Prayer request: Relocating to California...

Hello...

My wife and I hope to relocate to the San Francisco Bay area of California within the next month. As you can imagine, this is a difficult move. We really don't have any family in the area. Nor have either of us been granted a definite job offer yet.

My wife's youngest sister, Lucia, recently graduated near the top of her large high school class. Tradition in Northeastern Mexico usually dictates that the youngest daughter stays home to take care of her parents. However, my wife and I urged Lucia to apply to major schools around the nation. She was accepted at some great schools -- but eventually settled upon the "full-ride" financial aid package offered by Stanford. Her parents only consented to this if a family member was to live near the school. Since my wife and I felt responsible, we decided to take this upon ourselves.

We don't necessarily have to live in Palo Alto, but within a relatively short drive (in case of emergency) of the school. We only recently began searching for jobs. We have recently received several possible opportunities, and we hope to travel to California next week in order to go through some interviews. My wife will be interviewing at several schools (including one military school, a few high schools and a couple of colleges). I will be applying at several area firms.

Please keep us in your prayers.

- We are extremely low on cash, and we will be driving to San Francisco (to keep a set of wheels as we go to interviews).
- We will also be looking for a low-cost hotel (preferably, a low-cost, extended stay hotel).
- We are searching for jobs AND an apartment or house to rent.
- We will also be looking for a good congregation or house church with which we can fellowship and offer encouragement (including Bilingual congregations).

Please pray that we find the right house and the right jobs. We would like to live within a half hour or hour from the Stanford University campus.

As you can imagine, this can be quite stressing. We know that the Lord is with us always, and we feel quite a bit of peace with this decision to relocate. We expect that San Francisco will be very different than Texas, Tennessee or Virginia (the states in which we were raised). We currently reside in extreme south Texas, where you can almost find a Church building on every street corner. However, we hope to shine as a light of Christ in a very dark place.

If anyone has any "pointers" regarding where we can find a nice, inexpensive hotel for next week, a good local Church body, employment ideas or rental property options -- please let us know!

Thank you for your prayers or advice!

:-)

I will be praying.

Dios te bendiga. Yo rezo que el Señor le conduce.

Thank you for your prayers! We hope to be in California by Sunday, for interviews between Monday and Wednesday (and possibly, Thursday and Friday).

Please pray for us!

:-)

As you can imagine, this can be quite stressing. We know that the Lord is with us always,

The Lord was always with Lot too...

South Texas sounds alot like where Abraham chose to stay...

Just some advice...I lived in California for 27 years

In Christ
Jeff

Hi Jeff...

rookie wrote:

The Lord was always with Lot too...

South Texas sounds alot like where Abraham chose to stay...

Just some advice...I lived in California for 27 years

In Texas, most people don't think anything of it if you believe in the Creation as told by the Bible rather than the theory of evolution. Homosexuality still isn't viewed as "normal" behavior. Churches (large and small) are everywhere -- and many are filled on Sunday mornings. The Bible can even taught in some public schools as an elective. I usually hear prayers at official school events. My own college graduation ceremonies began with prayer -- voiced "in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord." Texas has no state income tax or grocery tax. Some have tried to "change" that, but it can only change through an Amendment to the Texas Constitution. Even corporal punishment is still legal in Texas -- with parental consent (of course, this never really happens). Property is inexpensive and the cost of living is low. We are paying $3.75 a gallon for gas -- which we thought was high until we heard about the price in other states.

It took a while to appreciate the wide open spaces. There are places throughout the state in which you can drive for over an hour at 70 MPH and still not pass a town, exit, gas station or stop light. Every time we drive to visit my wife's parents, we travel along Hwy 77. We drive where there aren't any cell phone signals and radio stations are scarce. There aren't any houses, businesses or signs of civilization for as far as the eye can see. I used to wonder why certain famous individuals like to go hunting down here. Former President Bush, Dick Cheney, James Bakker, and several other government leaders have frequented the "brush country" that is populated with more Mesquite trees and cactus patches than anything else. But I suppose that it is refreshing getting away from it all.

However, even with all of the virtues of this area -- Texas is still not the "promised land." Like a nice climate or geographic loveliness, a population can grow cold toward things just by being in the middle of it all. There are plenty of sinners in this great state. Most of them have no idea that they are headed for an Eternity without God. Some are perfectly content with their own religious traditions...and seldom concentrate upon a personal relationship with God.

My wife worries about the things that we will face in California. But I have assured her that "[i]where sin doth abound, the grace of God doth much more abound[/i]." We aren't looking to live in California for long. In fact, we may only remain there for a short time. We will likely return to Texas (or perhaps elsewhere) in just a few years. However, we are content that the Lord will be with us no matter where we go. We aren't looking to build a home in California, but we will see wherever we live as if it were a "tent" -- because we are also "looking for a city whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11).

Please pray that the Lord guides each of our steps. This time can be an unsettling time of uncertainty. It is difficult for me because I desire to be a good steward for my wife. I am praying that the Lord provides and leads me to the job opportunity that He wishes for us. My hunger for the Lord is literal desperation...and I know that the Lord can encourage and strengthen me in California just as He can in Texas.

Thank you so much for your prayers. The Lord did provide a little extra funding for some of the things we will need for the trip. Please continue to pray that we will find favor in the eyes of the employers for which the Lord leads us, and that we might find "bargains" in regard to hotels and gas prices as we drive.

