Part Four
December 19, 4:32PM (Thanks, text messaging timestamps).
After over a month of "not set in stone" and "most likely but not certain" and "we'll let you know as soon as we know for sure" Mark and I received pretty much the same text at the same time...
Them:
"IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!"
Me:
"IT'S HAPPENING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
Them:
"YES!!!!"
Me:
"No way!"
Them:
"YES WAY!"
I had tears in my eyes immediately! It was so cool to have been praying for this city for unknown reasons, then to be praying for this city for very specific reasons, then to have a concrete IT'S HAPPENING answer! We were stoked, to say the least.
BUT we still weren't really supposed to be out shouting it from the rooftops just yet. Which became hilarious to me because it seemed as though every time we went to an event at church someone was yelling, "Hey Boiseeeeee!" at us. It was the worst-kept/best-secret ever!
January 6th, 5:15PM
Compass Bible Church shows this video to the Saturday night service...
aaaaaand my heart explodes.
We were so thrilled to be able to officially tell people we are IN, which means that we are going, which means that are moving.
Moving.
AWAY.
WAY away. It's something I've never done before. Mark and I have moved 9 times in our 15 years of marriage. Moving is not a big deal. Moving AWAY is a big deal. And as awesome and God-ordained as this move is, it's still a big deal to start to sign up for something that's a few months away and then realize OH WAIT, I won't LIVE HERE then. Or to celebrate a holiday, or a birthday, for the last time in our current (dream) house, that's just a whole new level of moving away I'm getting used to.
And then, there are these six small to medium sized people that we are navigating this BIG MOVE with. Each of which are processing it totally differently, of course. The older boys are excited, most of the time. They love new, they love adventure, they love the idea of being close to mountains and cold things. They're in, most of the time. The older girls are beach lovers like their mama, they love their besties and see no need to change this pretty picture perfect life they already have, so they are not super pumped, yet. Our oldest daughter is coming around though. She's starting to see it like being a missionary. She knows people need to hear about Jesus, and she's okay being uncomfortable if it means she gets to share the Good News and invite people to church, which is pretty much how she lives life in Orange County anyway so this will just be a change of scene for her to operate as usual. The babies (who will forever be referred to as "the babies", FYI) are totally cool with it. They're equally excited about a ladybug landing on their arm as they are about a trip to Fiji, so they'll be fine. (This is not to downplay the extent of emotions I'm sure everyone will experience, but we're just seven weeks post announcement, we have plenty of time to feel all the feels.)
Since the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, it's been pretty rad to see more and more families join the Boise bound team. There seems to be a common thread in everyone's story, which further solidifies God's hand in the making of this new church. I love that people are open to praying about it, whether moving is on their radar or not, prayer is a driving force in knowing God's will, so when people commit to just asking God to open or shut the door for them, HE ANSWERS.
Compass Bible Church has 8 distinctives which are at the forefront of our pastors' minds and of the minds of all who call Compass home. Check 'em out... Let me just highlight #8, since that's where this whole Compass Bible Church Boise is coming from...
After over a month of "not set in stone" and "most likely but not certain" and "we'll let you know as soon as we know for sure" Mark and I received pretty much the same text at the same time...
Them:"IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!"
Me:
"IT'S HAPPENING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
Them:
"YES!!!!"
Me:
"No way!"
Them:
"YES WAY!"
I had tears in my eyes immediately! It was so cool to have been praying for this city for unknown reasons, then to be praying for this city for very specific reasons, then to have a concrete IT'S HAPPENING answer! We were stoked, to say the least.
BUT we still weren't really supposed to be out shouting it from the rooftops just yet. Which became hilarious to me because it seemed as though every time we went to an event at church someone was yelling, "Hey Boiseeeeee!" at us. It was the worst-kept/best-secret ever!
January 6th, 5:15PM
Compass Bible Church shows this video to the Saturday night service...
aaaaaand my heart explodes.
We were so thrilled to be able to officially tell people we are IN, which means that we are going, which means that are moving.
Moving.
AWAY.
WAY away. It's something I've never done before. Mark and I have moved 9 times in our 15 years of marriage. Moving is not a big deal. Moving AWAY is a big deal. And as awesome and God-ordained as this move is, it's still a big deal to start to sign up for something that's a few months away and then realize OH WAIT, I won't LIVE HERE then. Or to celebrate a holiday, or a birthday, for the last time in our current (dream) house, that's just a whole new level of moving away I'm getting used to.
And then, there are these six small to medium sized people that we are navigating this BIG MOVE with. Each of which are processing it totally differently, of course. The older boys are excited, most of the time. They love new, they love adventure, they love the idea of being close to mountains and cold things. They're in, most of the time. The older girls are beach lovers like their mama, they love their besties and see no need to change this pretty picture perfect life they already have, so they are not super pumped, yet. Our oldest daughter is coming around though. She's starting to see it like being a missionary. She knows people need to hear about Jesus, and she's okay being uncomfortable if it means she gets to share the Good News and invite people to church, which is pretty much how she lives life in Orange County anyway so this will just be a change of scene for her to operate as usual. The babies (who will forever be referred to as "the babies", FYI) are totally cool with it. They're equally excited about a ladybug landing on their arm as they are about a trip to Fiji, so they'll be fine. (This is not to downplay the extent of emotions I'm sure everyone will experience, but we're just seven weeks post announcement, we have plenty of time to feel all the feels.)
Since the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, it's been pretty rad to see more and more families join the Boise bound team. There seems to be a common thread in everyone's story, which further solidifies God's hand in the making of this new church. I love that people are open to praying about it, whether moving is on their radar or not, prayer is a driving force in knowing God's will, so when people commit to just asking God to open or shut the door for them, HE ANSWERS.
Compass Bible Church has 8 distinctives which are at the forefront of our pastors' minds and of the minds of all who call Compass home. Check 'em out... Let me just highlight #8, since that's where this whole Compass Bible Church Boise is coming from...
8. WE WILL ALWAYS BE WORKING TO PLANT NEW CHURCHES.
"It is our concern that we work to regularly launch more Bible-teaching churches that are resolved and constrained to move into more communities with a biblical purpose, a biblical mission and clearly maintained biblical values. It is our hope that Compass will never lose its commitment to this end."
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
It is my prayer, as I consider the kindness of God in my own redemtption story (Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?), that I will never lose sight of this great mission, to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20 " Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”) no matter where this ol' Fitz Fam lives.
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