First Post (Jill)
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to our blog! We are hoping to be able to update this frequently to have a way to kind of bring you all on this adventure with us!
When we moved to East Texas in 2019 for Paul to work with Mercy Ships we knew we were open to, and even hoping for an opportunity to serve on board one of the ships as a family. Paul would occasionally check the postings to see if there was anything available we qualified for and in January 2024 there was a posting! We discussed it and Paul was a "yes" and I was a "no". I couldn't imagine giving up the lifestyle I'd recently started diving deeper into (homeschooling, nature living, organic eating) to go live on a ship in a port in the middle of a city! Very quickly after that I started questioning my response and honestly starting to regret it, but it wasn't until the next winter that I actually admitted that to Paul. After some discussions and prayer Paul checked again and there was another posting! We prayed and talked and prayed and talked, and both came to the decision that Paul should apply. We were late to the application process, and then had some delays, but finally in March 2025 we received our acceptance and our "fit to hire" letters!
It has not been easy going since then, in fact we've experienced setbacks, and struggles, and what we can only believe is spiritual warfare. I have given up, and announced "I quit" more times than I care to admit, but through all this God has been faithful, and we have no doubts that He will continue to be! Deuteronomy 31:8 says: "And the Lord is the One who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed." we know that He is not asking us to do this alone, and He has gone before us and will be with us. Ephesians 2:10 says: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." He has a job for us and we are so excited to do it!
Our house will be rented out while we're gone and Paul found a wonderful property manager to handle everything for us from lease signing, rent collecting, evictions, to any sort of middle of the night issue that may come up.
Daisy (our miniature long haired dachshund) has gone to live with my Mom and Dad while we're gone, and while that was a disaster of a travel day getting there, she is doing so well and already loves my parents!
Marshall (our black and white, very large, complete menace, but also strangely so lovable cat) has gone to live with our property manager, and after 4 days of being MIA he returned one morning just in time for breakfast and is reported to be adjusting fairly well!
The kids are showing all the normal emotions, excitement over the adventure, but also grief over saying goodbye to friends, family, and our pets. They will be attending their own training for the ship called Kids On-Boarding, and are really looking forward to that as there are fun events planned and the opportunity to bond with other kids who are also leaving their homes to join the ship!
Our next post will be from Paul's point of view, and then later on the kids will be sharing as well, so stay tuned!
Jill
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