Saturday, February 23, 2013

Moving again...

From Robert:

When I received an email about 3 months ago from someone asking me if I would be interested in hearing about a job in Idaho I though sure, what the heck. After all, I knew my health insurance would be ending soon, since I'm still on my parents policy, and I knew the Lord would provide a way, but I didn't know how and so I thought I would be open to random people offering me jobs. I told him to send me more info, and then later that day I told my wife Emily "So Emily, do ya want to move to Idaho?" (We frequently had these sort of conversations, and I was usually joking). Emily replied "What did you do?" (Heavy sarcasm). :) Any ways it ended up working out to where I happened to be going on a business trip to Idaho, and was only about 3 1/2 hours away from where I would be interviewing. So after passing the phone screen, I finished my business in Idaho, and then hopped in a rental car and went in for my interview. After being there about 4 hours doing interviews, tours of the plant, and negotiations, I was offered a job and walked away with a bunch of paper work to decide on.

It was a strange feeling that day, and the long ride back to Utah, but both Emily and I felt like this was the right thing to do. Like it would make us both happier some how, and that the Lord needed us up here. There were some road blocks, like my boss offering my a huge raise if I would stay on my last day of my 2 week notice. I know. And us just leaving our house with faith knowing that somehow we would find renters, and trying to decide where to live up in Idaho. Somehow through all that, I always felt like we were doing the right thing, and that things would work out, and that the Lord would take care of us. His hand is blatantly obvious in every step of this move, and for anyone to say otherwise would be crazy. If the world needs scientific proof that God exists, I have it. We all have it in our day to day lives, just look at the world around us. Its so plain to see if you just use a little common sense, and some faith.

Regarding our house, we turned it over to a property management group, and the guy they rented it to turns out to be some guy that is getting paid to live there, and his employer is the one on the lease, they have been paying rent about a week early, and the word is this might turn into a 5 year deal. I mean come on, I couldn't have come up with a fairy tale that had a story about someone finding such a perfect renter. We found a nice house in Idaho, it was the first one we looked at. We both new it was the one, and after looking at a few others just to say we looked around, we rented the first one we seen. We blocked out 2 days just for looking at all the houses Emily researched, and we choose the first one we see. That is not luck, that is a blessing.

On my first day of church, I introduced myself and told about how I work for Simplot. After class a guy from the elders quorum informed me that he had just got a job at Simplot as well, and that he started the next day. I asked if he'd like to car pool and he said sure, because he didn't have a car. I later found out that this man has had a difficult last few years, decided to turn his life around and start over in Idaho, and had been praying that he would be able to find a way to get to work, so he didn't have to walk 13 miles each way to get there. Normally that wouldn't be an issue around here, but this winter has been terrible compared to winters of the past, so I'm told. I have enjoyed car pooling with this man over the past few months, giving each other advice, and gaining a friend. We both agree that it was no coincidence that we met, seing on how that was the one and only time we have seen each other in church, because he got permanently scheduled to work Sundays, he got a job at the same place as me, and I live 2 blocks away from him. It is not chance, it is the Lords hand, and I'm grateful.

After being at my job for over 2 months now, and being in this house for almost 2 months now, I can say that we are really enjoying things up here. Its feels so different from the life we left in Utah. Our subdivision that we live in is in the middle of a field, its so quiet. Even with that being said, we're only 5 minutes from Costco and 6 minutes from a mall.  Everyone has been so nice to us up here. I thought my experience with randomly feeling like the Lord needed us in Idaho was unique, until I started going to our ward here. Just in the last 2 Sundays I have heard 2 people in sacrament meeting tell there story about how the randomly felt really good about moving to Boise Idaho and a job just showed up and the Lord provided a way. I'm not saying other places are bad, or that I wouldn't want to move back to Utah some day, I'm just saying this place is really good. If I could somehow relocate all of my family up here  then I would be set. :)

My job has been going really well. I can not explain how much stress has been released from my shoulders since I've taken this job. I'm doing the same work as I did before, but in an easier environment. I only work 8-4 on a normal day, I can actually call in sick if I need to, I actually get benefits, I go to the same place for work every day, and I really can make a difference at my company. The plant will be shutting down sometime towards the end of the year / first of next year and so there is a lot of questions going around the plant. They are building a brand new state of the art facility next door, which will hopefully be where I end up. I don't even have a job lined up for the new plant, but I have a feeling of peace like everything will work out. My boss, and my bosses boss continually tell me that they are very happy with the work I've been doing, and will be recommending me. I don't take pride in my abilities, but give all the credit to the Lord. For me to take the credit for my knowledge, my job, the things I have, would be foolish and wrong. I know it may not make sense to some people, but I really owe everything I am, and have to the Lord.

I do have to say, that after all the years of the word Idaho being a joke, like who would ever want to live here, all I can say is I was wrong. Who wouldn't want to live here? Besides, them potaters is goood eatin. :)


From Emily:

Just wanted to add a few things.  There was a lot of work behind the scenes that I don't think Robert even knew how much I did.  Yes the Lord guided us and practically dropped things in our laps a lot of the time, but we also needed to put effort into making things happen as well.  We had to do our part to get to the point needed so that the Lord could give us the blessings he had ready for us.  There was a lot of researching, frustration, and crying that went into this move.  At least by me. ;-)  

We really are so happy up here.  No it's not perfect.  It's actually been really hard on me.  But I am happy at the same time.  Confusing I know.  I know this is where we are supposed to be right now.  Like Robert said, we really miss our family but it is fun looking forward to trips down to Utah.  Two more weeks till the next one! Woot!  I am excited that our children will have fun memories visiting and sleeping over at Grandma and Grandpa's house and that we will appreciate that time together even more.