Our first month in our first apartment

Well, time has flown by! We have already lived here a month! Over a month really. That is a little crazy to me.

Unpacking

We are mostly unpacked. I got sick for a couple weeks with some stomach bug that kept me from doing most things.

Adjusting

I am starting to kind of get used to living in a bigger area. I need to learn my way around more, but I am getting there.

Church Shopping

Church shopping has been awkward, but --possibly-- quickly successful.

Carolyn (pastor's wife at the church in NE that we went to), told us that Awana does not let just any church do Awana, they have to have a certain Biblical standard to do it (like believing the Bible is God breathed and to be taken seriously for one thing!). Also, Awana has a listing of churches that have Awana. So, we went on their site and searched for churches in our area. There were a bunch!

1st church we tried:

You must be warned from the beginning, that this was an epic failure. I had just (supposedly) got over being sick, and was not feeling all that strong to start with. Then we had trouble getting out the door on time, then we were totally lost once we got to the church.

We could not figure out how to get in the building. I am serious! We get there and the big, double doors, are on the front on the building, with no side walk to them; but they were out where every car driving by could see them. The parking lot is out by the back of the large church. We were walking around trying different doors in the back of the church, most of them locked, and getting later by the minute (we were 3 minutes early when we pulled in). I am starting to feeling weaker and losing any desire to go to this church, when we finally find an unlocked door. 'Yay!' we are thinking, but soon find yet another issue.

There are no directions in the big church building as to which way we were to now go to the sanctuary! So, we start walking towards what should lead us to the front of the church. We walk by tons of empty sunday-school rooms, the pastors office, a room full of choir robs, and bathrooms. All the while, the only noise to be heard is our whispers, and my beaded flip flops smacking the floor echoing off the walls!

Then, we finally got to where we heard music and talking. I took off my shoes in the hopes of not being heard as we tried to find a door into the sanctuary. By the time we found it, we were very late, I was worn out, it was super awkward, and we did not want to walk in late and disrupt the service. So, I said we should leave because this was too awkward, and we did.

On the way home, I got to feeling sick again, and spent most of the day back in bed. So, all said and done, it was a good thing we left.

umm... We did not go back to that church.

2nd church:

So, we found another church we both thought looked good. We went to their website (a wee out dated) and saw they had an evening service as well as a morning gathering. I voted for the 6pm and sleeping in. This lead to yet another awkward entrance. They do not have two services with the same sermon just at different times. We walked in on them putting together their Christmas shoe boxes and getting them ready to go.

Once we realized this, we just stood there awkwardly frozen. What were we to do? Leave yet again without going to a service? We almost did. However, this being a small church, we were soon mobbed and happily greeted. We were introduced to many people, invited to small group, and hinted (not so quietly) that if we liked this church and stayed, they loved our previous experience with Awanas and were in need of more helpers.

So far, we have liked what we have seen and are praying about making this church our home church. We still have a few more questions to find out about before we decide for sure, but it is looking like our shopping is over. Which is good, because I hate church shopping.