It has, once again, been WAY too long since I gave update and there have been MANY changes in the Castro family over the past few months.
In late Spring my hubby came to me and told me he had made a decision. This decision would affect our family significantly. I was a little nervous, but as I listened to him tell me that he felt he needed to be in full time, vocational ministry all I could think was "Glad you figured it out!" :) I had total peace about this choice and was excited to see where this decision would take us. At this time there was some discussion about joining staff somewhere locally. While I loved this idea, in my heart I just knew Springfield wasn't where we would end up. I did begin to wonder where we would go though. Would we have to start over somewhere new? Would we have to start from square one on adoption paperwork again? I am pretty introverted, how will I make new friends? What will I do without family nearby? I had to resolve that I would pick up and follow my husband wherever The Lord called us. A few weeks later Andy had coffee with a pastor of his home church in Kansas City, as he occasionally did when we would visit. This meeting led to more meetings and discussions, which eventually lead to his being offered a job to join the pastoral staff at Graceway Church. His heart is not mine to share, but it will say there was such peace in this offer that we couldn't say no.
So, while we did relocate (or rather, are relocating currently), it's not THAT far from Springfield. We have lots of family in KC. And while I still feel "new," I have lived there before and people are being so kind and welcoming. Our house in Springfield sold quickly and assuming this week goes well (pray for no rain!) we close Friday. We also had an amazing realtor who found us a great house in KC. My other fear of financial struggle has also been put to rest as I learn to trust in God's provision. While there's a pretty decent gap between the salary of a pastor and that of an engineer, He has not failed to provide. Funding the legal and travel fees for our second adoption may be tricky, but not impossible and I am learning how to be an even better steward of what The Lord has given us.
Ministry is not foreign to me as many of my family members are pastors, or were at one point, but this is a new role for me and my immediate family. I was asked the other day what scares me the most about Andy being a pastor. In an effort to share more of my heart, I want to share my answer with all of you. We have all heard stories of "pastors kids" being crazy and rebellious. I think every parent fears that to an extent, but my fear is mostly that my children will feel pressure to perform in their role as a "pastor's kid" and that the unrealistic expectations of others will overwhelm them. I pray they grow into a genuine relationship with The Lord and I pray that people give them grace as they
navigate growing up with more than a few eyes on them at times.
Pray for me this week as I pack up our house here in Springfield. There is a certain finality that comes with packing up all our material things and leaving our home here and that stirs some emotions in me I didn't realize were there.
Next update: Timothy's finalization, birth family, and next adoption steps.
