Where are the Huttons now?

Posted September 23, 2008 to help clarify (I began writing it in July).
Here is a quick review of the last year so we are all on the same page. On August 19, 2007 we Baptized our baby girl, Heidi Marie Hutton, born April 23, 2007. On August 19, 2007 we said good-bye to partners in church planting, Matt and Terra Keith as they headed on to the next adventure of their lives and ministry. On August 19, 2007 we received a phone call from Michael's father, saying that earlier that morning Michael's sister Wendy had been murdered by her husband in a murder-suicide. It was a day that marked many things in our lives, and the day many things in our lives changed.

Our faith and dependence on God has grown stronger. We have been given a rare glimpse into the hearts of friends and strangers through people who have lifted up prayers on our behalf, given of their time and finances to help us make the biggest transition of our families life, all to help us love four boys who were orphaned that horrific day.

Many of you have reached out to us, and lifted us up in prayers and now wonder how we are doing, and what is going on in our lives. So here I am to try and update you. For Christmas last year we brought our family down to Lubbock, Texas to spend Christmas with Michael's parents and the boys. After the first of three weeks, we knew that we needed to relocate to Texas to help Michael's parents, and to be here for the boys. When we returned to Sydney, NS in January, we put a bid in on a house, just around the corner from Michael's parents, and begain the preparations on our home in Sydney to sell, and to begin the process of immigration. By spring break we really felt we needed to move sooner rather than later, and made the plan to be in Texas by June. On June 10, we boarded a plane on a cool early morning flight in Halifax. In the evening we arrived in Lubbock to 105 F. What a shock. The belongings we had shipped arrived the day before, and so we had beds ready and our own things in the house ready for us. What a blessing that was.

In June we set up house, unpacked and tried to stay cool. It was a record breaking month! The month of July was spent with kids in swimming lessons at Texas Tech Aquatic Center. They did two sessions, a total of four weeks of swimming lessons which was great for everyone. August was when reality hit for all of us. We have had some tense days trying to figure out how to make this all work. Right now, the boys remain with Michael's parents. We are enjoying building relationships with them and finding out what makes each one tick. August also brought with it the beginning of school, which all the adults were very glad to see. Dawson turned 13 in September, and is at Evans Middle School, Shaderick 10, Tyson 9, Catherine 7, Laura 5 and Derrick 5 are all at Waters Elementary School and of course Graham 3 and Heidi 17 months are home with mom and dad.

Michael is still looking for full time work. He is preaching at a small United Methodist church on Sundays where his only responsibility is to preach. He has also been hired by Marketplace Chaplaincy which offers chaplains to businesses in cities across the country, and this is contract work (www.mchapusa.com). Michael hopes to see Marketplace's presence grow in Lubbock and is prepared to work to that end. I am still awaiting my Permanent Residence status, and am in the country on a visitor Visa. Please pray for full time employment and for the Permanent Residence status to come through.

So, how are we doing really? Some days feel great, other days are challenges like we've never imagined we would face. To be honest this has been a very hard and trying four months. There are many days we cry out to God because that's all we feel like there is left to do. He never fails us. On those days we always hear from someone about people lifting us up and standing in the gap for us. In fact, today was one of those days. We had to break Catherine's heart today and tell her she needs to leave her grade two class and do grade one in Texas. Due to some struggles Catherine has had with reading, and due to the huge difference in curriculum between the school in Nova Scotia and the school here in Texas we truly feel this will be the best for her long term education. But today, it breaks her heart, and ours too. I know in a month, we will look back on this day and be very glad we did it, so we are trusting the Heavenly Father to tend to these wounds too. Today I received a note on Facebook and a phone call saying we were being prayed for. In the midst of the storm He knows where we are and what we are going through.

Thank you all for your prayers, for your encouragement and for your love. We give God all the praise and glory for what He is doing everyday in and through us, and for His many provisions in our lives.