lake hart

CCC's headquarters at Lake Hart, Orlando.

The Short Story

We’re going to be staying in Orlando.

The Full Story

Sometime in the next couple weeks, Carrie and I will be taking a(nother) scary step; while we’re going to be staying within Campus Crusade for Christ, we will be moving away from the Campus Ministry, at least for a season.

Over the past 4 months, since we found out that going back to DC was an option, we’ve been weighing a huge list of options where God might call us next. The options included positions somewhere on campus, off campus in a regional office, and on teams developing many of the cutting edge tools staff in the field will be using in the near future. Possible locations were as varied as Philly, Boston, the University of Virginia, Denver, Portland, and (of course) here in Orlando (among others). I’ve emailed and called about a dozen team-leaders, I visited Indianapolis & Portland, we spent hours in prayer, talked to friends and mentors for wisdom and advice… and still the decision came down to God impressing a calling just this past Monday.

As of Monday the options had been narrowed down to a position on the Metro Team in Portland, OR and one working with the Jesus Film Project here in Orlando. With three weeks until our daughter is born, five weeks until we have to move out of our apartment and eight weeks until we have to make our way to the national staff conference in Colorado – I was starting to get stressed that we weren’t landing on a decision. I had been waiting on the Lord’s leading and wondering if it was one of those times where He calls us to just make a decision and trust His goodness that we aren’t stepping out of his plan either way.

One of the awesome materinty photos that Melonie at Imago Photography did for us. Click the photo for her site.

I stole away from my desk for another 15-minutes to pray about our options, as I opened the journal that I use to keep myself focused while I pray I felt like I was finally hearing a solid answer from Him, “Here, you’re staying here.” Emotionally, my reaction was relief with an aftertaste of mourning – because that means not going back to campus, because that means not moving back to a more vibrant city, because I’m not sure it was the one that I would have ended up choosing on my own. As the reality has set in and we’re working through the red-tape of a ministry transfer, we’re settling into feeling grateful and hopeful for what lies ahead.

In the following months we’ll fill you all in on what the job will look like. For now, please pray for our transition into parenthood, and also that we would be able to prepare well for this next season of our lives & ministry.

Pray For

  • We have a significant amount of financial support to raise. In the past year we’ve lost nearly $800 of monthly support. We have to make that up and cover the additional expenses that go along with parenthood and living in Orlando.
  • Our daughter will be born sometime around June 3, we are supposed to move out of our apartment around June 17 and our bi-annual trip to Ft. Collins, CO will happen in mid-July. Pray for all of the details and stress that surround these transitions and travels.

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September 2010 Update

by jay on October 7, 2010

Floridians!

As of last Wednesday, the Whelpleys are legal Floridians (even if Jayson likes to have fun with his license)! Thanks to some above-and-beyond-type friends (thanks, Heralds!), we’re shipped and settled in a spacious two-bedroom place that’s ours for the year. The surplus of toll roads and strip malls will take some getting used to, but make a worthy trade for a breathtaking sky and an extra growing season to play in the community garden. As always, let us know if you’re coming to town — we have a bed to make for you now! For those who follow on Twitter and Facebook, the dog is gone. :)

Stinters!

On arrival, we were intercepted promptly by Campus Crusade’s “Lake Hart Stint” leadership team who oversees our development and helps the 45 adults in our program and their 26 kids to bond with each other and God. This group of shepherds goes to great lengths to provide us with regular one-on-one coaching, small process groups, and guest speakers who have already probed the depths of such topics as forgiveness, contemplative prayer, and desert faith. Despite what you’d guess of a group converging from 10 countries, our 2010 group has, according to these leaders, already connected more socially than they’ve ever seen this early on! With Jayson here, is this really surprising?

GenX.5-ers?

Many sources mark “Generation X” as ranging from 1961-81 and the “Millennials” as 1980-2000. What does this say of two border kids born in late1980? On one hand, we may relate to more aspects of American culture. On the other hand, we also earned somewhat obsolete degrees in fields that changed radically just after we left: for Carrie in art, the digital revolution; for Jayson in communications, online social networking. Still, both of us have been refreshed by operating in our fields again, though not without a learning curve. Look for more to come soon on our office roles. Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

PRAY FOR:

  • Our “Lake Hart Stint” group to continue to embrace all God has for us this year (roles, relationships, transition), especially the kids, and families returning from abroad.
  • Our teams (the Design “LAB” and Web Publishing) to be productive and finding a rhythm, even with new members in the mix.
  • Field staff and student leaders back on campus, as they sprint toward Fall Retreat!

Thanks for your prayers!
Jayson & Carrie

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Orlando Workplaces

September 3, 2010
Thumbnail image for Orlando Workplaces

Carrie and I are going to be working on writing our September newsletter as soon as we start getting a handle on what our jobs here at CCC headquarters are going to look like. In the mean time, we want to show you what our work-views are going to be. You can click any of [...]

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March 2010 Update

March 10, 2010

Home! Carrie and I love life inside the “beltway.” We’ve grown fond of our neighborhood (Waverly Hills) — employees at local shops know us by name, and neighbors invite us to dinner and visit regularly. We have served on our church’s hospitality team and have hosted a small group for Northern VA couples. We’ve even [...]

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