Home Is Where Hurst Is

Well, our time in Laredo is over and we are now in Hurst, Texas. Dennis’ last day of work at Laredo International Airport was June 15th and we left Laredo the following day. After a pit stop in San Antonio and an overnight stay in Temple, Texas, we arrived here in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area on Tuesday, June 17th.

We looked at apartments Tuesday afternoon, signed a lease Wednesday morning, shopped for furniture that afternoon and by 6 p.m. that same day, we almost had our entire apartment fully furnished! Since we sold and/or gave away nearly everything back in PA, we arrived here with only a van and a car full of belongings so we were starting from ground zero. Throw in a bunch of trips to Wal-Mart and Super Target along with the usual routine of having 3 children and we have been exhausted!

We’re still getting settled in our adorable apartment/townhouse and we are so happy to have all this space, grass outside for the children to run around in, 2 pools in the complex and everything we could want and/or need within a few miles. And with being an interracial family, we are also appreciating the racial diversity in this area.

Nevertheless, the traveling doesn’t end just yet. We will be heading to Oklahoma City (about 3 hours north of DFW) where Dennis will attend the FAA Academy for 8 weeks beginning July 23rd. Thankfully, we are all able to go with him; the FAA will pay him “per diem” and that will cover our stay in a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom furnished apartment. After Dennis completes school, he will have one day for travel before having to report to work at the DFW International Airport ATCT (Air Traffic Control Tower(s)).

As always, everything is LORD willing...

“Come now you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15

I’ve included the map [below] so you can see where all we drove through in Texas to get to DFW. From Laredo, it was a 7-hour drive and we basically just took Interstate 35 the whole way and drove through San Antonio, Austin and Waco before hitting DFW. Hurst is about 15 minutes northeast of downtown Fort Worth and 30 minutes west of downtown Dallas.

I hope from here things will calm down a bit and my next blog will be to share something other than the Dunnavilles’ travels lol!

The Verdict Is In...

Last week, Dennis received an offer for a job with the FAA at...Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)! He is in the process of completing all of the necessary paperwork and examinations (i.e. background check, physical, psychological evaluation, etc.). Once all that is complete, he should be given a start date either to begin working at the airport or to first attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for 8 weeks.

In other news: As of today, Dennis is now fully certified at the air traffic control tower here in Laredo. We are praising God for this considering all the trials he's faced!

As for heading to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex (LORD allowing), I am looking forward to it. I am excited about going somewhere else new and about all the opportunities living in such an area. For example, there appears to be various established homeschool networks we could link up with which would mean all kinds of opportunities for the children. There are also quite a few large ministries in that area and I look forward to engaging in that arena (including Life Outreach and also Gospel for Asia - a ministry Dennis volunteered for in the past).

I just pray that Dennis' job isn't extra-stressful being that he'll be working at one of the busiest airports in the world. Although, it could feel like a cakewalk after all that he has gone through here lol! Seriously though, after his interview at San Antonio, it appears the FAA is nothing like these contract towers Dennis has worked at so working for the FAA looks promising and we are hoping for the best!

Dennis Got Semi-Certified!

Praise God...after a couple rough weeks at work, Dennis was certified last Friday (April 18th)! It will not be official until an FAA person comes to the tower to look at him, but for now, he is able to be in position and do his job without being under a trainer. His first week of being certified has gone really well --- drama-free especially after everything that took place last week! I thought about sharing it all on here, but it took Dennis 7 pages to write about it in an e-mail!!! Just know it has been quite the trial for Dennis, but the LORD has sustained him through everything and in the end, good prevailed over evil! So, Dennis will keep working in Laredo while we wait to hear from the FAA.

Pictures of Laredo from the Web

Laredo - Gateway to Mexico

On March 1st, we left San Antonio for Laredo (pronounced luh-rā-doe) , a city dubbed “Gateway to Mexico”. Remember Dennis talking about ending up in Mexico?!? Well, we’re just about there; from where we’re currently staying, we are about 15-20 minutes from the border! We have yet to take a trip over to Mexico, but we have driven close enough to the international bridges to see the huge Mexican flag waving in the air. I included the map of Texas to the left so you can see where Laredo is located (for those of you who do not know the geography of Texas; Laredo is on the southwestern border).

Here is the LATEST NEWS with the Dunnavilles as of TODAY: Dennis had an interview with the FAA this morning and it went very well. Based on certain information, we suspect he could be offered a job at either Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or San Antonio International Airport. We were told the hiring process for the FAA could take up to 6 months and for now...it seems the LORD wants Dennis working here in Laredo.

