Hamilton MA. We were sort of joking when we said to our friends and family at our home church here in Hamilton on the first Sunday of November that we would see them in December, however, the first Sunday in December is next Sunday and other than a Thanksgiving Eve service we have barely even driven by our home church. It is safe to say that November was one of the busiest months of our marriage so far.
What were we doing?
The second Sunday was the Sunday of Rachel’s shower, so she went out and spent that weekend with her family. Back at home I came down with a twenty-four-hour stomach bug and did not make it to church. The third weekend we were in Buffalo Center Iowa so that I could preach a candidacy sermon at First Congregational Church of Buffalo Center IA. This was my second time out, but it was Rachel’s first and gave her a chance to see the town and meet the people. The third weekend we were at Rachel’s parents for Thanksgiving and found ourselves making an early drive home so Rachel could rest after having a slight fever. That particular morning was so foggy we had to drive at a snail’s pace down RT2 for the sake of safety. Once we had done some grocery shopping (which we had not done in 2 weeks) we were unable to make to our home church and settled in to wait for the call from Buffalo Center concerning the vote that took place Sunday.
The call came at 11:46 on Sunday November 25th.
With a vote of 41-2 First Congregational Church of Buffalo Center IA has voted to call Rachel and I as their next pastor (and his wife). This timing, a process that started the day after the CCCC annual gathering, and which has been guided by prayer and faith that this was God’s will has ended with the beginning of a new adventure. We are now sixth months from graduation so we have a little bit of time before we have to make the move from Hamilton to Buffalo Center, but this gives us time to organize and prepare and maybe even ship a few things out west for the sake of lessoning the work on the front end of the move. God has opened a door and made it quite obvious we are to walk through it.
We do have some prayer requests moving forward, as we enter the third and final trimester we pray for continue safety and good, solid growth for our little girl and continued good health for Rachel. Pray also for the transition for Rachel as she has lived in New England her entire life. Pray for me as I finish out this semester, with one chapter left to go on my Thesis and all other written work done (and most of it turned in) I can focus on that. I have to defend in March or April of 2019. Pray also for a smooth delivery next February and, if possible, a mild(er) winter than the one we seem to be in for. Pray for the Lord’s protection and strength for all of us as we enter our final 6 months in New England and prepare to embark on the next adventure God has put before us.
Also, I want to personally thank you for continuing to read and support God’s Heart as we strive to be faithful to the Gospel while addressing the issues before us.
In Love
The Faulkner’s
