The Griffins new adventure

That's right. Adventure. I don't know a more appropriate word to define the new season in which we we have entered. 

Webster's defines it as "an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks." Unknown. Risks. 

Ahuh. Both of those words tend to make me cringe.

When I married Nate on February 14, 2009, I knew from day one that my man is a dreamer, a visionary, a risk-taker, a maverick. I am a planner, finite in vision, afraid at times to dream too big, lover of excel and my calendar. Lord knows we've needed the others strengths in desperate ways and that area has been one of them. Nate's propensity to literally run after where God is leading, straight in the midst of risk, has been the iron against my soul in our 3.5 years of our marriage. And my propensity towards the sin of control has come face to face, again and again, with the beauty of the way my husband lives out faith. 

And now, that beauty has brought us to a place I never imagined. We are moving. To Beijing. A city with a population of approximately 24 million, a 12-14 hour plan trip away and 13 hours ahead of the central time zone. 

A city where Shenism-Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism are the primary, budding religions. A city where The Great Wall takes my breathe away. A city where the fashion and shopping are as extravagant as the pollution. A city where I can walk to get my groceries. A city that will become my new home. 

No single post can capture all that I want to share, so I'll fill you guys in on the details in phases. (Let's be honest, I'm still processing).

For now, I'll close with the standard:
Who is moving? Nate, me and our 65-lb boxer mix Hudson (that was part of my 'agreement'...ahummmm)
Where: Beijing, in a district known as the Upper East Side, in the 4th ring of the city
When are we moving? January. Nate is back and forth until then. I'll wrap up work at the end of October and give myself some down time to pack, visit friends and family, and take care of the logistics. I'm wanting to get in as much girl time as I can squeeze in before I land on a new continent, so I'm working on a state-hopping route. Slumber party anyone? Grin.
Why are we moving? B/c I love my husband and my God and that's where He's sending us. Practically speaking, Nate is opening a production office there. I'll expand upon those details in a later post.

So who wants to come visit? :)

My God does things beyond my imagination. And I love Him for that. The great cloud of His presence for the Griffins is moving across an ocean this time, and I'm not going to miss it for the world. So onward I go. Because He is faithful. Because His mercy and goodness will follow us all the days of our lives. Because I can't not go where He is going to be.

Our 'child' that will be coming with us. We're pretty sure he won't have the same language barrier as we will. English bark and sniff translate very well to Mandarin bark and sniff. Grin.

Our new 'compound,' composed of about 20+ high rise towers. It's essentially an escape from the hustle and bustle of Beijing, gated with pretty green space inside. Respite for my soul.