During one of Dennis’ online searches about Laredo, he came across one site that labeled it the worst place to live in the U.S. In other online research, one can find some other not-so-nice statements about Laredo. BUT, we have learned to judge for ourselves before taking others’ words for things and sure enough, I would say Laredo is a fine place to live. That is, if you can handle the crazy drivers and avoid getting a chipped/cracked windshield [which seems to be an epidemic here]. :)

We have been here for 6 weeks now, and I have felt completely safe and comfortable. Laredo is just like every other part of the country where we have lived in that you have your nice people and your not-so-nice people. Some Laredoeans are even extra-social: we have had numerous smiling people walk up and rub Josiah’s head, touch Hannah’s curly hair or grab Moriah’s chubby legs and make some nice comment. Others might find this intrusive, but I find it endearing.

Culture-wise: Laredo is reportedly 94 percent Hispanic. We have been told that Laredo isn’t south Texas, but north Mexico. However, we’ve also heard that Laredo is not like anywhere else in the U.S. and it’s not like anywhere in Mexico either. Most people here are bi-lingual, but out and about, Spanish is definitely the dominant language. Apparently, I fit in here because I have had several people speak to me in Spanish, assuming I understand what they are saying. :)

We have encountered a handful of people who did not speak any English. This could be frustrating, but we find it inspires us to work harder at learning Spanish. We came to Laredo looking forward to being immersed in a Hispanic culture where we would have to be more diligent at learning the language (which is something we’ve talked about doing for years). And we thought if we settle in Laredo and become fluent in Spanish, then maybe we could go in and out of Mexico to minister there.

In other aspects, Laredo is just like the rest of the country with a nice-sized public library, a state park, a shopping mall, many wonderful parks for the children, Wal-Marts, Targets and every fast food you can imagine on almost every street, etc. It is commercialized all throughout the city, which has its pluses and minuses. It is convenient, but being a rural girl, I miss seeing more of nature (although there are palm trees all over the place here which are very pretty). However, I appreciate the unique architecture of various homes and buildings throughout the city.

We recently visited Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) here in Laredo and the campus is beautiful! There is a herd of whitetail deer living around the campus and we were able to see about 5 or 6 of them --- they just graze around right on the main road you take in and out of campus.

Weather-wise: March in Laredo was BEAUTIFUL! The daytime temps were anywhere from 70 to 100 degrees; although the 100 degree-days have been hot, they are not as bad as they sound since the humidity here is nothing like the summers in the northeast! The evenings have all been gorgeous with perfect temperatures and lovely breezes (although I should note sometimes it can get quite windy)! I have thoroughly appreciated January, February and March in Texas. So far, April in Laredo has been quite hot (mostly 90's) so I can't imagine what it will be like in a couple months.

Since coming to Laredo, we have been staying in an extended stay hotel --- which is not bad at all. The only thing getting to Dennis and me is sleeping in the same room with our children given all the noises they make (including Moriah’s snoring lol)! Other than that, we feel we are still living quite luxuriously since we have unlimited AC, a bathroom, a small kitchen with a full-sized fridge, stovetop, microwave and toaster --- and housekeeping. :) After our experience in Connecticut (another long story lol!), we have learned not to make any set plans. Despite our longing to settle down, we came to Laredo knowing that it might only be temporary so staying in a hotel was our best option.

We have just been happy to have a paycheck after 8 months without one! We have enjoyed living on the edge, so to speak, but it definitely wears on you and I am happy to be moving back into a “normal” life (but I'm also not getting my hopes up in case the LORD has other plans lol!).

This should get everyone up-to-date to the present although I have left out many details on the ups and downs of these recent months. In the future, maybe I will rewind and share some of the struggles I’ve experienced. For now, I’m just trying to focus on the positive, namely the LORD’s faithfulness and the overall peace we’ve had throughout everything!!!

Welcome to San Antonio!

A photo of San Antonio at night (taken from the web):



After we left Alabama and were on our way to San Antonio, I was being a little fearful about this whole journey and Dennis asked me, “What would it take for you to believe you’re on the right path? What sign could God give to prove it to you?” I couldn’t really answer that but I must say our arrival into San Antonio that night was quite convincing. We drove into San Antonio right at midnight on New Year’s Eve...fireworks were going off everywhere, including right over Interstate 10 as evidenced by the fireworks' debris falling on our van! Since it’s so flat out here (and apparently they don’t have the same firework laws as in the northeast), you could see fireworks for miles and miles! It was truly amazing! Perhaps it was all a coincidence but either way, I’ll never forget our “welcome” to San Antonio!

As far as our friends we stayed with --- I thank the LORD for their kind hearts and willingness to open their home to others. These guys were already in hospitality mode: They had the wife's grandmother and 3 siblings live with them for an entire year and then, they had a co-worker going through a divorce stay with them for a few months. So, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to stay with a family who was used to having their privacy invaded. :) We know that having a family of 5 stay with you cannot be easy breezy, but we are so grateful that the LORD has made this couple so laidback and welcoming --- we truly did feel at home while there.

