the ministry we were intended for going forward. There wasn't a single reservation. It's amazing how God answers prayers because this position would provide enough for me to stay home with our children when the Lord blesses us with them whether through natural means or adoption. The Lord made every door wide open and I never experienced an ounce of anxiousness over whether this was the right move, so move we shall and follow the Lord's calling to Park Street Church in Boston, Massachussetts!
I'm still amazed that we are headed back to the northeast, but being that it is considered an area of unreached people groups where fewer than 3% of the population are evangelical Christian...follow the Lord's call we must and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for this next season of our lives there and for what He has planned for the lives of our future students in the ministry. It's sure to be a wild ride, but an amazing one at that since God's in the driver's seat.
Check out my most recent film debut...recently my friend Laura, aka the Frugal Chick, asked me to be apart of an upcoming series of projects for her blog. Check it out and weigh in. Which girl will he choose?!
Jessica is an English Second Language teacher who dabbles seriously in the world of photography, while Adam is the pastor of student ministry at Park Street church in Boston.
