And let me just say, I like the rain! I have two major things going on in my life at the moment. I’ll start with the one you are all probably dying to hear about, especially after I posted that picture on my blog with absolutely no additional details!
Yes, I finally have a girl in my life! And her name is Katelin Rebsch. I could start at the very beginning, but that would take way to long, so I’ll just start at the beginning. I met Katelin’s sister, Katrina, in 2006 through a mutual acquaintance. It was also in 2006 that Pat, Katelin’s mom, volunteered to be the secretary for our organization. So I have known those two members of the Rebsch family for some time now. But it wasn’t until this past summer that I met Katelin.
From left: Katrina, Pat, Dan, and Katelin Rebsch.
Katelin (as did her sister earlier) came to Ukraine this summer to help Kelsie with kids and housekeeping while Josh was busy with our summer project, CMO. From knowing Katelin’s mom and sister, I expected that Katelin would be a first-class young lady, so I resolved to keep my eyes and ears open. As time when on, I observed that not only did Katelin have a all the qualities I was looking for in a wife, she was a cheerful, spunky girl that I just plain enjoyed being around. However, by the end of Katelin’s stay in Ukraine, I still wasn’t sure if I should take the next step. So I decided to wait a few months and pray about it.
Well, a few months later, right about the time I came back to the States, I got an email from Katelin’s pastor telling me that his church in Houston was planning a missions conference for the end of January. I had been wanting to take part in a missions conference for years, and the fact that I would get to see a certain Someone again sealed the deal! I immediately began praying that God would use the time at the conference to show me if Katelin was the girl for me.
Before long, the missions conference had come and gone. I had a great time getting to know Katelin’s church and also meeting her parents in person for the first time. And when it came to Katelin, she was still the same girl I remembered, and I didn’t see any red flags, but I didn’t see any big green flags either. Upon returning to Colorado, I decided that the best thing to do would be to call Katelin’s dad, Dan, and ask him if there was any point in taking things farther. After asking me a few fatherly questions to make sure I was serious, he told me that there was some interest in me on Katelin’s part and that I should call and talk to Katelin ASAP. And so, the very next day found me picking up the phone to dial Katelin’s number. I told her that I felt I had gotten to know her as well as I could as a friend, that I was interested in her, and asked her if she would consider taking the relationship to the next level to see if marriage would be a possibility. And she said yes!
And thus began our accelerated distance courtship! During the day, Katelin and I come up with discussion questions, and think about questions the other has asked us. Then in the evenings, we get on the phone and talk about anything, everything, and nothing in particular! Katelin told me the other day that as of the three-week mark, we had logged 32 hours of phone time! All in all, it has been an amazing experience, and we have felt God’s hand of blessing on us. We are excited about the future and are praying for God’s continued direction in our lives. (Oh, and for those of you who want more details, you can read a slightly romanticized version of events on Katrina’s blog.)
The other major thing going on in my life right now is that I have become a sort of modern-day tentmaker. Only since people don’t live in tents anymore, could you say I’m a housemaker? Anyway, what happened is that I was given the money for the down payment on a house with the goal in mind that I could rent it out and it would provide some additional income.
My house (and the neighbor's car).
A couple months ago, I was able to get a great deal on a little house in Colorado Springs that had been foreclosed on. We closed on the house less than a week after Katelin and I started courting, and so if I haven’t been eating or sleeping, I’ve been doing one of two things: working on the house, or talking to Katelin! My house did (does) need some work. So far I’ve replaced all the windows and doors that needed replacing, and I’m in the process of replacing the garage door. The big things I still need to do are replace the roof, paint the house inside and out, and install new vinyl and carpet. So if there is anyone who has experience in those areas and would like to help out or knows of a good place to get material, be sure to let me know! Of course, there are a bunch of “little” things that need doing, and that’s what usually takes longer than you expect!
Caulking siding after replacing a window.
