O… HI, O!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, the last being our leaving the beautiful state of Oregon. We’ve clearly found our new home here in Ohio, and it is wonderful :-).

Our first Sunday was last week, but let me back up just a bit to cover the details of Portland-to-Dayton…

We took one last look at Mount Hood, then left our wonderful Clackamas home on 9/1 at midnight for the very last time, having cleaned the fridge, swept the floors, and left everything we owned stacked in boxes throughout. We felt that the

best way to begin the cross-country journey would be via the Oregon Coast-Beach House for a Labor Day Weekend pause. On Sunday, 9/4 we departed the Oregon Coast and drove through the Mackenzie River Wild and Scenic area, witnessing a beautiful, fiery Oregon Sunset as we traveled the lava fields of the Mackenzie Pass… what a wonderful drive! We paused in Bend for the night, then on to Boise the following night. Keefer was a trooper, as he found himself adjusting to a different hotel room every night!Tuesday was also the day that Terrific Tammy made sure that

Mic’s V-Bug got loaded onto the car carrier at our home in Clackamas. THANK YOU, Tammy!

Traveling through Idaho, we visited CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT. WAYCOOL!

Tuesday night, 9/6 was a stop in Idaho Falls… just outside of Jackson Hole, WY. On Wednesday, we entered Jackson Hole and the Grand

Teton Range for an amazing day of being reminded of God’s magnificent handiwork.

Just the week before leaving, I attempted to get a room –any room– IN Yellowstone National Park, only to find that the summers are

booked pretty much a year in advance. I further found that pets are ONLY allowed in the “Rustic Cabin” accommodations that are sprinkled throughout the park, further narrowing/dampening our chances of anything this year. After a series of online searches and phone calls to Yellowstone, “somehow” I found that they had ONE ROOM open only for the very (Wednesday) night we would be traveling through. “I have ONE ROOM only for WEDNESDAY NIGHT, but...” Danielle, the young lady on the phone said, “it is a RUSTIC CABIN… are you ok with that?” “Hey Keefer, are you OK with a ‘rustic cabin?’.”

“Roof-roof –and a tree– is all I need” was his reply. “Book it, Dan-o,” I shouted into the sometimes-smart phone…. and the night in Y-Stone made history.

Yellowstone was amazing. We arrived at Old Faithful Wednesday evening about 20

minutes before he blew his top; how cool is that (rather hot, actually….)? The time between eruptions is anywhere from 30

minute to two hour intervals. Guess we got "lucky" :-). The next day, included in our drive THROUGH and AROUND in the park, we decided to stop again. Yep…. 24 minutes later, we watched it again. How cool is THAT, huh? Watched it blow TWO TIMES in TWO days!

We learned that we visited the big Y at a GREAT time, as they told us that the summer –and Labor Day– crowds had just left asof two days prior to our arrival. No cars, no traffic, just pavement, woods, geysers, boiling pools of sulfur water, streams, wildlife and wild wife (that’s all I’m sayin’). On past the bison, coyote, out of the park and through Custer, WY, stopping in Sheridian, WY for the night.

Wednesday was also the day that Amazing Allison and Awesome Annlie "sat" our house while the moving company loaded everything we owned onto the truck. You two ladies are TRUE friends. Thank you!!!

Friday meant heading into the South Dakota “badlands” area of the US, where we re-visited the Crazy Horse monument (we had also come here just

before leaving Wichita ten years earlier), and then we drove on through Mount Rushmore.

From there, we pretty much

drove the freeways, stopping just for the night (times two), and then, on the evening of 9/11, we crossed the O-hi-O state line for this new season of life and ministry for us!

We arrived at our new Condo, found our way around, and settled in for the night: airbed, sleeping bag, and all the essentials; like camping on steroids, really.

Let me digress: when we found that the Clackamas House was not receiving any “attention” at all as far as potential buyers, we realized that we needed to quickly find something to rent in Ohio. Our amazing realtor and sister-in-Christ, LYNN WHITE, found an eight-year old single level condo on a golf course (pretty much all we could ask for!).

Although it was listed as a lease-to-own, long story short is that two days before driving out of PDX-town, we had an agreement to LEASE the place for a year :-). God is amazing (did I already say that?). So we actually had an address to DRIVE to in Ohio, and a place to have a truck deliver our things to!

The Condo was/is more than we really need or expected, and we truly LOVE it! It is a little smaller than the house in PDX, but everything “works,” I

am telling you :-). One of the greatest things was waking up on Monday morning, opening my garage door, then standing there with my coffee watching some strangers mow, edge, and detail my lawn. Another guy came by to repair a sprinkler head... That’s what I’m talkin’ about people…. I have waited 27 years to have this experience! May this "non-mowing" season be a long one…woot!

One of the greatest “welcome” gifts we received was that a group of ladies from our church had “sneaked” into the house before we arrived, detailed every corner (as in scrubbing the floors on hands and knees-kind of detail) and closet and kitchen cabinets, and left a case of pop (diet cream soda!) and a vase (“vawz”) of flowers on the counter, mums on the front porch and a sign on the door, “Welcome ‘home’ David and Michelle!” The coolest part about these ladies’ ministry to US was the impression they left on the OWNER/landlord and his wife, who had let them in. “We never met such WONDERFUL people…why they did what they did, we don’t understand…” their words, not mine.

