Sunday, January 13, We had our Missions Service at our Home Church, Faith FWB Church. Myron preached both services, and I
We want to say a big "Thank You" to our home church for all of the prayer support and financial blessings. We really couldn't make it to Arizona without you. We know you will be rewarded one day for your investment in our family, and we promsie to work hard and do all we can for the Lord! Thank you for being the best church family ever, and for showering us with love! We love you!!
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| Evan with our favorite Preacher, Dann Patrick! Please continue to pray for our family that we will raise the prayer and financial support that we need to get to Arizona in June, and for safety as we travel! Sign up at http://sendthescotts.org/ to receive our monthly newsletters by email!
  Monday, January 21, 2013"Sorry, Can't Move Here"
While we were in Arizona, I had jokingly been telling Myron that I just couldn't go. Go- meaning, Go to Arizona to live. I would give him real excuses, like:
I really couldn't believe all of the shopping and places to go and do as a family. I would tell him a store that I love, and say, "I bet they don't have this store! Sorry can't move here." (Only joking!) Well, one store that I was sure they didn't have, which is one of my favorites is Charming Charlie! Charming Charlie is a small warehouse of jewelry! Pretty jewelry at pretty awesome prices. (For all of my local readers, there is one near Triangle Town Center Mall!!) As I was sitting in the hotel room, I even looked it up on my phone. Nope. NO Charming Charlie.   We had made plans to meet with some friends, Mike and Misty Cash, who minister in Mesa for supper. They told us to meet them at the SanTan Village. SanTan is an awesome shopping area with restaurants and even a water-spray park. In fact, one thing I do love about Arizona, is that while you are walking on the sidewalks from store to store or even while you are waiting outside of a restaurant to eat, there are spray mist everywhere that help to keep you cool in the 115 degree weather!  Speechless. Looked at Myron and he busted out laughing. Red flag- gone. I began to tell her the story, and learned a new one had opened up in the SanTan Village. In fact, it was just right behind us. I couldn't wait to go and see it! I thought about how humorous the Lord is sometimes. How something as small and crazy as a little jewelry store could be something He knew I would like. So, the deciding factor for me to move to the desert was because Tuesday, January 15, 2013How it all Began- Part 2 
Heritage does have a preschool that is from baby to Kindergarten. These classrooms are totally separate from the Charter School. Two years ago, when HCA shut down a Charter school began leasing the facilities. This has actually been a huge blessing, because their lease has helped with the giant mortgage bill. When we visited in August, we were able to visit each classroom and meet the principal and teachers. It happened to be their Open House that Saturday, so we were able to go and see the auditorium fill up with so many unchurched families. These families will be on Heritage's campus every day during the school year, and we are so excited of the potential we have to invite these people to our services! Myron will also be able to conduct chapel with these students once a week! What an opportunity the Lord has given us from this unusual circumstance.
  We spent hours in Bro. Thompson's office as he shared with us how it all began. His sweet wife has been in an Alzheimer's facilities for a few years now. I know that she was a very Godly Pastor's wife and she stood behind him when things were very tough. Their strong faith and sacrifice (spiritually and financially) for God is amazing.
Yes, we have an Ikea. Just minutes away! Why did I end with this picture? Because, I wanted to invite you all to come visit us! I tell everyone that the shopping in Gilbert is like Raleigh on steroids! Countless malls, outlets, restaurants, beautiful scenery---what else could you want?
(Post coming soon: A very humorous prayer answered---that I didn't even pray about?)
Thursday, January 10, 2013How it All Began- Part 1How did it all begin? If I were to tell you how we got to where we are today, I would have to take you back to a hot day in early June! My parents graciously agreed to watch the boys so Myron and I could head to our favorite restaurant. I knew that Myron seemed to be in an overly excited mood, but brushed it off because generally he is always in a great mood. Right after we ordered, with a grin on his face he asked me, "Julie, you know how you said if were to go Pastor a church somewhere, that you would hope it would be hot and sunny?" (I always jokingly said I would prefer hot over cold to get my 3 wild indians out of the house to play!) At that point, I knew where this was going! As he slid a big folder of papers to me he said, "How does Arizona sound?" That is where it all began.
I knew Myron (and I) had been praying for months, really years, where the Lord would have us go. We both felt the pull to Missions early on in our lives, and we never gave up on that burden. Honestly, we were in a very comfortable place. We minister at THE best church alongside the best staff, and our favorite Preacher and wife in the world! We really mean that. The Preacher and Mrs. Brenda are so special to us, and we have been so blessed to work under them. We loved our small groups SS Class and the friendship that we had formed. We loved ministering to them and living life with these friends. I loved our Mom's group, and had a burden to see it it grow even more. Myron loved his job, often calling it the "dream job." He loved ministering to missionaries and visiting them each year to serve! He worked hard with our Discipleship program, and assisting our Preacher in any way he could. Really, we were comfortable. We love our home near my family, love our school and church, and have great friends; what more could we want? It's home.....its the best place to raise a family.... But God had other plans.
