Spain Part 1

As many of you know we are about to embark on one of the biggest adventures of our lives.  We are moving to Spain! 

This past summer Jimmy had a business trip to Brussels (this is the same trip I met him in Paris when he was finished).  During his visit there one of the directors and Jimmy had been talking and somewhere in the conversation Jimmy mentioned that he spoke Spanish.  Jimmy served a Spanish speaking mission in Guatemala.  The week after we got back from our trip to Paris, Jimmy received a phone call from his boss.  The director over in Brussels had called Jimmy's boss wanting Jimmy to apply for a position that he was opening up for a Purchasing Manager over in Spain.  Jimmy and I were very excited and didn't even have to think twice about this opportunity.  We've always entertained the thought of living abroad. 

Jimmy threw his hat in the ring and through a long process of interviews he was chosen to full fill the position of Spain Purchasing Manager.  Jimmy started this new position as of the first of the year.  We have been working on getting his visa for 4 months now.  Apparently getting a visa for Spain is one of the hardest things you can do. With things taking so long we've decided to have the baby here in the states and move the kids and I this coming June after school's out. 

We just recently moved in with my mom and dad.  I think it's been easiest on me to do this.  Being the youngest I lived with my parents for the last 4 years of my high school years all by myself.  It feels very similar to that for me.  With the kids involved it puts a slight twist into things around here.  Poor Emma has felt displaced.  She really loves her home and misses her bed.  She doesn't ask to go home as much any more.  Jimmy hasn't had too hard of a time because he hasn't been here for most of it and won't be.  He was home for 2 more weeks and now is gone for all of March. Hopefully he'll be home for the birth of our sweet baby girl and then he'll be off again until he comes to move us in June.   Mom and dad are doing well with all the changes too.

From the very beginning of all of this I can't tell you how many times Heavenly Father has told me that we are going to do a lot of missionary work while we are there.  This is the part that probably scares me the most. I've always lived a very comfortable life especially when it comes to sharing the gospel.  I tend to only do it if I'm comfortable.  I went to Rick's College instead of going to one in Texas, this made it a lot easier to live and share the gospel.  Everyone you were around knew about it or lived it.  I got married relatively early in life at 20 and have lived in the same house for 9 years.  We have a fairly large community of LDS here in The Woodlands, most people know someone who is Mormon but want to keep to themselves when it comes to discussing religion.  I've found a few people I've shared bits of my testimony or knowledge with over the years, but I've never been forced to do it out of my comfort zone.  For my husband he served a mission where he learned a new language and spread the gospel all over Guatemala.  He went out of his comfort zone to do this.  Missionaries in our church are set apart in the calling of Elder, they are closer to the spirit then most of them will ever be again in their lives.  I've often pondered what it would have been like to serve a mission to go beyond the comfort zone and actually share my testimony with a stranger.  Any ways I think I'm about to find out.