...and surprisingly we have only gained a few pounds, that feels like our biggest achievement some days!!!!!! :)
Hello from cold, snowy, arctic Michigan! It's true, we have been back in the USA for a year now, and it has gone FAST! Do we miss Switzerland? More than we thought we would. Just yesterday we said, "remember getting on a train and going somewhere feeling like you were having a mini vacation? Oh yes, I miss that. Remember living in a place where they plowed their sidewalks so you could actually use them? Oh yes, I miss that! Remember all the good food and good restaurants? Oh yes, I miss that!" We miss friends, we miss our tiny place that was ours (no offense mom and dad, you're great, and we GREATLY appreciate you letting us live with you), and we miss life with trains, trams and busses. We had a good life there, and we are thankful for the memories, and we are now thankful for the memories that we have made this past year, our first year as a family living in the country and state we grew up in.
We had a rough year though, and one we didn't see coming. We came back with big dreams, high hopes and great expectations. The Lord called us back; we listened, we obeyed and we felt like he then ran away from us. Each day we continued on, wondering what was in store for us every single week. We continued to be faithful to the Lord, and even though we felt lost, we clung to the only rock we knew would not be taken from us! As we watched our bank account drain, it was hard not to freak out. Each hospital or doctor visit was like a stab to our side (and there were PLENTY of them). Many days water would just drip from our eyes, at times uncontrollably as we ventured in 'the land between'. We dreamt of days in Switzerland and longed to have them back.
We cried out to God and knew that more than ever we had to be a team, God, Will, Myself and Mayla. During hard times it's easy to put the blame somewhere, anywhere, and give up but through the help of others, we learned this was our training time, and it was time to step up. So far during 'training days' I've learned that when I was younger, I had a lot more mental toughness than I do now. The majority of training is dealing with the mental battle that comes. And for those of you who have trained for anything, or maybe your training ground is going on now...it's mental toughness that will get you if you aren't on guard, so watch out!
After a business endeavor that didn't take off near as fast as we had hoped, Will was lead to a staffing company in September that put him in touch with a head hunter. After a month of interviews, telephone calls, and calming tea, Will was offered a job he was not yet qualified for, but yet perfect for (yes interesting to us too, but we were NOT going to complain). We excitedly accepted the offer and had NO idea what laid before us. Over the course of 7 weeks, Will would undertake the most extensive studying I have EVER seen any one person do, followed by 4 equally intense exams in that short time! HE PASSED and we stayed married and more in love than ever :-) He then started work as a financial advisor for a company downtown Grand Rapids on December 17th.
What was I doing that whole time besides praying and trying to keep Mayla from interrupting Papi and his studying........I was starting my own business:) Seemed like the PERFECT time..HA! My sister introduced us to an amazing nutritional product that our family started taking in September. After seeing my niece come off her ADHD meds, my mom lose 20lbs, having restored energy myself (not needing a nap every day) and hearing the countless stories of how it was helping others by giving people's bodies the proper nutrition we need/crave, I wanted to be a part of it. So I become an independent distributor for Zija International in October. The working from home has already been a blessing to our family in countless ways, but particularly because of how we feel. If you would like to learn more, feel free to contact me, I would be happy to share!
How have we survived the past year? Prayer, God, our families support which came in MANY MANY different forms, and new friends we have met along the way, along with the old friends we keep in contact with! The memories of the past have spurred us along to want to be the best we can be in the future for each other, our family and our community of friends!
Life is not always blue skies and pretty sunsets (and if you live in Michigan this is NOT news to you). We have a Savior who knows the ups and downs of our life better than we do, and when you put your trust and hope in Him, he will renew your strength and help you fight for the things that don't seem worth fighting for.
As you are still rounding the corner to 2014, we wish you health, and abundant joy as you start a new year. May you reach up if you feel you are drowning, and reach down if you are one of the fortunate ones with love, energy, time or things to give!
With Love from The Ellis Family
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| Mayla Back in Jan 2013 When we moved to the USA, she sat, didn't move.... MAYLA NOW: Fast, Fun, Active, moving, entertaining |
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| Our Christmas Ornament for our first year as a family in the USA! |
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