Our First Visitors Part II

First, thank you to Greg and Cami for graciously allowing me to make a short post on their blog. As a regular reader of their blog, it was a pleasant surprise when Greg kindly offered me an opportunity to share some of our (Natalie and I) thoughts and experiences while we were in Kentucky.

As Greg previously mentioned, Natalie and I were privileged to be the first out of state visitors to the Ginn's new home in Kentucky. We made our way out to the Southern Seminary because I have been considering attending this particular school for my M.Div training for a while now. This trip was so important to Natalie and I because even though we are seriously considering attending SBTS, the both of us have never lived outside of the comforts of California before. Especially for Natalie, the possibility of moving out to the South became a heavy burden that took residence in her heart. Would she be able to find a job? Would she be able to sustain the weather (Natalie is really sensitive to cold temperatures)? Would we be able to adjust to a different culture so far away from family and friends? These and many more questions have been the common nightly topics of discussion in the Cheung Household. So as you might be able to deduce, this trip was a significant one for the both of us.

So how was the trip? Simply put, the trip was great. Traveling to Louisville and touring the SBTS campus and local neighborhoods not only solidified my desire to attend the seminary, but it also served as a means to open Natalie's heart to moving to the area. After our first day's events of the campus tour, admissions meeting, meeting with professors, and sitting in on classes, we had a pretty good feel that this was a good place to be; this was a place where God was being honored and men and women were being trained to lead others in honoring Him as well. After our first day, we had more of an opportunity to spend some time hanging out with our dear friends Greg and Cami. Friday afternoon we had a chance to see Cami's work environment in the President's office and Greg took us for a tour of the city. As mentioned in the previous entry, the four of us grabbed dinner, dessert, and Natalie won her first game of Settlers (I lost big time)! Even though the trip itself was quite short, it was enough time for us to get a feel for the city and the school. Through various factors of the visit, and ultimately God's working in Natalie's heart, we are more open than ever to the possibility of moving to the South. Don't be too surprised if the Cheung's are blogging in the near future from Kentucky!

As I've had a few days to contemplate what the Lord's done in Natalie's heart and my own these past few months, I can't help but to praise God for steering our heart in this Southern direction. This morning as Natalie and I were driving to work (we have the convenience of carpooling), I asked her the question, "So what really pushed you over the line regarding your willingness to go to Kentucky?" She succinctly replied, "Seeing Greg and Cami there." In the small yet clear statement, I understood what she meant. She saw God working in their lives, she saw God enabling them to step out in faith to move FROM SUNSETS TO BLUEGRASS, she saw God caring for their needs. Finally, she saw that it was kind of nice having friends away from "home".

Thank you, Greg and Cami, for serving us this past weekend.