It's been along time since my last post and I hope it won't be quite so long between my next post. With that being the case and hopefully apologies accepted(yes, that 1st sentence was an apology) here's what has been happening in the life of Chad.

Frankly, a lot has occurred since I've arrived in Pittsburgh. I've met tons of kids, done lots of activities, coached a basketball team, shared many meals and shared the Gospel. I feel like I've seriously won God's lottery. I left a life in Salt Lake City where I had more friends than a person should be allowed. I loved the life I was living in Salt Lake and frankly thought I'd live out the rest of my days there. I guess I should go back to the beginning and tell you why with all things mentioned above, am I in Pittsburgh.

January of 2008, I recieved a call from my friend Jeff Hartings (who moved to Pittsburgh 4 months earlier to continue an inner city ministry) that he needed help and would I consider moving to Pittsburgh to help him. Jeff retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers a year previous and wanted to do full time ministry yet didn't know what that looked like. Jeff and I bonded through his years in Salt Lake City and always thought we would do something together. The problem was he ended up moving back to Pittsburgh. Hence his call.

When I recieved that call I thought to myself, I'd love to do ministry with Jeff but he's in Pittsburgh and I live in Salt Lake City. I'll put him off and eventually he'll find someone else. Time started moving and every now and then Jeff would ask me what I was thinking in regards to coming out there. Friends who knew about this swear I was moving to Pittsburgh, I had no plans to leave Salt Lake. Eventually and I think it was around the end of March or the 1st part of April I figured I better give Jeff an answer. One problem, I hadn't even asked God what he thought of this. (I call myself a Christian and follower of Christ who has a personal relationship with God yet I don't ask about this decision!?!) Well I decided to ask, and even more than that I asked God to leave me without a doubt it was his answer. (see Gideon in the Old Testament) God answered me in a very personal way, in very real terms that I was to leave Salt Lake and do his bidding in Pittsburgh. (I may sound a little vague here but you are more than welcome to talk to me in a personal discussion)

Sure enough, by July I was packing my things and moving to Pittsburgh.

Now back to winning God's lottery. Since being in Pittsburgh for 4 months I've never for 1 second regretted even in the deep recesses of my mind moving to Pittsburgh. I've been given so much peace and love by God that even with not being around my friends and spending many nights alone with not much to do. I've had a peace. To know me, this is incredible. Do I miss my relationships, of course, the point is I think they will do nothing but get stronger as time goes on and most if not all of them know what I'm doing and know that there's nothing better I could be doing.