When we tell people in Montgomery that we are actually international missionaries and that Sean travels to the Caribbean every six weeks or so, we often get confused looks. Sometimes it’s because people aren’t sure how it actually works but sometimes it’s because they are shocked that we can regularly fly to the Caribbean from Montgomery. I mean, the Montgomery Regional Airport is nice, the lines are short and it is super convenient… but it isn’t exactly a hub for the Caribbean.
(If you want the basic summary of why we are moving then skip down to the last section).
Flying from Montgomery…
For Sean to get to…. let’s say, Antigua… he has to get up around 4am so he can be at the airport early enough to catch the 6am flight to Charlotte. (There are NO flights to Miami from Montgomery). Hopefully this flight is on time (which it seems to often NOT be) because he has an hour before his next flight to Miami where around noon he will head to Antigua. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room!
On the way back home he often has to stay the night in Miami or if he can get home in the same day, it’s not until 11pm (and that’s on a good night). It can be a hassle and it costs us extra time and money. We are so grateful that Sean can do his job from Montgomery though! But unfortunately the flight issues have only become more difficult… we really hoped as time went on it would get better.
Missing Family…
Also, we are sooooo much closer to family living in Montgomery than we were in St. Kitts and Turks & Caicos. But over the last four years we’ve realized that living three hours away from all of Sean’s side of the family is still far. (Mandi’s family is in Texas and South Dakota.) We are so grateful to spend holidays with our family… something that wasn’t always possible when we lived in the Caribbean. But we would love to see them more. Our girls want to see their grandparents and play with their cousins more than just a few times a year.
Moving to Pensacola!
Moving close to Pensacola will help with both of these issues! Sean’s family lives about 40 minutes away! And not only does Pensacola offer the same three Charlotte flights a day as Montgomery, but also 5 – 7 daily Miami flights!! How awesome is that?! Flying out of Pensacola will make traveling to and from the Caribbean so much easier. Sean will have OPTIONS! He won’t always have to get up at 4am or get home at midnight… and no more overnights in Miami. PLUS, flying out of Pensacola will save us about $300 per trip!
The cost, time and family make this a good decision for us but there is one more reason to go…
Changes in Schooling
Our girls are already facing big changes for 2020… Maddy will start middle school and Riley-Grace will start Kindergarten (time please stop). Maddy’s current school stops at 5th grade so she will have to make a transition no matter where we live. So when thinking about when to move, it seems wise to do so this summer. This way neither of them will have to change schools unnecessarily.
And about the schools….
We are actually looking at moving to Pace or Milton right outside of Pensacola instead of living in the city. This would give Sean easy access to the airport but also allow our kids to be zoned for Santa Rosa County schools (which are excellent).
As for Charlotte, she is still young enough that moving wouldn’t be a difficult adjustment… especially because it would mean she gets to see her grandparents regularly!
How You Can Pray!
Please pray for us to make money from the sell of our house. We made several upgrades to our home over the last few years and the market is much more expensive in the Pensacola area. So we need to make a larger down payment to be good stewards!
Also related to selling our home, please pray that it will sell before the summer. We are staying in Montgomery through the end of Maddy’s school year but would like to have our new Pace/Milton address so the girls can start at their new schools in August.
So also pray that we will be able to find the right house and close on it before the 2020/2021 school year begins.
And of course please pray for our family as we say goodbye to our friends, church and life here in Montgomery. Moving is never easy. We know this decision is wise and we want to go but we are sad at the same time. Montgomery is where we lived when we were first married. All of our kids were born here. Our church home is here. We loved our life here so much that we chose to move back after leaving the Caribbean. So please pray for us to have “good” goodbyes.
Basic Summary (for those who skipped ahead):
We are moving to the Pensacola area this summer 2020.
Nothing is changing with our CEF ministry. Sean is still the Area Director for the North Caribbean.
It costs us extra time and money to fly out of Montgomery to the Caribbean.
We will be much closer to Sean’s side of the family (40 minutes) instead of the three hours we are now.
Pray for our house to sell before the summer.
The housing market is more expensive near Pensacola. Pray for us to make enough money from the sell of our home so we can make a larger down payment.
Pray for us to find the right house and to close on it before the next school year begins.
Pray for our family as we say goodbye to friends, our church and our life in Montgomery.
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