Goldsboro has always been home to me. It is where all of my side of the family lives, and we love it here. Family is a big part of our lives, of the boys' lives- we enjoy lots of cookouts and Sunday lunches. We never miss a birthday and we love to go shopping and eat lunches together as often as possible. We live right down the street from my parents, in fact, they have to pass our house just to go to work each day. The boys haved loved living this close. (they tell everyone that Naya and Papa are moving, too! oops!) Would the boys be ok living so very far from family? (36 hours!!)
Goldsboro (FCA) is where I attended school, and I really wanted my boys to have that same experience. FCA is the kind of school that is rare, hard to come by. FCA is where I made so many important decisions that would affect me the rest of my life. I was blessed with so many different Godly influences on my life. Would my boys turn out right without its influence?  Goldsboro is a small town with a Air Force Base. (without that it would be a ghost town!) While driving to church, it is not unusual to pass deer in the fields or get behind a big tractor! I've lived in a 1 mile radius for all of my life (except for 10 months-while we lived in TN for Myron to complete his Masters). Really, Goldsboro is all I know. Would my boys turn out right living in a huge city with no cotton fields and deer to hunt?;)  These are all the thoughts that were racing through my head as I scanned through the folder Myron slid to me across the table in Outback. To be honest, I knew at that moment that this was it. Heritage Church in Gilbert, AZ, was where the Lord wanted us. But, I did not give in to the idea that easily. Of course, Myron knew that I would follow him as He followed God. But my heart sank as I thought about all the changes that were headed my way, if this was it. After we ate our dinner, we decided to head to Starbucks, which is so not us, but sounded good because they had free Wi-fi. We googled and did some research about this place called, "Gilbert." I had never heard of it. I knew of Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables, and thats about it. I smiled on the outside, but in my heart, a battle against the decision of God's Will or my own will began that would last too long.
From that moment, everything went super fast and we never experienced a red flag. We told my parents and after a few tears (some happy and some sad!), we all decided that we would pray and visit to see if this is what God wants. Did I mention I was 34 weeks pregnant? And it was August? Wow, Arizona did not make a very good first impression to this hot way-to-pregnant lady!  After we landed in hot Phoenix, we got in our rental car and decided to view the city. Wow, it was so different, beautiful and hot. (Have I mentioned it was so hot?) Mistakingly, I even left my make-up bag in the car that would later be found in a puddled-mess! I loved the palm trees and tried to picture us raising the boys in the big city. It seemed exciting, adventurous and extremely scary all at the same time. My stomach was in knots the entire trip.
While on the trip, I asked the Lord for 3 personal things. I knew that if He showed Myron that we were supposed to move to Gilbert, I would follow! But, I really wanted for Him to show it to me, too. I asked him to make it known that this was God's will by something personal, not sure what, just personal---to me. I asked that He would allow me to meet one friend that I could depend on and connect with. Finally, I asked that he would lead us to a great school, that was similar to FCA. Big Requests, but we have a even Bigger God! (More on how He answered in Part 2!)  When we drove up to the church, we were blown away. The campus is beautiful and there really is so much potential. The campus is located in a prime area, on a busy highway! We were eager to meet Bro. Thompson, the 84 year old Pastor who had moved his family from Ohio to plant the church 29 years ago.  From the first hello and to the last goodbye of the trip, we fell in love with Bro. Thompson. He is well aquainted with both sides of my grandparents, and is so sweet and humble. He has given his entire life to this ministry and to God. What a sweet blessing he has already been to our family.
We know that with God's help and resources, we can see it flourish again.
In the next few posts, you will find many more pictures from our trip in August, and I will share how God answered my personal prayer requests. Check out our family website and follow my blog as I take you on our journey (with 3 wild cowboys) to the Wild West! Wednesday, January 9, 2013Traveling with the Boys!
We have so many new adventures coming our way in 2013! One of those is traveling with the boys to missions services to help raise prayer and financial support! Since we have a small baby, we can't travel with Myron everywhere; but, when we all an go- what an adventure! Sunday night, the 6th, we traveled to Unity in Greenville!
 
Myron spoke to their Awana Groups in Assembly and told them all about Arizona! He even brought a huge cactus (made out of a pool noodle and tooth picks) for the kids to see! He then rushed to speak to their teens in another building- all before the Evening service even started! Whew!
  
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