Been in NYC 5 years on Jan. 11th, 2010!

I can't believe it!  I've lived in NYC longer than any one city in my married life.  I grew up in a moderately sized suburb in TX pretty much my whole life.  But, I now call 2 places "home"...It's amazing to feel like I have a home here AND there. 

I came across my old blog from December 2004 when we sold our house, rented an apartment in NYC, and were living out of suitcases at Christmas til our move on January 11, 2005.  These brought back memories.  I thought I'd attach them to share a peek at what I was feeling 5 years ago. I know on the "other side" now just how faithful God has been in providing us a "family" in NYC and a "home."  He has also blessed us with such wonderful families and friends still in Texas too.  I treasure them! Our lives are so very rich because of all of these people.  I do not regret deciding to follow God's leadership to live in and love NYC!  We have made sacrifices but we do so because Christ made an ultimately greater sacrifice and can perfectly relate to any and every cost we may encounter for His sake. There is comfort in cost.

When we moved, Neeley was 5 and Judson was only 18 months.  We now have an 18 month old daughter, Korey, and I look at her and can't believe Judson was her age when we moved here!  Neeley is now 10!  Apostles Church was a vision which has now grown to an exciting body of Christ-followers impacting our city.  Many partner churches allowed themselves to be used by God to support the work here.  We are forever grateful for God's hand being shown so consistently through all of them in tangible ways.

Here is a "Reader's Digest" version of our story to move to NYC.

In 2003-2004, JR and I felt an increasing awareness of the great need for the Gospel in the world around us.  JR was serving faithfully as a teaching pastor at our church, but we felt that God wanted to place us somewhere "away."  We did not know where that would be, but we started our prayer journey and physical journeys to check places out. It is saddening to think of the Gospel being weaker in particular areas even in the US. So, we started praying for areas where the Gospel needed to be presented and supported in big ways.  We believe in God's sovereign design to use His people to share with others His story and to live it out before them.  We also knew that to create a powerful presence in a city would require longevity of ministry...we call it the "NO-exit-plan".  So, when we moved here we moved with no plans to leave.

In December 2003, JR took some trips to seek out different cities that were potentials for our move.  Ironically, he determined that NYC was not the place after he visited because the city was too big and it was not the place he wanted for his wife and kids.  Days after his scouting trip to NYC, he studied the account of the spies into Canaan (recounted in Numbers 13). Those who did not wish to take the land said, "the city is too great, and they will devour our wives and children" (my paraphrase). We decided that God was clearly and undeniably refuting the first impression of NYC! So, we humbly began to pray for direction.

By February 2004, JR took me to NYC to give me a perspective of the city.  I had never been to NYC!  On top of it being my first visit to NYC, it was also the dead of winter.  Cold! I prayed with an awareness that living in the city might be hard, but I was willing to do it should this be where God leads.  God intentionally opened my eyes to see as a Mom all of the strollers around us and the families.  I knew these were most likely NOT tourists there in the cold of February!  If these families could do it, we would find a way to make it work.

On June 24, 2004, after much prayer weekly in our home with trusted friends and on our own and with the support of our families, we knelt at our couch just JR and me, and prayed to commit to NYC.  That day was also our 9th wedding anniversary.  We felt peace about moving forward until doors closed.  Doors continued to open and God proved faithful to lead.

By September 2004 our house was on the market.  In December 2004, our house sold, we closed a few days before Christmas, and we shifted between families' homes a couple of weeks for the holidays.

January 5, 2005, JR flew out to our apartment in NYC to wait for the movers to arrive a few days later.  January 11th, the kids and I flew in with my sister who came to help us.  The kids and I walked into our apartment for the first time ever.  It was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes and furniture.

By March 2005, we had 13 people on our launch team, including JR & me, in our living room singing and praying together.  Today, January 2010, we are blessed by the growth that God has granted and for his kindness to us. From our living room to now 2 locations on Sundays and so many wonderful people, we are so humbled by God's goodness.  We are actively seeking out ways to impact our city with the message and mercy of Christ.  see www.apostlesnyc.com for more.

JANUARY 11, 2010.  I celebrate all of these things and I rejoice in a God who loves me and has clearly directed our steps over these 5 years and more.  I have no doubt that He will continue to direct us.  How can I not trust a God who loves me and knows everything? It would be foolish of me to do otherwise. He knows the trials I go through and the ones that lie ahead. He goes behind me, before me, and WITH me on this journey.  We still have a no-exit strategy and we are growing deeper and deeper in our love for the city and for the God of the city.

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Friday, December 31, 2004

Not Goodbye

Goodbye? I have a hard time saying "Goodbye." I will miss casually passing by the faces that have made my world here familiar. I have interacted with all of you in many different ways. Some of you will never know how much just passing by and saying "Hi...How are you?" has made me feel. It's an "at home" kind of feeling that warms me up inside. Thank you. I cherish familiar sights, sounds, faces differently from this angle of life right now. I will miss you all--neighbors, family, best friends, and all those who have been that "familiar" part of my world. It is this simple amenity of familiarity that I will miss most.

I look forward to building a new "familiar" world in New York...it will take time. When I feel alone, I will remember glimpses of each of you. Not Goodbye...

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Home--Where The Heart Is

Well, the Vassar's are homeless. We have an apartment in NYC, but we are currently shifting from place to place before the big move. We are learning a lot about being at home where our hearts are. Our hearts are with our family and closest friends. We are staying with these dear loved ones in the 2-3 weeks before moving in to our new place many miles away. We are reminded this holiday season of how much we love the people God has placed in our lives. You guys truly create a feeling of "at home" in our hearts. We love you all. And, thank you for all you selflessly do for us during this time.

Posted via email from Ginger Vassar