A Moving Story

Facing crisis far from home
How one transplant to Alabama had the support of new "sisters" when she least expected it

Kellie in Alabama

I have been so blessed with the Huntsville, AL [Moving On After Moving In] Group, under Pam Zavada's leadership at Cove United Methodist Church.

I am an Air Force spouse that was invited to join this group after moving from Georgia to Alabama. I did not live "local", about 25 minutes away; well over the mountain. With gas prices, I tried to talk myself out of joining the group, because I had moved 9 times in 15 years and really did not think I needed this group for "support". I had that all figured out, but the Lord kept stirring at my heart and one day He spoke to me and said, "Kellie, it's not about you this time, it's about others." I got it!! I was supposed to go there and encourage women who have moved for the first time or 10th time. I have been so blessed by this group. Last year I was invited to join the leadership team and help facilitate the group and it has been such a joy.

We had our graduation today and we do things "BIG" here in the south, as you know. We bought gerbera daisies and put a tag on each plant that said, "Bloom where you are planted." We purchased balloons - lots of balloons - and told them to fly now! And, of course they each got bookmarks and luggage tags. We had lots of tears today as we all shared how much this group has done for each of us personally.

Let me share what those little luggage tags did for me! As I said earlier, I am married to an officer in the Air Force that is a triathlete and, 5 months after moving in, my sweet husband had a blood clot in his calf and both lungs and was hospitalized. As he went in for his MRI I was all alone and no cell phone service available so I began to clean my purse out and there were all my luggage tags on the ring. I began to read all of the scriptures and pray, who would have thought little luggage tags would have meant so much!

Then when we went back to the ER the nurse said my sister was waiting to see us. Sister?? I thought... ok?? It was Kathy from my [Moving On] group. She is approximately 5ft.tall - on a good day - and I am close to 6ft tall. I started to cry when I saw her.

She whispered in my ear, "Sister in Christ."

"Right!" I said, "Absolutely!"

Two of the girls in our group have husbands who are physicians and they came in to pray with me and my husband. Little did I know how much I needed that group.

We are schedule to PCS next Spring and I would love to start a group on the next base that we are assigned to.