Landing

Where to start?  I guess, greetings from Texas is a good place to begin.  The Pearsons Four (plus Ellie, the kitten) have landed in Houston, Texas.  Matthew took a wonderful job as research and evaluation specialist for Living Water International (water.cc) and is busy applying his economic skills to help solve the water crisis in the developing world.  I know. It's a huge job that Matthew is honored to be a part of, and he joins a large and marvelous team of people at LWI (among other water NGOs) doing great work.  I hardly know how to recount what has happened in the months that have passed since last I wrote: Matthew transitioned into the new job, went to Uganda and Kenya for work, we sold our home in Princeton, bought a home in Houston, said many painful goodbyes to dear friends and our beloved Westerly Road Church in Princeton.  We packed up our life and made the big move, and now, not quite one week after closing on our Houston home, I'm sitting in my couch-less living room trying to provide some context for how I've come to be here and how greatly our family's life has been shaken up and re-established very recently.

This new work is not a random choice; Matthew has known for quite a while that he wanted to find work that would use his background in economics and also his passion for serving God and loving his neighbor.  We are grateful and simply stunned when we think about the fact that his work includes exciting travel and life-saving efforts on behalf of those who are the poorest of our neighbors in the world, even as it uses his ability to run regressions and apply statistical models to data for the good of others.  I know it sounds so idealistic to put it that way, but it's the truth, and God has designed and prepared Matthew for this work at this time.  I am more excited than I can possibly communicate to get to watch Matthew find himself and learn to lean on Christ as he discovers his inadequacies in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The rest of us are learning and growing too!  Abby finished 4th grade in Princeton and continues to make strides with her artwork and fashion design interests.  She is volunteering this summer at LWI, helping with a program designed for children called "The Story of the Thirsty."  Groups of kids come on tours at LWI and learn about the water crisis, the health and education ramifications of not having clean water, the efforts of water NGOs to help remedy the problem, and the ways even little kids can help!  All of this is shared with a clear presentation of Living Water's belief in Christ as our source of life, salvation, and hope, and the belief that access to clean water is something all people should have!

Noah is taking it all in and is keeping us laughing with his sense of humor.  He's such a funny mix of introverted and zany.  Noah will start preschool in September, but in the meantime he is busy flying his Captain America around the livingroom, vrooming Lightning McQueen, snuggling mommy, shadowing Abby, clobbering daddy, and playing with Ellie the cat.

And me. Well, I am keeping very busy with figuring out life in a new place and with a new rhythm.  I don't know yet just what my work will be in addition to keeping things going at home, but we're discovering a lot about who we are as a family and how we might be stretched.  I'm sure I'll have more to share as time goes by.

Anyway, that's enough for now! I'm tired just typing all of that, let alone living it.
Yours in the Adventure,
G