Welcome in 5 Languages

There are lots of ways people show love. According to Gary Chapman in his book The 5 Love Languages, there are 5:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Physical Touch
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Quality Time
5. Acts of Service

I wanted to pause and point out that through the past 6-weeks, we as a family have received all 5.
We have had people stop to encourage us, give words of affirmation, and share support. When we were recovering from COVID, more times than I can count, people said, "Be sure to take care of yourself too."

We have received so many loving hugs and handshakes on Sunday mornings. In our post-COVID world, these have become even more special. I always defer to the other person regarding the comfort level now, but it is great to have someone greet you with a friendly hug.
We have received thoughtful gifts regarding my ordination, cards of encouragement, and the extension to help us in many ways. Not to mention the donations of things regarding the parsonage to reduce the project's cost.

I cannot quantify the time that has gone into helping ensure our family has not just a house but a home. People spent hours and days ensuring everything was ready, on top of all the other things we had going on.

That time goes hand-in-hand with service. We mentioned at finance Tuesday night that my neighborhood has witnessed the church working together. It has been an extraordinary witness to others in addition to my family.

There are no words to fully express the amount of love we have felt in the past 6-weeks.
As you're reading this, there's a good chance I'm either packing, with the moving truck, or unpacking. The moving truck comes on July 22! Stay tuned for a date in the future when we'll be hosting an open house for everyone to come by and see the fruits of the church's labors.