Moving...

So it is officially official....we are moving in like 5 days!! Crazy but true. Adam and I have been thinking about our future and his job situation a lot these past few months and we decided that it would be a good idea for him to look into going back to school. So he set up a couple of appointments with colleges. One meeting went really well at Ball State and he was offered an assistantship that will pay his tuition. Lots of things lined up and we decided to jump on the opportunity. Adam begins classes Aug 20th and will be working towards a Master's of Journalism degree. He is super excited to start the school life again and is really looking forward to giving it his all and getting all the experience he possibly can. We are moving to Fort Wayne this friday because we figured it was a good time for us to go and be there for at least the two years while Adam will be in school, we will have lots of help with Miles there, and I (Val) will be surrounded by my family when Adam is off to Muncie three FULL (morning and night) days of the week. We are moving in with good 'ole mom and dad for now, and are excited about it! They are such great people to live with and we really think its going to go well! I am soo excited to spend time with friends and family there and not always feel like Sunday afternoon is rolling around too fast and we have to head back home. Please pray for our transition to Fort Wayne, starting over, making new friends, diving into a church community.....

This move has been described over and over already as bittersweet. We are super sad to be leaving our family and friends in Indy. We are going to miss our house church community SOO much; wen nights of prayer, studying the word and just plain having so much fun together are going to be greatly missed! Thank you HC for really welcoming us into your group quickly and making us feel at home there, in 2 years you have taken a real sincere interest into our lives and entered into the good and bad with us! We have truly experienced Christ through you all!

Thank you God for allowing us to know you more through Common Ground and our house church! Kate, Giordano's, Gandy's, Stephenson's, Liz, Ashlee, Rachel, Strohl's, Deter's, Bishop's.....we love you guys and will miss you so much!

When you get married you don't realize how much you are marring not only your spouse but an ENTIRE family! I am soo glad that I married into the Clarks :) It has been a blast living pretty close to Adam's parents, Karen and Jeremy, and just an hour from the Linnemann's. Looking back on the past two years in Indy I see how much they have grown to mean to me, it has been a blast walking through my pregnancy with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law. They have been such a support to us and are always there with encouraging words! I have so enjoyed all the meals we have shared with John and Cindi and have experienced their fierce intense love for people wrap itself around ME! Thank you family for being you and for loving me!

I cant begin to remember how many nights we have shared with the Miller's. Nick and Mandy and Adam and I made thursday nights our intentional date night over these past few years. We have pretty much taken a restaurant tour of the city with them and have opened up our own homes to each other countless times. I am so grateful for their friendship, their LOVE for community, and their desire to walk DEEPLY with Christ. I treasure all our conversations and hope that they continue even as we move!!

Lindsey Connor is not getting rid of me with this move, thats for sure. Although I have soo enjoyed living within walking distance of her I am counting on our friendship not being locational!! Ha!

And from me (Adam): I have had an unbelievable two years teaching at Heritage. I have made friends that make my heart ache to leave - Dan, Aaron, Brian, Chard, Ross, Sharon, Dave, Dan, Larry, Kiel, Jenny, Rachael, Caleb, Matt, just to name a few. You have loved me and my family with sincerity and intentionality. I love my students as well, they have kept me coming to work with a smile since day one, and it has been my joy to invest in them these past two years.

Adam and I went to dinner the other night and made a top 5 things we will miss and not miss about Indy, here it is:

WE WILL MISS

1. Adam's family being close

2. Friends

3. House church

4. Common Ground

5. Trader Joe's

6. Cafe Patachou

7. Naked Chop Stix

okay so we went over 5.......

8. our little apt where we have made so many great memories

9. Super target- okay that ones mine (Val)

10. McAllister's sweet tea!!

THINGS WE WILL NOT MISS

1. traffic

2. driving 30 min to get ANYWHERE

3. Val getting lost and calling adam frantically cursing the city

4. cost of living being more (well at least more than ftwayne)

5. Apartment appliances:)

Our hope and prayer is that we have really lived in the present and been available to where ever God wants us. We know we must have at least let people into our lives well because we are really feeling the pain of saying goodbye!