Life in Rapid City

We're here! We landed in Rapid City after a whirlwind week of visiting both Duke and Princeton Seminaries in North Carolina and New Jersey respectively, packing up our meager possessions, and hitting the road. In the matter of a week and a half we had logged nearly 3000 miles, but had seen cities, mountains, and everything in between. We even got to visit with some friends along the way as well, which made the journey even that much more fun.

Now, here we are, adjusting to a new life here in Rapid City, SD. Currently we are living with our friends, Brooke and Paul Kind, in their two bedroom, two bath apartment, which just happens to be about a 1 minute drive from Fountain Springs Community Church, where we are sharing a position as Assistant Pastors. It is a crazy adjustment going from each of us working a full-time ministry job to each of us only having to work half-time. In a lot of ways it's really nice. We have a lot of free time to just hang out, work on seminary applications, and enjoy the Black Hills for all they have to offer. We are looking forward to a few months of ministry, snowboarding, winter hiking, and exploring the areas near and far.

As for the church, we have had a great time getting to know people and experiencing life in a smaller church. It is very different doing ministry in a church of 250 than in a church of 2500, but it has been fun to experience the differences. I look forward to our seminary experience next fall, and know that this experience will be invaluable to understanding ministry in a whole different dimension than we've known it in the past.

In a lot of ways, it still feels like we're on vacation. I know as time goes on it will begin to sink in that we live here now and that this is home [for now]. I don't think this will be a bad thing...but I do think it will be hard at times. I definitely miss the friendships I had formed back in the Quad Cities, and am increasingly thankful to the welcoming smiles and open arms with which we've been received here at Fountain Springs. I do believe God has led us here, and He has been faithful to pave the way for the transition to be as smooth as possible. For this, I am thankful, and I look forward to all that He is going to do in us and through us here.

To all those in the Quad Cities, I say, "I miss you!! Come visit!" And if that's not possible, at the very least, leave a comment :)