Changes

This has been a busy week. In fact, in 2 weeks of summer break, this is the first day we're home with no plans. It's currently 9:58 and the kids are somehow both in bed. I'm kind of in shock!

Brian is spending his day (about 9 hours straight) in orientation for Montgomery County Schools. I realize as I write those words that I never shared that he has a new job. Ever since we made the decision to help plant a church, he has wanted to teach in the community where the new church is located. This was strategy way back when the plan was to move to McKinney, Texas (that feels like 100 years ago). Because Brian has enjoyed working at WCES so much, he has resisted the idea of changing even though we moved to Clarksville almost 2 years ago. Not only does he enjoy the school, but his fellow teachers are his friends. They were incredibly kind to us after my cancer diagnosis, from the meals to the chemo gifts, to the weekly group prayers they had for me.

But when the Affordable Care Act kicked in and our insurance made some huge modifications as a result, we knew that it was time to make a change.

*I fully realize ACA helps many people. For us, it has made a significant negative difference. A couple of examples: (1) lab visits used to cost $8; now they cost $26 (and I go every 4 weeks) (2) co-pays went up to $55 (3) my CT scans which used to cost about $180 after deductible now cost $2200.

After his initial phone interview with the county, 6 schools called him within the first week. He only chose to interview with 2 schools (mostly because he was super overwhelmed with the thought of all those interviews!) and chose the brand new school that is literally 5 minutes from our church. Our pastor's wife is also going to be teaching at that school, and it is an answer to prayer.

When Brian made the decision to go back to school 10 years ago, it was the means to an end: He could work as a teacher as well as a children's pastor so I could stay home with Camden and Rory. There was no way to know that church planting was in our future. To be able to use Brian's particular skill to minister in the public school system is a blessing. And we certainly didn't know how important that insurance coverage would be.

Brian's 4th grade team.

Brian's mentor - she was his student teaching mentor back in the day and then they switched to a new school together. Leaving her was the hardest part of taking the new job.

Goodbye, WCES Family (I know you're reading!). We will miss you!