While in San Antonio, we made a short visit to the Alamo and the RiverWalk. This was more exciting for me since I had never been to Texas, but Dennis was in San Antonio for basic training in 1998. Here's a photo of the RiverWalk from the web:




Ministry-wise, Dennis was able to visit numerous churches, hand out tracts, talk to people on the street and engage in two different small groups from area churches. I helped take care of the little girl where we were staying to help the family save money on daycare costs. Hannah loved having a little girl to play with!

I also have to mention how gracious our friends were regarding Josiah’s cat allergy. They have a cat and we figured we’d make it work, but after a few days there, Josiah was having asthma-like symptoms to where we tried to keep him outside as much as possible. Our friends asked around to see if anyone they knew could keep their cat and a sweet couple from their church small group offered to keep him while we were there! That was so kind of everyone to do that for Josiah and we never would have expected that! He was fine once the cat wasn’t in the home and we could vacuum up most of the hair/dander.

We enjoyed our 2 months in San Antonio and despite feeling at home with our friends; we did not want to overstay our welcome (Proverbs 25:17). Back when we arrived in Texas, Dennis felt it was time to get a job as a type of tent-making venture so we would not be a burden to anyone (see Acts 18:32 & 2 Thessalonians 3:8). After he looked into various jobs, the first solid offer he received was in his trade at a place we had never heard of before coming to Texas...Laredo. Not long after we arrived in Texas, Dennis looked on a map at all the airports in the U.S. that bordered Mexico and saw Laredo International. Mexico was an area where he had often talked about doing mission work so we were intrigued by the area despite being told that it wasn’t a place we’d want to go --- which we didn’t let deter us.

So, Dennis accepted a position with RVA (an air traffic control contract company) working at Laredo International Airport; which finally brings us to the present location of our travels!

Bayou La Batre, Alabama

First of all, be careful of using phrases like, "I'll NEVER do such and such..." I always used to say that Alabama was one place I never cared to visit since I assumed it would not be a fun place for an interracial family. Lo and behold, we made plans to head to Bayou La Batre, Alabama: the deepest part of Alabama. The map below was the best I could find to show everyone where Bayou La Batre is located. Hopefully you can see the red circle to the east of New Orleans. Bayou La Batre is right along the Gulf of Mexico and is not too far from the Mississippi border.



Fortunately for us, the family we went to stay with was also interracial so we figured if they lived there and were still alive, then clearly there were no crosses being burned in their yard or bricks being thrown through their windows. :) So, just to help with any stereotypes of Alabama --- our experience there was totally uneventful regarding our mixed marriage. Contrary to popular belief, we found Alabama to be quite diverse and everyone seemed to get along just fine.

So...after 2 months of getting rid of most of our things, we left for Alabama on November 27th with just a van full of belongings, not having any idea what the next day would bring. We knew we had a certain amount of money to last us a certain amount of time and we also knew that we had a decent income tax return coming sometime in February. We were comfortable with this. We had money for food and we kept plenty of clothing and had the offer for a roof over our heads, so what more did we need?!? After almost 36 hours between driving, sleeping at rest areas and food/bathroom breaks, we arrived in Bayou La Batre on November 28th. And I thank the LORD for allowing our 3 little ones to be awesome for that entire road trip!

Our friends in Bayou La Batre were very kind to open their home to us. We appreciated their generosity especially considering they have 4 boys of their own and were expecting baby #5 while we were there! Josiah loved being there with all the boys --- their home was definitely his favorite stop throughout this trip!!!

We planned on going to Alabama and ministering there just like anywhere else until the LORD led us otherwise and within 2 weeks, we had an inkling that we would not be settling in Alabama. Before leaving PA, Dennis kept saying we could be there for 1 day, 1 month, 1 year or 10 years. (Note: He also said something about ending up in Mexico, although his mention of this overwhelmed me.) In the end, we were in Alabama for 5 weeks. We had various plans for our time there and although we were unable to see some of those through, we learned several lessons and so we feel that our time there was not a loss. Dennis was able to evangelize to some people here and there (including a woman who appeared to be considering an abortion), but it seemed that our stay there was more for our sharpening and refinement.

On a lighter note, we went to a park one day that was right on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico (Hannah called it "the park in Mexico"). It was beautiful, however, the mosquitoes were TERRIBLE even in December!!! Dennis might tell you the bugs were a deciding factor to leave Alabama lol! :)

Once we were in Alabama, we began making tentative plans of doing a “circuit”; spending summers in the north and winters in the south. The idea then expanded to evangelizing around the country (i.e. Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, California, Montana, West Virginia), being hosted by various friends/contacts and then making our way back to PA. It was at this time that Dennis began making calls to arrange hosts in various places. Since Dennis had 2 job offers in PA, we thought perhaps we could end up there or take a job anywhere he was led throughout our trip. During our visits around the country, we would do our best to evangelize, minister and spur on other believers in those areas.

From Alabama, our options were to go to Arkansas or Texas but in the end, Dennis felt a leaning toward some dear friends we knew from our time in Delaware who were now in San Antonio.

And thus began the next phase of our journey...