:-)

Please keep us in your prayers. We will leave extreme south Texas bright and early tomorrow morning. We hope to arrive in Tucsan tomorrow night. We then want to arrive to the San Francisco Bay area by Monday evening.

Please pray that we arrive safely, and that we can find some inexpensive lodging. Our interviews will be this week.

:-)

Hello...

We made it safely to the Bay Area in California (...and its a bit chilly up here)! Please continue to pray for us. My wife (Mireya) has at least two interviews tomorrow. I have at least two interviews on Wednesday. We might have a few more on Thursday.

These are good opportunities; however, we desire for the Lord to guide us.

Thanks!

:-)

You talk too much, be cautious that you don’t put your foot in your mouth. I see you already have, how’s that toe?

I often wondered how this was done.

You’re doing fine all by yourself.

I’m praying for you and your wife (Mireya). Every good and perfect gift comes from heaven above. God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterwards they will receive the crown of life that God, has promised to those who love him. And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, “God is tempting me”. God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. Do don’t be mislead! James (1)

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, have you had your apple, Today? I read my bible today, please take time during your long trips and interviews to read your bible…

Thank you for your prayers.

My wife and I arrived safely back to Texas. It was a long but extremely educational trip. We actually drove the entire way -- listening to quite a few sermons that we downloaded from SermonIndex. It was quite moving to listen to Leonard Ravenhill speak about the majesty of God as we drove through some breathtaking areas.

My wife was offered a job at a military school, and I was offered a job at a bio-tech company. We turned down both offers, and we are currently awaiting word from our other interviews. We did, however, decide upon what part of the Bay Area we would like to live (the less urban Penninsula region).

Please continue to pray for us. If I receive a good offer, I will likely return to California. I will need to find a place to stay (quickly) and begin working. As you can imagine, this will probably be extremely expensive at the get-go. My wife will also have another interview this week via telephone. I have been offered a few other jobs, but they assumed that I already lived in the region. If we don't obtain a definitive offer, we will likely move to the region in order to accept whatever we can. Lucia (my sister-in-law) will not begin at Stanford until the freshman orientation in September. We are praying that we are established by that time.

Thank you for your continued prayers! As you can imagine, this takes quite a bit of effort to lay our concerns and anxiety at the feet of the Lord. However, we are doing so. We will keep you updated!

:-)

Praying.

Just bumping this for prayer.

My wife and I will be leaving for California early next week. We haven't found a house yet, and we would like to be led by the Lord to the place that He would have for us. Please keep us in your prayers.

Please pray for our job status too. We were both offered some employment opportunties, but we had to turn them down since we didn't live in CA yet. We would like for the Lord to open the right doors for us.

Please also pray for my wife's sister, Lucia. She will begin school at Stanford University in a couple of weeks. We are praying that her light for the Lord burns brightly there!

We will be looking for a congregation with which to fellowship in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are strongly opposed to modern "church growth" philosophies and would prefer to fellowship in a congregation (including a house church) that teaches simple and meaningful truth from God's Word (Ravenhill, Tozer, etc... type of congregations, if that makes sense). We are accustomed to bilingual (Spanish/English) congregations, but we are open to single language fellowships! Our current local congregation is extremely simple, but we rejoice in the pure and refreshing messages from the Word of God.

Please pray for us in this. As you can imagine, it is a burdensome time that weighs heavily upon us. Yet we feel the guidance of the Lord in all of this. We pray that we can be a light in an area that has grown accustomed to immense darkness.

:-)

Brother check your PM

Thank you for your prayers.

We drove just under five hours yesterday to San Antonio from Weslaco (along the Texas/Mexico border). Monday morning, we will be driving about 12 hours to Tucson, Arizona. We are taking two vehicles (my wife and her little sister in one and just the Lord and I in the other), so please pray for both.

We hope to be in the Bay Area by Tuesday night or Wednesday. Please pray that we go forward in the courage that realizes that the Lord is with us!

Thank you!

:-)

Bumping for prayer.

We will be leaving early in the morning toward Tucson, Arizona. Tuesday morning, we will be headed toward the Palo Alto, California area.

Please keep my wife, sister-in-law, myself and our vehicles in your prayers.

:-)

Praying.

Thank you for your prayers! We are in sunny southern California. We will begin driving to the Palo Alto area tomorrow morning.

Please remember us.

:-)

Hello!

We have arrived in the San Francisco Bay area. We are thankful for the prayers as we traveled!

Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we search for housing (an apartment or house to rent). We are also searching for employment opportunities. We were both offered positions, but we were still residing in Texas. We were told to "show up" as soon as we arrived, but we don't have any offers yet "written in stone."

Thank you so much for your prayers! We are relying on the direction that we feel that we have received from the Lord. We definitely want to shine the light of Christ through us wherever we go. Just last night, I was waiting for our takeout at a local Chilis restaurant. An elderly woman in line began to speak with me about a few things, which opened the door for me to share my faith. She said that she is a Christian, and said that this area needs more people who can share their faith so openly and honestly.

We will be spending the next few days searching for housing. My wife's sister, Lucia, will begin Freshmen Orientation at Stanford University on Tuesday. Please continue to hold her in your prayers too. She will be receiving her housing assignment in one of the Freshmen girl's dorms, and she is praying for a Christian roommate (or one who will be open to the faith).

Thank you for your continued prayers. They are appreciated more than you can know!

:-)