So, I’m here in Little Rock. Specifically it is a Saturday morning and I’m at a Starbuck’s downtown. It has been a long week of unpacking, meeting new friends and navigating all of the hubbub surrounding being in a new home and city. So far, it just feels like we’re on vacation. I don’t technically start the residency for another week, and I”m very thankful for the time off.
A couple of highlights thus far…
-I have met three of the four other FA residents: Ryan Rice (planting in Phoenix), Jay Jacobs (planting in TBD) and Jay O’Brien (planting in Columbus). I have really enjoyed all three and looking forward to meeting Mitchell Moore (planting in here in LR). Ryand and Jay Jacobs both have young kids like us and live in the same complex. Our children have already bonded. the Jacobs’ eldest is 5 like our Sam and will be in the same school for Kindergarten. We went to registration together.
-Little Rock seems to be a really great city. Enjoying the scenery here with tons more green and hills than NOLA. Running here has been a blast thus far. Ryan (he’s a LR native) clued me in on a running path that is like 2 blocks from our house that is AWESOME. This morning I ran with a training group of over 100 people that get together on Saturday mornings to run. I ran 10 miles, pacing behind three runners that apparently ran more than that. It stretched me and I ran a faster pace than normal. Tons of fun.
-Like we did in NOLA, I’m attempting to go OTA (over the antenna TV…meaning no cable or satellite). I’m finding that this is much trickier than it was in NOLA for two reasons: (1) I live in an apartment instead of a house…meaning I can only use an indoor antenna and (2) the local PBS affiliate here has their antenna located like 20 miles outside of the city. So that means that I can get every channel wonderfully except for PBS (my kids need PBS kids!! I need Nova, Frontline and Jim Lehrer!!). So I posted a message on AVSForum’s thread for the Little Rock area and found lots of locals willing to help. Yesterday I drove to North Little Rock to pickup an antenna that one guy on there was willing to give to me. Greatness. Little things like that just really encourage you when you are in a new city.
-Talked to Lawrence last night and it was the first time I started missing ministry in NOLA. Rob Johnson (my brother-in-law) kinda interned with me on Fridays for the past nine months or so (he’s off work on Friday’s). He is now going to be working with Lawrence on Fridays. Yesterday they prayed over Emily Zilich’s classroom at Karr and had lunch with Spider/Thomas (guy pulled off the streets, has trusted Christ). Excited to see what God will do in NOLA over the next 10 months as the Gentilly church plant team comes together. I am sad I won’t be as directly involved for now, but I fully trust those who are there that are on our team and happy to help them as much as I can remotely.
Well, that is enough for now. I hope to post more frequently now that I’m here in LR. Gotta get home. The kiddos are probably awake…
