First Presbyterian Church
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Why am I showing you a picture of this church and a map to where this town is?
Because this church has a new pastor.
Yep. No joke here. Sam has accepted an offer to be their Senior Pastor.
Now I guess I have to back up and tell the story and try and write well enough that you can see God's hand in this.
Back in early May, when Collin and I were in D.C., Sam got a phone call from a church in Montgomery, Alabama. (Which is home to us, it is where me met, married and I lived the majority of my growing up years.) They asked him if they could consider him for their senior pastor position. We were a bit stunned. Sam had not sent out any resumes nor requested any interviews, but he said he is always open to talking.
Five days later, he left for Bahrain for the month, so it opened up a big topic of email conversation for us. Would we WANT to consider it? Sam's commitment to the Air Force was for 2 years and that had ended a year ago. We wrote about the positives and negatives of leaving the AF and taking a church would be, and we never did make a decision. We did a LOT of praying that God would show us if this was where he wanted us to be.
To be honest, I really wanted to be there. I never thought I wanted to live in Alabama again, but the positives for our family and for being near all of our extended family were very influential in my thinking.
Sam was supposed to preach there while we were home for vacation. And God did answer our prayers. He kept "shutting the door" with this church. They ended up not needing him to preach, they did meet several times to talk, but it just wasn't a match. It is a wonderful church with great people, but it was so clear to us that God has another pastor waiting to fill this pulpit, it was not supposed to be us. And yes, I was upset about that. I had had 6 weeks to talk myself into this church. Why would God drop this opportunity into our laps, without us looking for it, and it wasn't going to work out?
In hindsight, I have the answer to that question.
It opened up a lot of serious discussions with Sam and I. The goals we have for our family, for our future, for our finances. We had to prioritize things. Agree on what was most important to us. We both agreed that taking this job, if offered, would meet the majority of those goals, so we were open to leaving the Air Force to allow God to meet those goals for our family.
If we had not had those discussions and had not been open to a huge life change, the next opportunity either would not have happened in the first place, or we would have laughed it off with a big NO.
Some background: We were in Dallas for five days for our denominational meeting. Every PCA pastor in the country along with elders of the churches, meets the second week of June every year (the place changes every summer). Sam ran into the pastor he interned under, Dr. Richardson, his last year of Seminary and another gentleman, Bob Bailey, who worked at the Seminary when we were there 6 years ago. There are about 5,000 people at this convention, so running into both of these men at the same time from two different directions was a God thing. (As a Presbyterian, we don't believe in coincidences.) :)
Bob JOKINGLY asked Sam, "So, are you ready to take a church again?" He gets asked that a lot. It is kind of a conversation starter, or a way to tease him. He always teases back. But this time, he answered (because of all the discussions we had had about the other possibility), that he would be open if God led him somewhere else.
They talked a bit more and Bob asked him if he would consider an initial interview in an hour, as one of their pulpit search committee members was at the convention. So an hour later, he is interviewing for a job we had no idea even existed. He said it went well, we found it a bit funny that he could show up for a convention and get an interview, but we really didn't take it seriously.
Two weeks later, Dr. Richardson's sweet mother passed away (we had known her for many many years). Dr. Richardson has been filling in as the pulpit supply preacher at Yazoo City since it is really close to Jackson. Bob knew Sam was going to be in the area visiting friends in Mississippi and tracked him down and asked if he could preach on Sunday morning and fill in for Dr. Richardson. We had already planned to be in Louisville by then, so he said yes.
To make a VERY long story a bit shorter, we all went with him. They loved his preaching and asked if he could postpone his trip home by one day and meet with the pulpit committee the next night. So he did. They had an amazing meeting, found out that they had matching goals and desires for a church. Sam had passions that they had prayed for. Once again, if we believed in coincidences, this would have been a BUNCH of them. Even some tiny details they had been praying for, matched. Looking back over all this, God's hand is SO evident.
We started the drive back home the next day, now running a day behind schedule, with a LOT to talk about and pray about.
Shortening the story some more, after more meetings and lots of prayer, the pulpit committee voted unanimously to recommend him for their senior pastor and the elders of the church approved the nomination. Sam tells the story so much better than I do, but those are the highlights.
I know a lot of people will not understand. They think we have been unhappy, but that is NOT true. Idaho and the Air Force have been so good to us. Sam became a Christian when he was a young airman away from home for the first time, all the way in Turkey. He wanted to repay what was done for him. And I think he has. He made a difference in handful of lives with men and women we now consider true friends. These young people spent over a year spending Sunday nights in our home. They were with us for Thanksgivings, Christmas's, other holidays, vacations, and became a part of our family. They are now spread out around the world, Italy, Korea, a few are out of the Air Force now using the GI Bill to go to college, one young lady is getting married at the end of the summer and invited us to be there in Tennessee. Sam made a difference in their lives by teaching them truth and pointing them to Christ in their thinking.
