Back and Settling in

Well, most of you know that we have been back for a couple weeks now, and we apologize for the lack of posts recently. We are in the process of writing a last post with our reflections on the past year, but it has been a hard thing to sit down and write while there are parts we are still processing. However, in the meantime there are some updates we want to give you as well as some prayer requests.

Jeremy arrived home with the kids and ALL their luggage - an amazing thing when flying standby with 10 checked bags, 5 carry-ons, and both kids! Fortunately he had my mom with him. He jumped right into looking for a job for the coming school year, and we are so grateful to say that last week he was offered a position at North Pointe Preparatory in Phoenix. It is a college prep charter high school with about 700 students that pushes high academics, character development, and leadership, and we are very excited about the possibilities. He will be teaching junior English and will probably be focusing on British literature, which contains some of his favorite authors. The other positive is that the school is nearby where we are currently living up in the north valley with my parents. We do not know how long we will be there, but for the moment, it is very convenient.

I arrived back a week later with my sister Ashlyn, but our flights weren't so smooth. We got stuck in Philadelphia for 8 hours until a flight from Philly to Vegas was open because the Philly to Phoenix was canceled. We arrived in Las Vegas late at night - without our luggage - and went to a hotel for the night. Luckily there was a morning flight from Vegas to Phoenix that we were able to catch, and when we arrived our luggage was waiting for us. We got in just in time for lunch at our favorite Mexican restuarant, Manuel's - boy, I missed that place! Mexican food is just not done very well in Holland :)

It has been a great couple weeks going back to our church and seeing family and friends to catch up. It's funny how it seems like things have changed and yet stayed the same all at the same time. Right now we are visiting Jeremy's family in California, where we are enjoying great weather and the kids are having a blast with their cousins.

Here are a few of our current prayer requests as we adjust and transition back:

* Our landlord from Holland is being very stringy on returning our security deposit, from our private funds. He is planning on finalizing and returning what he deems "appropriate" and is trying to include damages that we know were there when we moved in. Please pray that we can reach a fair agreement and that it is returned quickly and that our other financial obligations are resolved.

* Our renter for our Phoenix home is looking to renew the lease which would be a good thing for us financially as we get settled, but there is paperwork and red tape involved that we pray is arranged quickly.

* Jeremy begins his job July 27th. We believe that God has divinely lead him to this school, and we pray that he transitions well into the school and staff and that God will use him in a great way on this new campus.

* Kaylie is busy preparing to re-enter the American school system where she will be a 2nd grader. Being in the Dutch school for the last year was a great experience and she learned many things, but there are several gaps that we need to fill so that she is ready for the coming school year. We have been reading (English books) a lot to help her comprehension, calculating with American money, and working on English grammar and spelling. She is doing great, though sadly I can already see how relearning the English is making her begin to forget her Dutch, but her biggest struggle is actually in math. She needs to be able to do timed addition and subtraction tests, and being a meticulous student, she is struggling with the timed aspect. Pray that she quickly learns the things she needs as we practice every day.

* Pray for us as a family as we transition back into American culture. There are many things that have been great to come back to: Mexican food, grocery stores open on weekends, and having 2 cars to drive (yeah!), but there are also many things that we enjoyed in Holland: a slower pace, more of a priority on family than on activity, and a cool/wet climate. Pray that we can combine and assimilate what we need between the cultures and that we will work together as a family to renew our "home" in America for as long as God wants us here :)

Lastly, we just want to say, Have a great 4th of July! Today we get to celebrate with family and friends the great country that we live in, and having lived in a country that calls themselves "free" in action to do whatever they want, their freedom was superficial and government had their fingers all over it. We are grateful to be American and from a country founded on Christian principles - a country that men and women have been proud to serve, live, and die for. We thank you and are gratful. Enjoy your BBQ's and fireworks today, and take a moment to reflect on why we have that opportunity.