Moving to Tupelo/Saltillo area....

Well, now that yesterday (Sunday) is over, I can finally share with everyone the changes that are going on the lives of the Burks family. Stephen has put in his 2 week resignation at Ackerman Baptist Church yesterday morning - it was a very emotional day! We are very sad to be leaving our church family in Ackerman, but are also very excited about the new doors that are being opened for us.

As most of you know, we put our house on the market in April just due to the fact that I (Ashley) wanted little bigger house - or kitchen mainly I should say. Originally, we were just looking at houses in Starkville. As time went on, Stephen begin to know that God was about to make some changes in our life, but we didn't know what it was. One of Stephen's friends from seminary is a Senior Pastor of a church in Booneville, MS and has been after him for over 2 years on coming to Booneville. But, the church there has not been in a position to staff a youth minister. But, over the last 3 months, great things have been happening in that church. In a nut shell, they have been given enough money to buy two lots right next to the church with 2 houses on them, money to re-do the interior of the sanctuary, money to pay a youth minster's salary for 1 year, and money to get the youth program off the ground in running. With these changes in Booneville, the church there began seriously talking to Stephen about being the youth minister there.

So now the committee in Booneville is meeting and are going through all the proper procedures to make things happen and hopefully it will all be done in a couple weeks and if not then we are still sure that God wants us in this area for a reason. So at this point we a currently packing up our house and trying to nail down close dates on both houses inevitably we will be moving at some point in the next week sprinkle in some furniture shopping, Season opener for MSU, and Hopefully but probably not realistically some dove hunting and you begin to get an accurate picture of what our life is right now.

We are torn up about leaving our friends but are excited about what the future has for us and are positive that God has it all worked out. We have plenty of room to entertain now so all of you who loved trying to eat with 20 other people in the House in Stark-vegas rest asure there will be plenty of room in the new House.