Club Kangaroo - the beginning

Next week will be 5 months since Club Kangaroo's first Sunday. I'll have to figure out a way to throw a celebration here on the Siren blog for the 6th mensiversary (that's a new word I just learned!).

Although it's been 5 months since we started, it's been just over a year since our journey began. Here's our story.

During the summer of 2005, we began to seriously consider moving out of California. Both of us had been born here, gone to school here, made friends here, had family here, got married here, had our kids here, and so on.... In addition, neither of us are risk-takers, and moving - to us - was the one of the ultimate risks. So why?

Real Estate is expensive here - just living here is expensive. Do a search if you don't believe me. The school system used to be great - about 40 years ago. The infrastructure of California used to be great - about 40 years ago. Ok, you can probably say that about a lot of places, right? Those reasons by themselves are no reason to leave home. But in combination, our plan became:

• sell our home here
• move someplace "better"
• reduce our mortgage to almost nothing
• leave the "tech" career and become an elementary school teacher
• Have enough money to do what was best for Grant, and plan for all of their education.
  

After a lot of research, we decided on Raleigh, NC as that "better" place, meeting our criteria of:

• Good weather - no freezing winters!
• Good/Great schools, especially special ed.
  
• Affordable Housing
• Good job market
  
• Good community
• Near water, and not too far from the beach.

And, in September, the two of us took a road trip! After all, if we were really going to get serious about this place, we better see if we liked it, right? Prior to our trip, we thought it would be great to visit a church while we were out there. Although we were getting information from various sources, I actually ran across an online newspaper article about a church with a special needs program! How cool! We had never heard of such a program, but it certainly sounded perfect for us.

Our trip to Raleigh went way better than we had expected. I was sure that Staci would find a few reasons not to move, and so was she. But we were both wrong, and we were quickly becoming excited about our big life change. Our trip to Crossroads Church was a highlight as well. If you are ever looking for a church in Raleigh, check it out! We felt welcome on our first and only trip there. We didn't get a chance to speak with the leaders of the special needs program, but we did get to check out the children's programs - we just felt so at home!

Over the next 3 months, and into the beginning of 2006, we just kept waffling back and forth. Yes, we're moving! No, we can't do that- it's too nuts! How will we survive without our extended family?

And then, the moment of revelation. We were having dinner with our Children's Pastors (I've been working in our Children's Church for about 8 years now) and talking about the move. It suddenly became so clear, to both Staci and I, that this whole "move journey" was about one thing - we were to start a program at our church for special needs kids! It was so instant, and so clear, that it could only have been God speaking to us. The Children's Pastors were so excited to hear us proclaim this decision, right there at the dinner table; they had been praying for someone to start such a program for over 2 years. No more move - no more indecision. On to His plan...

It is a wonderful place to be where you know you are doing what you've been called to do - this is how we both feel about starting and leading Club Kangaroo. In future posts, perhaps on the 6th mensiversary, I'll detail how we got started and how the Club is progressing.