Next Steps

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read our blog. We truly appreciate all of your love and support- it has been quite overwhelming. As you read in our last blog, Trevor had an amazing trip to Portland with Pastor Bruce and it was only confirmation of the plans we are beginning to walk through. Trevor and I have booked a trip back to Portland mid February. Our goal is to have some job interviews lined up and find a place to live. We are still planning to move to Portland March 1 and that date is coming soon! While we are so excited for this new season, the reality of leaving Camarillo is beginning to hit us. Thinking about things like leaving our friends and family, leaving our home group, not raising our kids with some of our best friends are all things that cross our minds daily.

Sometimes it's hard to trust that God is leading us when I know it will be hard to walk through the next few months. I know there will be days where I will be lonely and miss Camarillo like crazy. I KNOW I will miss In-N-Out and I'm praying there's at least a Chipotle up there. God has really been pressing on my heart to trust Him even when I can't see around the next corner. I am currently reading through C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series. In the 4th book called Prince Caspian, there's a scene that gave me a great example of how we are to follow Jesus. In the books, Aslan represents Jesus. Lucy, one of the main characters, and her brothers and few others are trying to find Prince Caspian to help him in battle. They have never made this journey before and don't know their way. They have choices to make about which roads to take. As they are deciding between two different roads, Lucy looks up and sees Aslan in the distance. But no one else saw Him. She insists she saw Him and that He wanted them to follow Him but no one believes her and they end up going the wrong way. After a long trek in the wrong direction, Aslan awakes Lucy alone in the middle of the night and asks her why she didn't follow Him. She says that no one believed her and she had tried her best to convince the others but she certainly was not going to follow Aslan alone for that would be too dangerous. As soon as the words leave her mouth, she realizes her mistake. Aslan had called her to follow Him and this was to be obeyed whether or not others followed. She goes to wake the others and convinces them to follow her as she follows Aslan even though the others cannot see Him. Lucy follows Aslan who is leading her from a distance. She asks Him to slow down and let her catch up and it seems that every time she gets close enough, He goes around another corner or down a hill to where she can't see. From the others perspective, it looks like a crazy chase in which Lucy has no idea where she is going. Aslan stays close enough that Lucy can follow, but distant enough that she has to trust Him. In the end, they reach their destination and realize how much quicker it would have been had they just believed Lucy and followed Aslan in the first place.

This has been somewhat how our journey has been. The past few months we have had no idea where we were going and what would happen. We knew we wanted to church plant in Portland, and knew this was what God was calling us to do. But the details have been unclear. Part of me wishes from the beginning there was a plan laid out perfectly so I would know how it would all happen. But God often leaves us somewhat in the dark, so to speak, so that we can trust Him. If we knew the way, it would be easier to trust in ourselves and we would have no fear. But with God leading us a distance, we must have faith. Our faith has been strengthened so much and I can honestly say God has been there every step of the way leading us and guiding us.

Keep your eyes out in the Camarillo and Thousand Oaks Acorn tomorrow! There will be an article about our journey.


Here's another picture from Trevor's trip.

Multnomah Falls

Thanks again for reading!