The Minneapolis move has finally been complete! :) I've been here now for about 2 1/2 weeks and it's been a wild ride! The move started on October 1st to this little Minneapolis neighborhood, and thanks to my wonderful family, we packed 2 cars full and moved down in one day! :)
To jump back to the month of September, after I survived Hurricane Irene (literally) in upstate New York on my way home from Europe, I jumped back into small town life in my hometown; Bemidji, MN, staying with my parents and enjoying catching up on all the lives of my dear family and friends. While it was a great adjustment time going through Europe and New York on my way home, it took me nearly that whole 4 weeks home in Bemidji to feel like I was adjusting back to small town life. To me, Bemidji seemed almost like a ghost town after living in Freetown (a city with 2 million people), and then Europe. However, the warm faces and amazing conversations with Bemidjians soon warmed me up to that culture once again. And then just when I felt like I was acclimating back to Bemidji, BAM! Time to move to Minneapolis.
Why Minneapolis, many of you may ask? In short, because I didn't feel the time was right to move back into Sanford or take a permanent job there. There is still a lot of transition happening there and I didn't have peace about taking a more permanent job. So... with Medical Staffing Network (MSN-my old travel company I went to NY with), I was able to get a position as an agency nurse- essentially a temp Medical-Surgical nurse in the Fairview health hospital system. So, over the past couple of weeks I've learned an entirely new computerized documentation system, new health system, and have floated to about 10 different units in 3 different hospitals (a different unit every day except for one repeat day). I thought I was pretty flexible on the Africa Mercy... but nooo! This job has been teaching me the epitome of flexibility! I don't know how much more flexible Jesus wants me... I feel like Gumbee would have some significant competition at this point. ;) But either way, it was very apparent through God's provision of this job and the apartment I am in that he wants me here for now.
Speaking of which... many of you (yes, you, Mom and you, Aunt Noreen) have been wanting to see pictures of my homey little apartment... so please join me on my whirlwind tour with the photos below:
To start... come into the African living room!
Now come into the European kitchen (with the lovely window)!
The beautiful "bedroom" (curtained off area)...
And two snapshot of beautiful Lake Nokomis- only a couple miles from my house! :) Is Minnesota beautiful or what?
So far I have been enjoying Minneapolis, the people, the cultures, the restaurants (they have sushi places here!), and old and new friends. :) I've been attending a few churches and am hoping to settle on one here in the next few weeks. I've found a young adult Bible study group and am really praying for some good time for reflection with the Lord during this season of living alone and more change. It's not what I thought I would be coming home to, and that has been difficult for me to cope with, but I want to continue struggling with the Lord through those things.
I hope all is well with you this season and pray for God's revelation within your hearts as well as my own! :) Blessings from the Twin Cities!
