Sarah: (Trying to) Stay Positive

Yesterday, I was feeling really discouraged about life. More specifically, the fact that we have been in San Diego for one week and we still don't have a place to live...

Even though our move across the country hasn't been totally smooth and easy, I can still see the Lord working in this transition. For example:

The day we left Elgin (September 22), our hitch kept scraping the ground everytime Francis would drive over a bump. So we had to stop into the shop that hooked up the trailer to our van, so that they could do something about it. While we were sitting in the waiting area, Francis expressed his fears of having to drive over the Rocky Mountains with his not so reliable van pulling 800lbs of stuff up large inclines. The man next to us asked where we heading. We told him San Diego. He looked at us with surprise and said, "Well, you know, I live there for half the year. I have a condo there in San Diego and I have an apartment here in Elgin." I did not know that. He then asked, "Do you want to know a better way to go, that'll avoid the Rockies?" Yes, yes we do. He proceeded to give us his directions and he also told us where we should stop each night. If it weren't for our hitch scrapping the ground, causing us to go into the shop, we never would have met Dave. We would have had to drive over the Rocky Mountains. And since we barely made it over the smaller Sierra Nevada mountains, I think it's safe to say that we never would have made it over those monster mountains.

Speaking of the Sierra Nevada mountains....As we were heading through Death Valley, over the mountains, Frank's van started overheating. Thankfully, I had service and was able to call my dad to ask him what we should do. We had to pull over several times and wait for 45 minutes (each time) for the engine to cool down before we could go on. Each time we pulled over, we dumped some water on the radiator to help it cool down faster. Which meant that we no longer had any drinking water and it was well over 100 degrees outside. We made it to a rest stop along the interstate where we decided to just let the van sit while we filled our cooler with water and poured it on the radiator. A couple of UPS truck drivers saw us and came over to offer their expertise. They told us there was only one more big slope to get over, they gave us a container to put water in (instead of our cooler), and they checked to see if everything was working ok under the hood. We made it over that slope and didn't have to pull over again (because of overheating).

One of my largest fears moving out here is that we don't know anyone. We have no contacts, no friends, no family in the area. No one. I was (still am) afraid that we won't make friends or find a sense of community here. On our first morning in the city, Frank received a call from his good friend, Michael. He told Francis that he was on his way to San Diego for a convention for work. Keep in mind that Michael didn't know when exactly we were moving, because we were in UG for 3 weeks, then we moved when we got back. He and Francis didn't talk once we were back from UG. So Francis tells Michael that we are in San Diego! There was lots of yelling, laughing, and wow-ing going on. We were able to spend our first few days with one our very good friends. I feel like bringing Michael to San Diego for work was God's way of welcoming us to the city.

We've been staying in a weekly hotel. There's a sink, mini-fridge, microwave, and a shower. But right around the corner from us is this little delicious and cheap Mexican restaurant. We don't eat there everyday, but it's a nice break from the pb & j, chips, and snacks that we have. And let me tell you - if you have no other reason to come visit me in San Diego, the California burrito is reason enough. Trust me.

I know in my head that the Lord has an apartment just waiting for us and a job for Francis lined up. But sometimes, I forget and become discouraged. Then I think of how faithful He has been to us up to this point and I think, "If He's done all this for us so far, I know that He is able and willing to help us now." It's only a matter of time.

On a side note, I start my new job at Gap today! Wish me luck.