Hi from RAINY Washington!! We only just got internet tonight so I do apologize for the lack of posts up to this point! Well we survived our 12 hour car trip up here! We left at 3:30 am and got to University Place (hereafter referred to as UP because I don't want to keep typing it out) at about 3 pm due to my going 85 through most of Oregon (it seriously is like the state that never ends. It feels even longer than the "black hole" stretch from Charlottesville, VA, to Lynchburg, VA!). Our senior pastor and his wife graciously let us stay with them Monday night. The moving truck pulled in at 7:30 pm, and they loaded up a budget truck for us in our church's parking lot (WA is NOT tractor-trailer friendly! They wouldn't have been able to pull into our complex due to tight roads here). The next day we got our keys and unloaded the budget truck. We don't have a ton of stuff, so it didn't take long to unload. Unpacking proves to be a totally different story!
Anyways, Tuesday a lady from our church (one of the moms of our students) brought us groceries and cleaning supplies as well as a kitchen table, shelves for my tiny kitchen, and a microwave! She also helped me unpack my kitchen. The next day, she drew me a map of all the important places I need to know about here (grocery stores, Target, great teriyaki places, etc.) and drove me around so I could see them. What a blessing she has been! One thing we've definitely appreciated this week is how loving our church body is here. It is truly a FAMILY, and there are no strangers in this place. We are so blessed to be a part of this congregation!
God's provision has been amazing this week as well! Through the generosity of friends and family (both in CA and here!), we've been able to get through what would have otherwise been a tight week. We were able to get some storage solutions (we don't have a ton of cabinet or closet space so I've had to get creative), as well as a coffee table and a toile shower curtain. It's definitely a first place tie between the table and the shower curtain for my favorite thing in the apartment!
The more we explore Tacoma/UP the more we fall in love with it! There is a wonderful store here called Tacoma Boys. It has fresh produce that you can sample, a great garden center, and tons of locally made salad dressings, jams, jellies, etc. It also has a wonderful deli selection. Not gonna lie, it's pretty much my favorite place here right now. Okay...it's tied for first with the AMAZING scrapbook store here! As if I needed another way to support my habit!! There's also this awesome store called Fred Meyer here...it's like WalMart, only infinitely BETTER! :) It's also totally gorgeous here: lots of trees, parks, and of course Puget Sound. I can't really do it justice describing it, so just come visit and I'll show you ok? :)
I think that covers the highlights for now. I'll include pictures in the next post.
Sola Deo Gloria!
