Extended

When we came for house hunting Lee Carson (head of the US field office) told us that around 3 months in the job we should answer if we wished to extend our one year contract. Ed and I have been answering the question people always ask of how long we are here.... with “We are contracted for one year with possibility of extending”. We have been praying for God to show us His will in this matter. We want to be where God wants us to be… nowhere else. 

Ed came home from his job at Rolls Royce yesterday said that Lee had phoned him and asked him to come to a design meeting. Nothing unusual about that, it is what Ed does. After the meeting Lee and Ed talked. Lee said that Rolls Royce has decided to extend the position that was made for Ed. This was to be contingent that Ed Greenslit fill the position. And we need to tell them today- the next morning. This not at 3 months but before Ed has worked there for 2 months.

Well God does nothing that is half a job. Not only did we get huge confirmation that we are to stay in England but I am so very proud of how Ed is seen by Rolls Royce. They must see him as working well with the UK engineers as well as proficient in what he does. He would tell you that he “has pulled the wool over their eyes” but I know that he is modest about his capabilities. 

Right now I do not know how long we will be here in England, but I do know that God has a plan for us here. I know that this is no longer a 1 year assignment (as I have felt that it wouldn’t be). So today I am missing my children and my good friends. That is OK. I love them and it is OK to miss them. The feeling of missing them and the idea of being lonely are natural. God has told me that I am not alone, just lonely. He is here with me; he has not brought me here to keep me alone. He has a plan that He wants for me to know. But for today I can rest knowing that He is here with me, we are together here in the center of His plan. I know that I am safe here. I know also that my family and friends are not going to be worse off because we are here. I know that My God is big enough to take care of us all even with a big ocean between us.

14 June, 2011

We are in our house! The washer and dryer are running and I am typing on Word because we do not have internet and won’t until the end of June. But we are in the house! 

Yesterday, Monday we got the keys around 4:30 in the afternoon.  We then did a detailed walk through of the house with our relocation agent, Beverley. She is a doll! After dinner we loaded the car and brought one load over in the evening. We slept in the temporary housing that we have called home for 2+ weeks overnight and loaded the car up this morning. We are praising the Lord that we were done with temporary housing for now. We arrived at the house around 8:30 this morning and we put away all the things we brought with us, leaving the clothes in the suitcases, awaiting dressers.  

At 9:00 the men from the furniture rental place were here. They brought in our new sofa and arm chair with coffee table and end table. They set up the new dining room set and the two bedrooms. As they were finishing up the phone call came saying that the men with the air shipment of our goods were on their way.  They dropped off our things and were on their way.

Ed and I opened all 5 boxes and then we went to lunch. We talked over our game plan and came back to the house. Having been separated from our things for about a month we were not sure what had come in the air shipment. So we emptied all the boxes and got a got most of the dishes away. Ed got the computer out of the box. We realize that we could have used some coaching on what would have been good to send in the air shipment. But things are what they are and we needed to have towels for after the morning shower. So out to the home store and then ASDA (Wall-mart, UK style) we went.   Then when we got home and again we unpacked the next round. I got the new towels in the washer and then got dinner going. 

Did you know that the dryer here has a water reclaimer? There is a reservoir that fills with water as the dryer runs, you empty it just like you do the lint trap, after each load. I am still learning the new appliances.

The dishes are done and the dryer is running and I am at last with my feet up on the new sofa. It was hard work. But we are so very thankful to be here. Go has been very faithful.

Ed and Marsha Greenslit

2 Brambling Crescent

Mickelover, Derby DE3 0UT

U.K.

Home phone (when dialing from the USA)   001- 01332- 523 329. Our phone should be installed with the internet on June 30^th.

A Good Friend

   A Good Friend is there in easy times and in adversity.

They bring a smile to my thoughts because I trust their advice and thoughts of wisdom. When I stumble on the same lesson of God, again and again, they hold me up. When I push away to be alone and isolated they both give me space and hold me very near. They do not flaunt my shortcomings as their prizes, but cover them up with prayer, knowing that they too have fallen short. Even when thousands of miles separate us they stick close in thoughts and prayers. When troubles come, and they do, good friends do not shy away. They are there without regard to my hair and makeup or time of day. I am blessed.

