IT'S NEVER AS EASY AS IT SEEMS!!!

Just a little update of our first week in the States.

We have spent this first week going out every day (I think) shopping for various things, furniture and household items, and it's just exhausting!  Not fun, exhausting!!!  Right now, we are living in the apartment without any lamps (so our living room is dark at night and I can't even look at the magazines I periodically pick up!!!😢).

We did get a label maker so we could set up our spice drawer after we bought various spices at City Market on Saturday and little jars at Hobby Lobby (not particularly close to us).  The market wasn't very busy Saturday,  but we were able to get our produce and spices and eggs (we're hopeful they're as good as the ones we bought in Paris).  I also bought some potpourri that is handmade by this woman that is wonderful.  She was in one of the buildings at the market and the minute you walked in the door this fall-like smell surrounded you.  Everyone stepping in stopped at her table.  She said the fragrance wouldn't be as strong in our apartment, but it's been very nice...not too strong, not too mild.  Just right!!!

We spent most of one day at Nebraska Furniture Mart.  We both had real hesitation about shopping there but we were getting desperate.  It urned out to be fabulous, and they're delivering bedroom furniture, pieces for the living room and dining area on Tuesday.  Then, finally, we can unpack the crystal, china and Christmas dishes in the boxes!!!  Oh, and also a table and chairs so we can sit and eat!!!

Though it may sound as though this has all gone smoothly...it hasn't!  We bought some stools for the counter that were final sale and we were so excited.  David spent 90 minutes putting one together and when I saw it, I said "that will never work!"  He freaked out!!!  But he thought the same thing.  So frustrating.  Then with our big Nebraska order we had two chairs...the next morning I got up and told David I thought we needed to cancel them...I was afraid they wouldn't fit well with other things.  We are so ready to have everything put together I'm afraid we're not making careful choices all the time.  Fortunately, we could call our sales associate and have him cancel the chairs.  No problem.  Our sofa (that we bought in August when we were here) is bigger than we realized so is a little difficult though we do love it.  And our little striped chairs are absolutely lovely in the sunroom (though we bought them for the living room!!).  So not all our choices have been bad...it just makes me cautious.

It doesn't look as long as it is..at least in our apartment!

I love these chairs!

Today we began the day visiting a new church, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.  Don't judge us, Baptist friends.  A pastor friend couple we got to know in Paris told us about this church and thought it might be a fit for us (they're Methodist ministers but know our background is Baptist).  Nikki also sent us their website thinking we might try it.  Anyway, this is mega church to us which isn't what we really want or like.  However, the senior pastor, Adam Hamilton (gotta love his name!!!), is fabulous and we really liked him.  We visited a small group first that was not a fit for us.  But, because they're a large church, there are other options.  The traditional service started at 11:00 and it was about 12:20 or so when we walked out...and I never once  looked at my watch!!!  Beautiful music (that was familiar to us--sorry ACP friends!)  that felt worshipful to us.  The biggest problem to us right now is distance...it's about a 30-minute drive and we've rarely driven that far to church.  We've always preferred close to home when possible.  But it's just us now and we don't have children to get ready early or who get cranky if it lasts too long so maybe this is the time...

The choir was absolutely wonderful!

This stain glass window was above the choir

I've had some difficult days this week.  Not difficult enough that I'm sorry we're back in the US, but difficult enough for me to question why here...why Kansas City?  I was reminded of Joseph when the Lord appeared to him and told him to pack up and go to Egypt (because Herod was killing baby boys) and Joseph didn't question "what am I going to do there?"  "where am I going to live?"   He trusted God and got the information he needed on an as-needs basis.  I have believed all along God was bringing us here...I don't know why (at all!) but I still believe it and I know He has a perfect place for us to worship and serve.

As we begin a new week, things are looking brighter,  and this evening we made ourselves official...