These words describe well the last week of our lives at Barton!
The Barton Home:
We began our week last week with 5 girls and will be down to 2 on Tuesday if we do not have any intakes by then. Our long-term 12-year-old was able to leave the system to live with a family member in another state this week. As happy as we were for her, her absence has created a huge void in the home. This was definitely my most difficult good-bye so far (she was our fifth). She had been with us since our first day (actually, she had been here a total of 6 months) and I didn't realize how attached I had let myself grow to the girls I knew were long term compared to the girls I knew would most likely be leaving in a month or two...until one left. Though she was rarely the easiest resident we had, she brought a ton of life and energy and joy into the home, and everyone misses her. What a sweet blessing, though, that she has been able to call us already a few times just to say "hi!" The night she arrived at her new home, she called while we were at the dinner table and we were all able to talk with her on speakerphone and hear about all the excitement of her day. She is so excited to be freed of the system and foster care, but I know she will miss her friends here. It has been comforting to realize how much she gained from being at Vera Lloyd and that this season in her life will continue to be used by the Lord many days, weeks, months, or years into the future. We also had to bid a brand new resident farewell on Tuesday after an extremely long 5 hour incident where the circumstances became too destructive and dangerous to continue her placement here. This was a difficult day but I was surprised to find my stress level lower than some of my much less eventful days. It was strange but wonderful to realize how much peace and calm the Lord provides for you when He knows you will not be able to function without it. HE alone was sufficient that day. We pray for the young girl who had to leave...that she will remember God is with her and that all of her needs will be met. Then, came the news that another one of our long-term girls (a 16-year-old) will be moving Tuesday to be closer to her family and school to make transportation easier (she currently has home visits and goes to school in her home county). There are many frustrating things about the situation, and we are saddened by it greatly; however, we know the Lord goes with her and will keep her best interest at heart. She also will be greatly missed. We slowly came to the realization of what all that these changes mean - we will soon have a nearly empty house so the next time it is full, we will for the first time have the opportunity to build the culture of the home almost from scratch. Of course, this means we now have several long term spots open which is a great thing, too...so when girls come in who are eligible, they may be able to stay! It could be an intersting few weeks, though, as these spots are slowly filled and we settle in up to 6 girls at a time! We also had an 18th birthday (with a yellow and black theme) this week and our home was able to go eat at the campus director's house for dinner as a special treat. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a day at home with the girls we have left and doing a special family activity for the one who will be leaving on Tuesday.
The Andersons:
Michael and I are feeling settled into many parts of the job and the community now. We are really enjoying what we are doing and have enjoyed working together each day. It is such a blessing to not only have someone at "work" to regularly communicate with, recieve encouragement and support from, and do the balancing act with... but also for that someone to be your spouse. I can't tell you enough what a difference it makes that we have each other. In many ways, this move and this change has blessed our marriage tremendously. We are really able to throw ourselves whole-heartedly into this together and support one another fully and truly understand each other. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to marry my best friend, though, because I can't imagine it without that blessing. We are still praying hard about where to make our church home. When you have been blessed as we were for so many years with a church like FCC, it provides a challenge in finding your next place to settle in especially in such a different place and culture. We really like the church we returned to today and enjoyed the young marrieds Sunday School class, but are still looking to the Lord for direction in some areas.
Betsy:
God has been teaching me so much personally through everything. Through the massive blessing we received that changed our car situation, I have learned how to truly recieve from the Lord and give Him alone the glory! Through the countless situations with the girls where I feel CLUELESS about what to do, I have learned that He is walking with me! He didn't just throw us out here to put on a performance for Him on which He will give us feedback or a grade - He is walking with us...and when I look - He is showing me, directing me, acting on our behalf! Through the transition to a totally new life in a totally new place (where I still feel "outisde" at times or lonely), He has taught me that following His footsteps is still the most rewarding thing to do and being in His will is always the best place to be.
The Barton Home:
We began our week last week with 5 girls and will be down to 2 on Tuesday if we do not have any intakes by then. Our long-term 12-year-old was able to leave the system to live with a family member in another state this week. As happy as we were for her, her absence has created a huge void in the home. This was definitely my most difficult good-bye so far (she was our fifth). She had been with us since our first day (actually, she had been here a total of 6 months) and I didn't realize how attached I had let myself grow to the girls I knew were long term compared to the girls I knew would most likely be leaving in a month or two...until one left. Though she was rarely the easiest resident we had, she brought a ton of life and energy and joy into the home, and everyone misses her. What a sweet blessing, though, that she has been able to call us already a few times just to say "hi!" The night she arrived at her new home, she called while we were at the dinner table and we were all able to talk with her on speakerphone and hear about all the excitement of her day. She is so excited to be freed of the system and foster care, but I know she will miss her friends here. It has been comforting to realize how much she gained from being at Vera Lloyd and that this season in her life will continue to be used by the Lord many days, weeks, months, or years into the future. We also had to bid a brand new resident farewell on Tuesday after an extremely long 5 hour incident where the circumstances became too destructive and dangerous to continue her placement here. This was a difficult day but I was surprised to find my stress level lower than some of my much less eventful days. It was strange but wonderful to realize how much peace and calm the Lord provides for you when He knows you will not be able to function without it. HE alone was sufficient that day. We pray for the young girl who had to leave...that she will remember God is with her and that all of her needs will be met. Then, came the news that another one of our long-term girls (a 16-year-old) will be moving Tuesday to be closer to her family and school to make transportation easier (she currently has home visits and goes to school in her home county). There are many frustrating things about the situation, and we are saddened by it greatly; however, we know the Lord goes with her and will keep her best interest at heart. She also will be greatly missed. We slowly came to the realization of what all that these changes mean - we will soon have a nearly empty house so the next time it is full, we will for the first time have the opportunity to build the culture of the home almost from scratch. Of course, this means we now have several long term spots open which is a great thing, too...so when girls come in who are eligible, they may be able to stay! It could be an intersting few weeks, though, as these spots are slowly filled and we settle in up to 6 girls at a time! We also had an 18th birthday (with a yellow and black theme) this week and our home was able to go eat at the campus director's house for dinner as a special treat. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a day at home with the girls we have left and doing a special family activity for the one who will be leaving on Tuesday.
The Andersons:
Michael and I are feeling settled into many parts of the job and the community now. We are really enjoying what we are doing and have enjoyed working together each day. It is such a blessing to not only have someone at "work" to regularly communicate with, recieve encouragement and support from, and do the balancing act with... but also for that someone to be your spouse. I can't tell you enough what a difference it makes that we have each other. In many ways, this move and this change has blessed our marriage tremendously. We are really able to throw ourselves whole-heartedly into this together and support one another fully and truly understand each other. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to marry my best friend, though, because I can't imagine it without that blessing. We are still praying hard about where to make our church home. When you have been blessed as we were for so many years with a church like FCC, it provides a challenge in finding your next place to settle in especially in such a different place and culture. We really like the church we returned to today and enjoyed the young marrieds Sunday School class, but are still looking to the Lord for direction in some areas.
Betsy:
God has been teaching me so much personally through everything. Through the massive blessing we received that changed our car situation, I have learned how to truly recieve from the Lord and give Him alone the glory! Through the countless situations with the girls where I feel CLUELESS about what to do, I have learned that He is walking with me! He didn't just throw us out here to put on a performance for Him on which He will give us feedback or a grade - He is walking with us...and when I look - He is showing me, directing me, acting on our behalf! Through the transition to a totally new life in a totally new place (where I still feel "outisde" at times or lonely), He has taught me that following His footsteps is still the most rewarding thing to do and being in His will is always the best place to be.
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