(Photo taken is part of a painting in Chatsworth Hall by Louis Laguerre, of friends bringing one to Jesus. Taken by Ed 4 June,2011)

There and Back Again

ED and I have gone over to the UK for house hunting. We left on May the 7th, returned on the 13^th. We got all of the must do things done. 

We arrived at the Albany airport Saturday around 11 am. We were ready for our fist glimpse of Europe. We had a long day and night ahead of us.

We landed Sunday morning at 8am. It took only one hour to clear immigration, customs and get our luggage. We hopped into the rental car and faced the first challenge ---driving in the UK. We turned around several times in the parking lot, quite disoriented; Garmin is not so good with directions in the Car Park or parking lot. “Proceed to the highlighted route” We struggled to get to the highlighted route. After a short set of turns we were on our way.  Ed did great! We proceeded up the Motorway without incident and about an hour later fully exhausted we arrived at our place for the week.  So it is 9:00 AM local time and we settled in and caught a nap.  We later walked a mile or so down the road and back towards the city of Derby, returning to our room with a small bag of groceries for the morning, having scoped out the local pub, The Broadway for our dinner.  We both had fish and chips of course!

After a restless night’s sleep we woke Monday morning and after breakfast and prayers we checked in with the local contacts and decided to make our way north to Nottingham to the IKEA to browse. Knowing that we would have a home to furnish, we spent a while looking about talking over ideas and options. We spent about a dollar there, big investments. We caught lunch and checked in at the local electronics store, again talking over our options for the various things for our new place. Our afternoon appointment was in Darby City center, a wonderful 2 -4 block area that is all foot traffic full of all sorts of shops and such. We had an appointment to set up our banking, after about 90 minutes we were sent away. Our information would be processed and then, assuming that all went well we would be issued an account the next day or so. No deposit made. We popped into Derby and found dinner in the Cathedral district at Friar’s steak house. Ed had a very respectable steak.

Tuesday morning we met with Beverley. Beverley is a wonderful woman who not only drove us about the next 2 days but had gone ahead of us, and arranged multitude of homes to view. She kept us from the worst ends of town and on the right (that is the left) side of the road with no thought at all!  We saw 7 properties on Tuesday. Some were within walking distance of Rolls-Royce, where Ed will be working. We saw an old home with sheep as neighbors, lots of overgrown garden or lawn. It looked as if no one had lived there for some time and it suffered of patching together and neglect. We also saw some very nice homes as well.  That evening we had dinner at the local pub with Lee Carson, his wife Jen and son Drew (4 years old). Lee oversees the US workers on the submarine project at Rolls-Royce. It was good to meet them and they were very generous with information concerning our upcoming time in the UK.

On Tuesday Beverly took us out to see the last of the houses on our agenda. We saw 2 apartments, one fully furnished and very lovely- but very modern. Not at all the country living style we have had for 30 years.  The most notable home was the property at Longford Hall. We were to see - A wing of the manor home there which was being “let”. The grounds of the property were beautiful, 11 acres, a proper English garden with a stream running through, and a drive about a mile long. It was exquisite! It was also very remote. We sadly rejected this as it is our plan to get to know many of our new UK neighbors and to live- like and with the British.

Coming up the long drive to Longford Hall

We would have had the upper floor, got to love the ivy!

Proper English Garden

We did settle on a lovely home in the town of Mickelover.

Our new address is 2 Brambling Crescent. Mickelover, Derby DE3 0UT; UK. It is a pretty typical brick house in a small neighborhood on the outside of the city of Derby.

The Conservatory

As is typical, the center hall has many doors off of it (all rooms can be closed off from the rest of the house). The living room has a “living flame fireplace “think gas flame. The living room is very spacious with a bump out that looks kind of like a bay window. Attached to the living room is a dining room that leads to the “Conservatory” think sun room. 

View of our back Garden!

There is a very bright kitchen with lots of counter space. The refrigerator is under the counter. (We will shop often.) The gas cooker think cook top with burners is over the oven. This is not usual. There are some built in baskets and cubbies. Making it feel very homey to me.  It has space for a very small nook type kitchen table.  There is a laundry room between the kitchen and the garage, 2 cars, and behind the garage is a very bright room that was added on. It had been used as a gym. This will probably be the sewing room. This room has two sky light windows and a sliding glass door that leads to a small deck and the garden, think yard with garden.  The garage has a small chest freezer in it. As you head back down the hall to the stairs you pass the water closet, think half bath. Upstairs is the family bath, the only tub- but it might fit a small family, with a separate shower. There are 4 other rooms upstairs. The master bedroom with large closets, and an en-suite, think master bath. The room is very bright and should fit our bed from home well. The master bedroom looks out over the front garden and the road. The second bedroom also has an en-suit as well. (The only house we saw with 2 en-suite). This room has a lovely look out over the conservatory and back garden. The third room is quite small and will probably have a desk in it.  The fourth room is another bedroom. It is over the sewing room and looks over the back garden.  The front garden, think yard and garden is small, this is typical and very well kept as it the back. There is the typical fence around the back garden about 5 feet tall. The British require their privacy.

