09/06/2024
🌎 ☀️❄️🏜️ Life update! ➡️🌲🌳☀️🌎
The last 2-3 years have been a bit of a blur for us 😵💫 Abbi and I have experienced amazing highs in the birth of our children, some wonderful adventures with moving to the States, and even more wonderful people to do life alongside.
There have also been great challenges as we’ve navigated our own emotions and those of many dear friends as we have processed pain from the difficult season our former church has gone through. Moving countries, starting all over again, as well as leading small church plant out here in North Dakota has had its impact too!
We are so thankful to God for our family, our marriage children, the relationships he has blessed us with, but we also know that we have been spinning too many plates for too long now, and we need to simplify and slow down.
To that end we are going to be moving to the state of North Carolina and the city of Raleigh this October. We have found a lovely house in a cul-de-sac, surrounded by trees with a beautiful woodland garden room to play and grow for the kids. We will be reconnecting with some dear so friends, and hopefully making lots of new ones at the Catch the Fire church there.
Abbi will go full time with her political work with Liberty Council, and I will go full time with the kids and be daddy daycare!
All this year we have had a frame picture in our living room that says “The most important work you will ever do is within the walls of your own home”.
We are trying to take that advice seriously. Ultimately, this is a move to prioritise our family and each other in this season, more so than church, ministry or jobs.
We have loved our church here, and leading it has been an incredible privilege. We have been so encouraged the people here who have shown understanding and compassion as we have made this difficult decision to move on. We know that us leaving causes ripple effects in other peoples lives. We are so thankful for the grace that we have been shown by our friends here. People in North Dakota are so kind and generous, we can only pray to find the same in NC.
I never thought that we would be in North Dakota leading a church for just one year. We had a lot of expectancy and vision football card might do. Processing through that is challenging at times.
I do know though after looking at and experiencing the events in the global church recently, we will never regret making a decision that benefits our marriage, our family and children, and ultimately and most importantly, our relationship with God.
Your prayers and encouragement are always so valued. The voice notes and text messages of encouragement this year from friends spread all over the world have been a lifeline to us both.
Well done if you made it to the bottom of this epistle! With love - Alistair, Abbi, Alexander, Aiden and Ezri x ❤️
