Home Sweet Home

We are back! Which means I can finally access our blog again! The great Firewall of China has made it difficult to access most social media, so I had given up on blogging for a while. Now that we are back stateside I figured I would give it a try again.

Bringing home the giant pile of library books!

There are many joys of being in America, but one of my favorite is the public library. Devin and I went a bit crazy at the library the other day. We had so many books in our arms we could barely walk! It has been a long time since I had access to so many English books! I looked rather ridiculous walking through the aisles peering around my tower... I remember doing that as a small child and my mom would have to set limits as to how many books I could check out. Next time we will just have to remember to bring a bag!

I am learning a great deal about thankfulness lately. It has been amazing how many things have been provided for us. Three months ago today we closed the door on our  empty, but beloved apartment in TJ. It was strange to see our home empty, no more colorful pictures or shelves of board games. We had waited till just two weeks before we flew out to start packing because Devin's mother came to visit and we wanted her to have the full experience of our home. (It was a fabulous trip and so glad you came Kathy!)

Visiting the Great Wall with Devin's Mom

Exploring the Temple of Heaven

I remember telling Devin when we first moved into that place 2 years ago that it was a "house" but it wasn't a home. I was so wrong. Though when you take down your pictures and roll up the rug and pack all your books into boxes it no longer feels like yours. I suppose because it isn't. Writing about it now makes me tear up a bit. I think that it is part of the plan in moving that you have to go through all the trouble of cleaning and packing so that when it is time to say goodbye you are ready to leave.

Last shot of our building in TJ

Sitting in our empty living room I remembered wondering what would come next. It was clear that it was the right time for us to leave, but I couldn't help but be apprehensive about the next steps. Yet now that I am in the future I am amazed at what the Father has done for us in only a few months.

Monday we went to look at our new home. This time it is an actual house! It makes me smile just saying the word. With a white picket fence even! While Devin and I were traveling we kept talking about where we would live. We knew that we wanted to be in Portland so I could study, but we really had no idea where to look. I realized we had no renters history in America, all my adult life has been overseas, I didn't really know how to rent a place in the States. I got really overwhelmed; one of those moments where I needed to shut off the computer and go for a walk because there were just too many options out there and my little mind couldn't take it all in. Then this miraculous thing happened, I got an email from my mom and a friend was looking to rent her house right in the area that would be perfect for us to rent!

I couldn't believe it. It felt like the perfect home just fell into our laps.What a blessing! I think just about every home we have rented has felt like it was just the perfect spot for us for the time that we needed it. The Father is so good. I can't wait to move into our little house next week and get our home set up. (Though I seem to be able to fill my time by visiting many garage sales and thrift stores in the process)

I feel like I could go on and on with what HE has done for us. It has been a challenging season with moving and lots of unknowns, but it has also been a time where I have experienced a new sense of security. My Father loves me and cares for me and he had carried me across the ocean and back. I think that my thankfulness overflows even more than my library books do :)

House in Portland with picket fence!