Ed and I are feeling very blessed with this home, I feel like we can move in and make it “feel like” our own. We have pictured Ed’s guitar standing in several corners, but haven’t yet decided where the wall quilts will go.

After house hunting we went to the letting agent and filled out papers. Beverley also, along the way had taken us to the Toyota dealer. We looked at lease cars and settled on an Auris hybrid- an automatic transmission. We plan to pick that up around the first of June.

We had a lovely dinner at the pub “The Spotted Cow” with two of Ed’s new co-workers, Ian and Steve. It was a wonderful night. Ian suggested that I try the bus system the next day. (I have lived so long away from such things I needed that encouragement. Thanks Ian!

On Thursday Ed went in to work, his first solo in THE CAR without a co-pilot. He went in for a meet and greet. He got through security, met with Lee Carson again, meeting many nationals and US ex-patriots; he began some of the startup paper work for security, and such. He later met with Ian and other UK nationals that he will be working with. They asked basically who are you and what have you done at KAPL over the years, and what can you do for us here? Ed was able to answer their questions and their response was a warm welcome. Ed feels that he will be of help to the UK engineers and be of assistance to them as they continue to design the propulsion system for their next submarine. This is the answer to his question of over a year ago… Would they even have any use for my skills there? It is good that Ed is not one who needs instant answers to questions. But the answer was very clearly YES. God is gracious to us; in His time- to give us answers.

While Ed was at work I made my way to the bus stop and took the #6 bus to the City Center. I walked over to the bank. Not having an appointment (having only US phones they had trouble making international calls to call me back) it took over an hour to get help. Hurrah we were granted a checking account. And they let me make a deposit. I then proceeded to walk around the City Center. I stopped in to a shop with a sewing machine in the window. Yes I found a fabric store; it is also a Bernina dealer! I spoke to them about bringing my machine to the UK and they were able to advise me on getting it squared and ready to use. I looked at some of their fabrics and then went to have a scone and tea.  I met up with Ed and we had dinner at the White Stag- a pub. I am not sure but most any eating place may be called a pub. We departed early the next morning to return to Vischer Ferry.

We look forward to returning to the UK. We plan to find as well as make time to see many of the lovely sights and places.  Ed and I are excited to see all the things that the Lord has in store for us in our coming travels. I am sure that we will not return unchanged!

Preparations

Ed and I are making our preparations to head to the U.K. for house hunting. We are excited to see the home that God has prepared for us. I am encourage knowing that we will be joining a group of US engineers and their families that are already in Derby, UK.  We hope to perhaps meet some of them this weekend.

Still in the US- we continue to sort all our things. They will either stay in the house, to leave the house to any of many destinations, or to go with us in our luggage, by air, or by sea. Sometimes this task seems so very big to me, but always, always, God or friends remind me that no task that God has for me is too much. I am grateful for friends who help me to keep my focus on God. 

After we find our accommodations and know what is included in our home we will make the final sorting. The packers are set to arrive and do the job of getting things in boxes and on the way to Derby. All they need is an address to ship to!

Our NY home and belongings are to be watched over by Jillian, Dann and Kevin. They plan to move in after our departure. They have taken on the job of keeping things up, and repairing things in “This Old House”. Since spring has finally arrived in upstate NY the grass has started to grow this will no doubt fall to them soon. The garden has a bumper crop of rhubarb that Kevin and Dann will enjoy as they finish the lawn! The blooms on the cherry tree are beautiful right now, and the azaleas are just showing buds. I do love spring!  Ed and I hope that Jillian, Dann and Kevin enjoy the many parts of “nature” here in the Ferry. 

We are grateful for all your well wishes and prayers on our behalf. God is truly blessing us with this opportunity. And YES we are VERY EXCITED!