April Update

When I started writing this update, I was going to share that spring had come to Denver and how we’ve been enjoying amazingly beautiful weather the last few weeks. Well, as I sit here now I’m watching the snow fall outside, and by the time it’s all done we’re supposed to have 1-2 feet of snow! If you can believe it, they say we’re going to be back in the 70s in just a few days. It seems crazy, but we’re learning that this is pretty normal for spring in Denver! The more we continue to learn about our new city, the more we love it.

The last couple months have been pretty busy for the Redden family. If you’ve been following our move to Denver then you know that since we got here we’ve spent a lot of time looking for a house to buy. We’ve been renting a great house, and we haven’t felt any real pressure to have to buy. But on the other hand, we’ve all felt rather unsettled living in a month-to-month rental house. In fact there are dozens of boxes in our garage that we haven’t even opened. Well, I’m happy to report that we are currently under contract on a great house just a few streets over from where we’re currently renting. The house is a beautiful old craftsman-style house that was built in 1919. It is in great shape but is definitely in need of some TLC projects! We close on the house next week and are looking forward to settling into our new home.

Kate is doing well. She is still enjoying her part-time work as a financial advisor for Ron Blue & Company and her full-time job as a mom. On top of all that she’s taken on managing the design and renovation projects we’re trying to get done before moving in our new house.

Ethan continues adjusting to life in Colorado. He is doing great in preschool and continues making new friends wherever he goes. At a recent parent-teacher conference we were told that he has adjusted great and is really progressing well. While he still tells us he misses Georgia and his friends at North Point preschool sometimes, he is also loving all the great things that come with living in Colorado!

Andrew still keeps us busy and is becoming less a toddler and more a little boy every day. Next week he turns 2, and we’re looking forward to celebrating the joy he is in our life. He seems to be losing most of his aversion to babysitters and daycare teachers these days, which has made dropping him off at school a bit more pleasant!

Stephen continues to stay busy with a variety of things. New Denver Church continues to be a driving passion and all the joy and challenge that he had hoped and expected. The last few months have definitely been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but getting small groups started last month was definitely a big highlight. We started a group in our home with ten other people from the church and are amazed at how God is already working – extending his grace to broken people and allowing us to experience the oneness of community. We also did a recent Palm Sunday Community Gathering where we gathered as a community to worship and share communion together in preparation for Easter. In addition to his New Denver Church work, Stephen has had some opportunities to do some church consulting with a church in Minnesota and another south of Denver. This work has allowed us to reduce his New Denver salary by 20% for now in order to extend the support that we have raised as a church. He is also open to finding a part-time job locally for additional income but more importantly to continue developing connections and relationships in the community. As a family we are so grateful for the friends and family who have supported us in our pursuit of the dream of New Denver Church, and we are doing everything we can to make the most of that support to see that dream become reality.

Our lives are so full these days, and we are grateful for the tangible ways that we see God working in our lives. The truth is that we have probably never been more dependant on him as a family than we are now. This is a wonderful (and sometimes terrifying) place to be, but we sense that we are truly experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised was available to us. Thanks for continuing to follow us on this adventure.