A New Beginning
Exhibit A: The Joseph kiddos (feat. bonus cousins)
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! The Josephs have had some big changes, lots of lasts and lots of firsts in our missionary journey since the last update, so read on to not miss the ensuing excitement!
Farewell to Ohio
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Philippians 1:3-6)
These were Paul’s words that I shared with Parkside Green youth group at their Christmas party, my final night serving in that ministry, marking 12 years to the day of youth leadership. It’s a lot to leave, and that’s just one of many groups and families with deep relationships to which we had to bid farewell. It was difficult, but for that we are glad, because each sorrow showed us the everlasting value of the time we had spent there.
Sharing parting thoughts at the Youth Christmas Party
We have come to the end of a season—a quite wonderful season—and we are delighted that youth group, Parkside Church, and various other ministries we have left are in good hands, because we are partners in the gospel. We will pray for you all. We want to continue to share in your burdens and joys. We know that God is already working here in the field and still working there at home and all of His good works will be completed in His timing.
Prayer for our family at our last Sunday service in December
Saying goodbye to colleagues, mentors, and friends was undoubtedly one of the more challenging aspects of our transition. However, we are thankful for the technology that allows us to stay connected. So let’s think of it not as goodbye, but see you in a bit!
Hitching the Wagons
A lot of December, when we weren’t saying goodbyes, was spent cathartically selling off furniture, taking sacks of donations to the thrift store, and day by day increasing our packing velocity. We experienced a merciful reprieve while visiting friends and family out East over Christmas (reference Exhibit A), and then returned home on Dec 28 to begin the final round of packing.
T-minus 36 hours: A final home-cooked meal, on the floor, with plastic utensils
Here’s a life hack I learned during the packing stage: if you’re ever planning to disassemble your livelihood and move across the country, trick yourself into thinking you’ll do it in a small trailer of such-and-such a size. Downsize and pack accordingly. Then, last minute, switch your reservation to the next size up. Everything will fit perfectly!
It was eerily miraculous, how nicely our belongings packed into the 6x12 U-haul trailer (plus the back of a pickup truck graciously driven by Erin’s wonderful parents) on the final evenings of December, preparing for the big day—we had almost no space leftover, and nearly nothing that we had to pitch haphazardly.
Tetris time
On our way!
At 6:30am on Jan 1, we outran a snowstorm to begin our 3-day journey from North Canton, Ohio, to Edinburg, Texas. We were so thankful to have had a very boring trip! On Jan 3 around 4pm, we exited the minivan and found our [next] new home!
Reassembling Our Lives
After reaching Rio Grande Bible Institute, we unloaded and questioned how everything (let alone ourselves) would fit inside, but indeed a few days later, totes have disappeared and we are starting to figure out where everything is. The Bible Institute here consists of a small campus of perhaps 1-2 dozen English-speaking students in the Spanish language program like ourselves, and another hundred or so Spanish-speaking seminary students (with whom we get to practice and live life!). As we set up our living space, we aim to make it a welcoming environment where we’ll be able to share dinners and spend time with friends.
Our new house!
First day of not-at-home school!
We arrived a week or so early in order to have our kids start on time at their school for the first week back, but slowly our neighbors have begun to trickle in. It turns out, we are living on a street lined entirely with larger apartments meant for families, so now there are constantly playmates outside, ready and willing to bike and chalk and play soccer with our kids! We have also found the libraries, a few stores, and an excellent Spanish/English church called Redeemer, which we plan to visit again this weekend. Finding a new church home was a big priority, so we were happy for the recommendation of a friend we met in August at our CIT missionary training program who grew up in this area! The Rio Grande Valley is flat and sprawling with development, with gridded streets and very little over 2 stories, and it’s been exciting to explore.
We’ll start the semester this week with several orientation-type meetings so we can receive formal introductions to classmates, neighbors, professors, and the campus, and then classes will begin next week. Another blessing is that Bryan was able to test out of the first semester of beginner Spanish, as we had hoped! Thus he can finish Spanish language classes this Spring and return in the fall to take a semester of Bible classes in Spanish.
The 3 oldest kids have cautiously enjoyed their first week of school and made some friends! Summer has missed her siblings dearly, and she’s excited to have the on-campus preschool program which will start back up next week as well.
How to Pray
Many thanks to you prayer warriors for trust in God’s plan for us! Here are a few joys to express for past prayers that God has answered:
For the physical & emotional challenge of clearing out our house, and finding a buyer or renter soon ----- Answered! We felt good about our departure, and were able to find a renter who will move in very soon!
For our packing and moving to Rio Grande Bible College in Edinburg, TX, end of Dec. ----- Answered! No pulled muscles, no broken down vehicles, and we made it to Edinburg right on schedule.
For goodbyes to friends and family! ----- Answered! We had several very memorable and touching goodbyes, including the youth group goodbye, the church lunch following our final Sunday service, and a few really heart-felt get-togethers with close friends.
A few upcoming prayer requests include:
For our kids to adjust well to long days (compared with our previous homeschooling experience) at their new school, Harvest Christian Academy, and make friends with their classmates.
For Erin and I to reach a high level of Spanish fluency this year, make friends with our neighbors, and balance that with leading our children and maintaining a healthy family.
And continue to follow STS Mexico and praying for the work our teammates are doing by visiting them at https://www.facebook.com/shouldertoshouldermexico.
Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to sharing our progress with each of you in the upcoming months as we dive deep into language learning!
Grace and Peace,
The Josephs
