Living History

MMM and I have been fortunate to make some new friends here in the SLC area and I'd like to tell you about some of them.
Our very first day here, we met an elderly couple. But in fact, we didn't realize how elderly they were until quite a bit later! The husband is going on 95 (and looks like he's 75) and his wife is going on 88!
We both have really enjoyed the chances we've had to interact with this couple who has been married for over 50 years! And it just makes me hope that my generation really appreciates the examples we have before us.
The husband, well, he's got quite the character! He is one feisty man! He served in the Greek Army during WWII. He has told me about some of the things he experienced during the war. It is so interesting for me to realize that he is one of a rapidly decreasing number of men who lived through the war. He personally saw one of the concentration camps and the absolute devastation it brought. It seriously brings tears to my eyes. It is such a different experience to read about the war in books than to sit in front of a man who lived it. He saw so much, he felt so much...
I don't want to take our relationship for granted. At the most, he has maybe 10 years left to live. I want to learn as much from him as I can. I don't want his life to be forgotten. And even more so, I don't want his experiences to be forgotten. I certainly am  not a professional writer, but I am considering asking him if I could write about his life. Would you pray for me to have wisdom in that? I feel as if I don't know what I'm getting myself into even thinking about doing it. But, I think it would be worth it. I want to do him justice, and I want to do something that he could show his grandkids and be proud of, but I don't know if I am capable. I just don't know.
This I do know. Whether or not I do this project, I am going to take every chance I can to meet with them both and learn from them what I can. Surely being married over 50 years gives you some wisdom, right? :D I am excited to become a regular part of their lives.

A Whole New Adventure

Before we left for Germany, MMM saw a position open up for his job at the base in Salt Lake City. We discussed it and saw SLC as a good place to move if God opened the door. So, he applied and we waited...and waited. MMM had one conversation with them before our trip and didn't feel like they were giving him very much hope, so we resigned ourselves that he wouldn't get the job. We were alright with that, as we both still loved the Windy City; but over all, we just wanted God's best for us.
All during our trip, we didn't think about or talk about SLC that much, and we just enjoyed ourselves. Then MMM arrived back earlier from Germany and continued to wait and didn't hear anything. Then I arrived back and the very next day he got a call for an interview that was set up for two weeks later. We both were surprised and thrilled by that outcome.
THEN! The very next day, he received another call. This time they said, scratch the interview, just come work here! Imagine our complete shock at that! When he called to let me know I was literally speechless. I absolutely couldn't believe that the wait was over. It was so very unexpected.
Anyway, so he accepted the job and arranged to have his first day be December 1st. That left us just six weeks to get ready to move half way across the country.
Of course, it was sad to tell all of our family and friends, but we were pleased to have so many of them show excitement for us! We both saw the ways that God was working to open the doors. I mean, even down to the timing, it was totally a God thing! And we were both excited to see what God had for us.
We got everything figured out with our house and belongings and made long drive over. It was definitely stressful. Things with our planned living arrangements were complicated. Our car was struggling. The road conditions weren't great. We had an extremely close call that could have killed us. And we both were exhausted. But in the end, we made it here alive and well. We had a place to live, and our car is still running. God truly provided for us in that first trip.
We have been working on getting to know people here and getting involved in a new church. And we are still excited to see what God has for us here! There are a lot of opportunities, and a lot of wonderful things to offer here. We are especially enjoying the beautiful weather. It really is a whole new adventure for us, and we hope to see God moving in big ways!