This past Sunday was our first with Church of the Epiphany, where Matt is serving as the interim youth pastor. I viewed the position as “Matt’s thing” until one of the women in the church told me, “you do realize that you were hired alongside your husband, right?” That scared me for about three seconds, until I envisioned working with the girls and guys of the youth group. That’s when I got really excited.

Sunday evening we attended a “See You Later” party of sorts. Robbie, the current youth pastor, and his wife Irene are leaving to spend two years in Haiti to work in a school. They’ve been at Epiphany for seven years now, and the parting was bittersweet. It was my first time meeting most of the youth, but from stories and anecdotes told throughout the evening, I knew that Robbie and Irene were loved. Fiercely loved. Robbie, the steadfast leader, respected and admired by the guys of the youth group who hope to one day be like him. Irene, adored and looked up to by so many of the girls, providing unending patience when the questions just kept coming.

We have some really, REALLY big shoes to fill.

Even so, we are so excited for the adventures in store over the next few months. I can’t wait to watch my husband live his passion, leading, teaching and learning from these kids, and I can’t wait to do learning and teaching of my own. Will it be hard? Yes. Do we feel completely unqualified? Heck yeah.

But I know that God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.

Youth from past and present came up to share stories from their time with Robbie and Irene.

Robbie and Irene, you will be sorely missed, I know that much. Thank you for leaving Epiphany with such an amazing group of young men and women- you’ve set Matt and I up for a really good time. Haiti is going to be so blessed by you two, and I can’t wait to see how God uses you two to work in people’s lives.

Happy Friday!