So, how was the trip?
It was a long, long drive. I knew
Ohio was a ways off,
but how long could we continue to drive?
Ryan and I said our goodbyes at 8:30 Sunday morning on August 1st. With that, we were leaving the familiar behind to become acquainted with new people
and a new place. Ryan towed his new duck boat behind his truck, so I had to drive
my car to follow him. We were in no hurry to get there. We took our time and stopped when necessary. The trip took
a total of ten exhausting hours. Nevertheless, God’s hand was upon us because
we did make it to Dayton safely. We are very thankful for
that.
What about your house?
The next morning, Ryan and I went to scope out our soon to be apartment. We were not thrilled with what we saw. The
downstairs rooms had the ugly tile that they use in schools. The apartment was
crammed between two other apartments which were located on the main road leading into the apartment complex. The back yard was a fenced in concrete slab. We would have
a two-car garage that we would have to share with someone else. We would have
to park our second vehicle on the road down the street. Needless to say, we were
somewhat disappointed in where we would be living. Fortunately, Ryan talked to
a leasing agent, Holly, about possibly moving us in a different home. When we
arrived at the privatization office, Holly told us that another house had opened and we would love it. And sure enough, we did. I thought Ryan was going to suffer
from a heart attack because he was so excited! The house has two bedrooms, a
large living room, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. We also have a garage
for all of Ryan’s hunting apparel and gear. (Whoo-hoo!)
Where’s Yeager?
Well, there is an addition to our family, but it isn’t the dog
we thought we were getting.
Ryan purchased, Yeager, his boxer puppy two years ago. Shortly after he got him, his landlord informed that he could not have pets. (Although his neighbor could.) Thankfully, Bill and Dell (Ryan’s
dad and step mom) took Yeager in for the time until Ryan was in a place to have pets.
So when we moved to Ohio, we were expecting to get Yeager. Well,
just as any other dog lover, Dell became quite attached to Yeager. So, we decided
that they could keep Yeager. In return, they bought us a boxer puppy. They brought him with them when they came to visit the first weekend in August.
We named the puppy Samson because of his big paws. He’s sure to be a huge dog! As you can see below, he
is a faun puppy. He’s about three months old. House training hasn’t been the best experience in my life, but he is learning. So the agony will soon end! J
So what’s going on?
Ryan and I moved into our house on Thursday, August 5th. The movers came at about 10:30 and didn’t finish until 2:30 that afternoon. It wasn’t that we had loads of stuff. The workers were
extremely slow. After they left, we worked on unpacking boxes and putting things
up. We are still in the process of doing so.
That same night, Bill and Dell came from Arkansas for the weekend. They helped us a great deal with cooking, cleaning, yard work, and unpacking boxes. We are very thankful for all that they have done.
Thank you both so much!
After many days of pulling my hair out, we are finally getting things
situated. You can see pictures of the house on the following email.
Done anything fun?
This week Ryan and I wanted to get out of the house for a couple of
days, so we decided to go camping. We stayed at a nice campground called Cesar’s
Creek. We brought Samson along. He enjoyed playing in the river with me as Ryan
fished the banks. We enjoyed roasting hotdogs over the fire. However, when it came time for us to sleep, it wasn’t so much fun.
We bundled up in our sleeping bags in the tent, but struggled to stay warm. It
must have gotten down to 40 or 45 degrees the two nights that we camped. By the
time we left, we were happy to be back in a warm house.
Are you working anywhere?
As you know, Ryan won’t have an actual job, but he will be a
full time student at AFIT still receiving lieutenant pay.
Last week I was shopping at the Buckle with Dell when an assistant
manager approached me and asked if I would like an application to work there. Apparently,
he overheard Dell telling me that I would get discounts while working there. The
guy even set up a time for an interview. I would have loved to work there, but
the hours wouldn’t allow me much time to spend with Ryan on nights and weekends.
But I may look into getting a job later.
Have you found a church?
We have not been able to get our hands on a phone book, so finding a church has
been somewhat challenging. Jay, our pastor from the Crossroads, informed us of
a church located just outside of Dayton. We visited this church, called Ginghamsburg,
this past Sunday. It is like our home church, but is Methodist based. Ginghamsburg is very different in that it was huge. They had
a large band complete with drums, guitars, flutes, bongos, keyboards, and of course the singers. Of course, this church wasn’t as personal as our home church due to it’s size. However, those who we did speak with were very friendly. Ryan
and I enjoyed Ginghamsburg, but we are going to continue to “shop around” to see what God has in store for us.
Prayers and Praises!
Our friends, Gary and Meg, (the couple that also moved to Dayton)
are officially new parents! J Meg gave birth to their twins last Saturday at 4:00 AM. Although the twins are a bit premature, Gavin and Makayla are healthy, happy babies!
We are blessed to have such wonderful neighbors. Whenever we are in
need of a broom or even a vacuum, they are always there to help.
Please keep Ryan and me in your prayers. Pray that God will help us
to stay focused on Him and follow Him each and every day. Pray that we will be
a witness to those around us so that they too may come to know our Lord. Lastly, please pray that our eyes will be opened
to where God wants us to serve in a church.
Take care of yourselves.
Much love,
Ryan and Amy Nelson
