A wise friend reminded me of the verse "Be still and know that I am GOD". If you can't manage that, she said, just "Be Still", and then when life is really crazy, just "Be". My challenge in the midst of settling into our new home, finding and starting a job, finding a school for the girls, making new friends, and dealing with the everyday stresses of life, is to simply Be. So few people know how to be quiet and enjoy a moment. To truly rest and quiet their minds of all the things they "must" do. Have you tried it lately? It isn't easy. It takes practice. And if you keep practicing, after a while you'll start to hear a small, quiet voice reminding you of who you are, what your purpose is, and where you are going.
A few details on the logistics of our new life, for those who want to know what we're up to...
Nick is settling in nicely to his job at Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans. This dealership is not nearly as new or big as the one in Miami, but he is really appreciating the shorter hours so that he can focus on family and mission too. The challenge is that the car we were able to get for him to commute in is what I would call "sketchy". It's a 15 year old Nissan Altima that runs well but makes some strange noises. Not a problem for a mechanic as skilled as Nick, but one more car to fix in a long line of cars.
I landed a DREAM JOB cooking a restaurant called Commander's Palace! I just started this week, and it is AMAZING! Intense to be sure. I am in WAY over my head. Nearly everyone I'm cooking with has been to culinary school and has been cooking for 10+ years. And then there's me. 9 months ago I was a home cook. Yikes! Commander's Palace is historically in the top 40-50 restaurants in the country, serves 500-1000 people a day, and is the place where Emeril got his start. Double Yikes!! I am beyond blessed, my cup is overflowing!
The girls are adjusting to living with a whole new set of people, and I think they are really glad to be back in school now. Their preschool is great, and as a bonus, it's only a few minutes away from the restaurant. I'll try to post some pictures of Isabella's artwork soon. She's started drawing people and writing her name, and it is adorable!!
Our biggest (and most important) task here is getting to know our neighbors. In the short time we've been in the city, we've attended a birthday party/pumpkin carving party for Cindy (a member of our team), gone trick-or-treating with a group from around the neighborhood, and helped host a block party. Lots of great social time is had on Thursday nights, which is our Matthew's Table dinner. It's open to our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and anyone else we are journeying with. Sometimes it's 25 people, and sometimes it's 45 people. I love that every Thursday night finds the house packed with voices of conversation and laughter as we try to love the people around us.
Here are some good photos of our life in the last month...
Olivia on Halloween
Isabella on Halloween
Pumpking carving at Cindy's birthday party (with half the neighborhood too)
Just hanging out...
Several people have asked if they can help support our work here in New Orleans. If you'd like to support us with a tax-deductible donation, you can send a check, made out to Communitas (memo line: Nick and Melissa Montero) and send it to:
2539 Octavia St
New Orleans, LA 70115
If you'd like to understand more of what we're doing here, drop us a line or give us a call. We'd love to answer any questions you might have.
0 comments:
Post a Comment