I have had three years of tremendous growth. I have been challenged to do and lead in situations where I would have never chosen to do those things. I have made deep and life long friendships. Except for my actual house, I have been VERY happy here. { :) }
The kids have THRIVED. The people they have met, the places they have seen and the opportunities they have taken to be involved in things have been wonderful.
So no, we are not leaving because we were unhappy. We are leaving because it is so obvious to us that that is the plan God has for our family. He has answered the desires of our hearts without us even asking for it.
Last weekend, the church flew us ALL back to Mississippi so we could meet everyone and everyone could meet us. Also, mainly, for Sam to preach Sunday morning.
We left here very early and got to Boise by 6am to start our flights. We had a non stop to Atlanta, then made our 37 minute connection. YAY! We did not check any baggage just in case we missed that flight. So there were 6 Smiths walking as fast as possible, rolling, carrying, and dragging all of our luggage to a different concourse.
We arrived in Meridian, Mississippi and were met by Steve Nott, the head of the pulpit search committee. He is a retired navy pilot, and his job now is a private pilot, and he had to pick up his companies jet in Meridian anyway, so he flew us all in a great little all leather 8 seater to Madison. It saved us a 2 hour car ride!
The kids loved it. We were all jealous that Daddy got to sit up front and talk in the cool headphones.
It was only a 30 minute flight, but we really enjoyed it.
We made the 30 minute drive to Yazoo City and I don't think we stopped until we got home.
We had dinner the first night at a very nice couples home. They were rather brave at having all 6 of us over since the kids had been up since 4:30 in the morning, but it went fine. After 10 minutes we felt like we had known them for years and they just loved on the children.
Saturday morning Sam took Collin to the men's breakfast, where about 40 of the men showed up and Sam ended up in front of the room answering a LOT of questions.
I took Kaitlynn with me at 10:00 to the women's coffee. All those nerves and fear I had about that were unfounded. I was so comfortable and the ladies were so nice that it wasn't hard at all.
Lunch was at another church family home and they had an INDOOR pool. The kids swam for over 3 hours while we were shown around town and did some house hunting.
Steve, who I mentioned above, stayed with the kids all these times we were gone. He was a huge help all weekend long.
We found some homes we liked, one that I love. SO many options, and after being told where we were going to live for the last 10 years with school housing, and manses and military, to have a choice about where you live is nice, if not a bit overwhelming.
Saturday night was a dinner with all the elders and deacons and their wives and the pulpit committee and their spouses. Once again, the nerves were unfounded. What a great bunch of people. I feel like I have already made friends.
We stayed at the home of Federal Judge William Barbour. He was so wonderful! So likeable and friendly and so great with the kids. He spoiled them pretty bad! On his 250 acres he has welsh ponies, so Sunday afternoon, it was time to ride them!
The one "non"-pony.
Here is Judge with Kaitlynn on MoGlo (short for Morning Glory).
This was Christopher's first time on a horse!! He has always wanted to ride, but chickens out at the last minute. He had a great time until the pony got stung by a bee on the nose and started bucking, then he wanted off BADLY. It may be a long time before he gets up enough nerve to get on another horse.
Kaebrie LOVED it. But can I add how hot it was. I mean HOT.
After washing of the horses, because they were really hot too, it was time to ride the 4-wheelers.
Tiff wouldn't get on, but the others had a blast!
Sunday night was dinner at another home, Monday morning was spent looking at more houses, and revisiting the one I fell in love with, which happens to be the childhood home of the Judge and is just down the street from his current home.
We flew out of Jackson at 2pm and made it to Houston, but then our connecting flight was so late, that by the time we made it to Salt Lake City, we were stuck. So we spent the night in a hotel and made it home at 3:00 Tuesday afternoon.
We have prayed really hard all week, and our hearts are wanting to be in Yazoo City.
Sam got the call an hour ago. After the congregational vote this morning, it is official. We are THRILLED.
This was SO unexpected that we are still a bit in shock, but when God decides to move at great speed, some times you just have to hang on tight for the ride.
Sam will put in his Air Force separation papers tomorrow morning, and I will keep you updated as we learn how things are going to work.
Thanks for all your prayers and support!
Many more updates coming soon!!!!