MONDAY night, 9/12 (the night after we arrived), the car-carrier (truck) arrived 1.5 miles up the street with a VW bug to drop off, and we felt like a family again. That week also included a few trips to Ikea (in Cincinnati) for organizing things for closets, etc., Costco, Lowe’s and Walmart of course. SATURDAY MORNING (9/17) the truck arrived with all of our things from Portland, and we worked from morning through the evening, falling into our “own,” real bed at precisely 2:17AM. The week following included nonstop opening, unpacking, and setting up shop, turning our new house into a home. We also took some wonderful “time-outs” to connect with our new family/friends from the Salem Church. We re-titled and registered our vehicles. WEDNESDAY of that week, the choir hosted a welcome reception for us both, and showered us with love, cake, laughter, and tons of gift cards, grocery cards, promises to be the best choir I ever would have, and a trip to Tahiti. OK, got out of control on that last comment.

Sunday, 9/25 was the once-ever-not-often chance to worship with our new church family from the “pews” and it was awesome to see “my new peeps” up there leading, singing, playing and worshiping in the most joyous way! We both were reminded then and there that this was all God’s doing and we truly were where He wanted us to be :-). We couldn’t wait to actually join them all the following Sunday.

Monday, 9/26 I entered the office as the official “newest staff member” and had a great week and WONDERFUL first choir rehearsal that Wednesday. Last Sunday, 10/2 was one of the greatest experiences I can recall in a long time, as I had the privilege of sitting at the 9-foot Falcone Grand piano worshipping and leading our amazing band, orchestra and choir… along with one of the most expressive congregations I have seen… in an exuberant celebration of Praise to the Father!

This week was “week two” (today-Thursday- was my “Friday”), and there have been more moments that I can count in the last 14 days where I was sitting at my desk, walking in or out of the building...or preparing music for Christmas, or whatever… asking the Lord, “REALLY, Lord? You are REALLY allowing me to DO this? This thing that I love doing more than anything else? REALLY?” He continues to breathe affirmation back to me, “welcome home.”

Dad totally surprised us by showing up at the front door this past Saturday to experience our first Sunday leading (mom could not make it because of other plans). We were so BLESSED not only that we are now living close enough to them for this kind of surprise, but that he chose to drove over and just DO it! Michelle played her flute Sunday in orchestra, as well as a special for communion time, and she truly gave her best to Him!

ALSO this week, Michelle started HER new position at the church. The idea of her joining the staff had gradually “evolved” once we knew were coming, and as Pastor Bob (our Lead Pastor) learned of her background. She is bringing to the Salem church exactly what is needed for such a time as this as she assumes the newly created role of Financial Operations Officer. Not only are we elated at the thought of CONTINUING to serve the Lord in ministry… but we get to do it TOGETHER….again! (Did I say that “God is good.”).

Things in Portland have been slow (duh) as far as the house-selling goes, so we began discussion last week as to the timing of pulling it off the market and beginning to find a family to lease it to. We’ve reminded ourselves DAILY since July that it is GOD’S house, HE gave it to us to care for, and it was HIS to do as HE saw fit. So we have just continued to pray for clear leading, timing and wisdom on what to do and when to do it.

PATIENCE is a word that has become much more clearly defined to us in the last two-point-five months. Funny thing happened on Wednesday: Realtor Mike Bierwagen calls with, “David, this is the call that all realtors live for….” And proceeded to tell me that there was an offer on our house. "What? Huh? Er…. Uh… " We took an hour and a half to patiently pray about our response, then responded with a counter offer. Counter offer accepted. Want to close by October 21. What? We can DO October 21. We don’t mind doing business on the 21^st of any month, actually, especially Octobers in odd-numbered years. That is good for us. SO, Michelle and I decide to head to grab dinner out, to talk about God and His goodness, and thank Him for continuing to work in HIS timing, even when we could not “see” Him at work. Dinner over. Driving home. Phone rings, “David, Mike here…. It seems that we have ANOTHER party that wants to buy your house, and they plan to have an offer to you by morning.” Tires screech, possum hit, and old lady (who was walking the possum) goes flying through the air. I am pulled over by now: “R U Serious?” “OK, we are good. We do not mind at all having a backup offer on our house, especially THIS backup offer!” Talk more tomorrow.

Thursday the phone rings. “David, I am going to send you that second offer in email now, so watch for it. O yeah, by the way, I just got a call from a realtor this morning and it seems that a THIRD offer may be in our hands by the end of today.” (by the way, this all happened inside exactly a 24-hour window…). “And David, there is a FOURTH party that WANTS your house and want to write an offer, but they may not now… knowing there are THREE other offers on your home.”

Does anyone need to take a break from reading yet? I see that hand. Go ahead. When you return, start back at this point…

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So as of today, Thursday, we (and each of the other parties) have in our hands, signed offers (including a "backup" offer), an inspection was done yesterday, and an appraisal will be done tomorrow. I dunno... we're thinking that just maybe God is doing something here.

OK, I gotta go. We’ve just passed 2,000 words and you have not drifted off yet. I don’t want to take advantage of you.

We are “home” and it feels good and it feels great. We love our place, and love our church, our staff, and our work. We miss our Portland friends SO MUCH at times, and it hurts, but we are thankful for email, Facebook and texting. :-)

We’ll keep the light on for ya.