Digging in...

Today marks a little over three weeks that Patrick and I have been living in Connecticut. I can't believe it's only been that long... We've been pleasantly surprised by the area, and the people. It has been easy to get around, and most everyone has been kind and helpful, especially at the hospital. Yet I would be lying if I said we didn't miss home.

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely NOT complaining. I am incredibly grateful for my husband, who has been my rock and constant companion. Even our puppy has made this place feel a little more like home than it would without her. But, despite the face that I knew it was coming, I am having community withdrawals. We came from such tight-knit family, friend, and church connections, that to be without them now feels somewhat like dangling in the wind.

One of our primary goals upon moving here was to find a new church. Now this is much easier said than done. A church is more than just a place of worship. And we didn't just want to sit in a pew once a week; we wanted to find a place where we could fellowship with others, make friends, and get plugged in.

So the first Sunday here we tried a small church, and the next Sunday we tried a big church. Both had good messages and sincere people, but something just didn't quite feel right. I remember going to our church in Spokane for the first time and knowing after one service that I was home. It may seem too much to ask, but I asked God to give us that here. To show us where He wanted us to be.

Which brings us to this past Sunday. We tried a third church, and to borrow a Goldilocks-ism, it was just right. We google mapped the location and found ourselves downtown at a beautiful high school's auditorium, where this church, City Church, meets. There were about 150 people, mostly college and career aged. The pastor's message was both poignant and applicable to life. And when we talked to people afterward, we didn't get the feeling that they were supposed to talk to us because we were new. They genuinely wanted to connect with us, and vice versa. Everything fit.

So now, it's time to dig in. Tonight we will be going to a church couple's house in downtown New Haven to attend their small group. If you're of the praying persuasion, please pray for us - that we would be open to whoever we meet there and be able to grow with them. Lord knows we need it.

Til next time, I hope all of you back home are well :)

PS: this is what it looked like here over the weekend, hooray for snow!!