Blessings
A lot changes in a few days...I started a post a few days ago about how much difference your prayers have made and then Annelise fell and gave herself a bloody nose (that bled profusely) right before we were leaving for bible study, so I had to start over :)
That said, I can see the difference your prayers are making. First of all, I just felt loved by all of you who either commented or e-mailed me. You cannot underestimate how far a few simple words will go in brightening someone's day. Then, we went to a bible study...hoping for the best. Turned out that we were an answer to prayers that they had been sending up. The leaders of the BS have 3 kids, but no one else in the group did at the time. We started on the same night as another family that has 4 of their own bringing the number of kids from 3 to 9 (they may rethink how they pray ;) Anyway, there were 3 3 year-old, 2 5 year-olds, 2 babies, and 2 7 year-olds. Now, the other 7 year old was a girl in 1st grade, but Ethan was so happy to play with other kids that it really didn't matter. And while it wasn't the same as being at a Well bible study, at least the people seemed normal to me (which probably doesn't say much about them), and seemed like people I wouldn't mind getting to know. Then the wife of the leader told me about a woman's bible study that meets during the week that I will try this week and sent my e-mail to a friend of hers who has 2 teen-aged boys and a 6 year-old girl from China who moved here from Texas 2 years ago. I have had a few e-mail exchanges with her and she has invited us for dinner next Saturday (which is a weird thing...everyone invites you to dinner at their house probably because no one goes out to eat much because it is just so dang expensive) So I have been able to talk with real live grown-up people :). People here are very friendly. I think that it may have something to do with so many of them having moved here themselves. Many people that we have met (at this BS and James at work) have really gone out of their way to help us find connections. It may be a way of life or it may just be the people that God is putting in our lives right now. Either way it helps.
I know that this is just a beginning, but it feels a lot better than it did a week ago. Thanks for loving me and praying for me!!!
That said, I can see the difference your prayers are making. First of all, I just felt loved by all of you who either commented or e-mailed me. You cannot underestimate how far a few simple words will go in brightening someone's day. Then, we went to a bible study...hoping for the best. Turned out that we were an answer to prayers that they had been sending up. The leaders of the BS have 3 kids, but no one else in the group did at the time. We started on the same night as another family that has 4 of their own bringing the number of kids from 3 to 9 (they may rethink how they pray ;) Anyway, there were 3 3 year-old, 2 5 year-olds, 2 babies, and 2 7 year-olds. Now, the other 7 year old was a girl in 1st grade, but Ethan was so happy to play with other kids that it really didn't matter. And while it wasn't the same as being at a Well bible study, at least the people seemed normal to me (which probably doesn't say much about them), and seemed like people I wouldn't mind getting to know. Then the wife of the leader told me about a woman's bible study that meets during the week that I will try this week and sent my e-mail to a friend of hers who has 2 teen-aged boys and a 6 year-old girl from China who moved here from Texas 2 years ago. I have had a few e-mail exchanges with her and she has invited us for dinner next Saturday (which is a weird thing...everyone invites you to dinner at their house probably because no one goes out to eat much because it is just so dang expensive) So I have been able to talk with real live grown-up people :). People here are very friendly. I think that it may have something to do with so many of them having moved here themselves. Many people that we have met (at this BS and James at work) have really gone out of their way to help us find connections. It may be a way of life or it may just be the people that God is putting in our lives right now. Either way it helps.
I know that this is just a beginning, but it feels a lot better than it did a week ago. Thanks for loving me and praying for me!!!