The Smiths Have Moved!

It's official--the Smiths have moved!  After a long and arduous weekend, my family and I have arrived in Scottsburg, Virginia, where I have been called to serve as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church.  We thank God for the understanding people of Antioch, who have loved us and continue to love us, and who helped us leave even though they didn't want to see us go.  We look forward to continued relationship with God's people at Antioch, and hope to be invited back for future homecomings, revivals, and other special events of the church.  We also have family still in Fluvanna County, so you know we'll be back in the area.  Please pray for us as we learn to be parents and grandparents of family who lives two hours away.  That's a new concept for us, and we have to figure out how to do it well!

We are also thankful to God for the people of Bethel, who opened their hearts and arms to us here in Halifax County, Virginia.  We are so excited to be back in an area that we love, where we lived many years ago.  We look forward to the life that God has called us to live here.  We were so grateful for the help of Bethelites in unloading the moving truck, assembling beds, hanging mirrors, helping us set up the kitchen, and so many other things.  Also, immediately our kids were invited to go swimming with one of the families in the church, and they had a youth fellowship the next day.  Beth and I enjoyed a meal out with folks from our new church family.  It reminds me of that old Girl Souut song which goes, "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other's gold."

God is so good, and has brought us through a tearful parting experience, difficult dealings with a moving truck rental company (that I'll never do business with again), painful loading and unloading and two trips back and forth before we were done.  Now we're on the other side of all that, and it's time to unpack and catch our breath.  We really have no plans for the next two days--and we desperately need the rest!  This morning I'm praising God for the chance to just be.

If you're going to be in the Scottsburg area on June 23, then mark your calendars to attend my installation service here at Bethel.  More details TBA.