Co-laborers turned Family

This week we will say goodbye to a family, the Morgado's. It is not just a family but truly family. Let me give you a little context. We met the Morgado's in Birmingham 6 years ago when we were all attending the core team meetings after Church of Brookhill's Sunday services. Each week Andrew would share about core values and vision for the Hallows Church plant. We didn't get to know them well, maybe had 1-2 real conversations while in Alabama. Everyone who was attending those meetings seemed to be individually praying and discussing the potential move to Seattle with their close friends, small groups and family. After everyone spent at least a year praying, job searching, etc some families and individuals decided the Lord was saying move. We arrived in Seattle in Oct 2011 and the Morgado's arrive in May 2012 about 6 months later. I remember not knowing them well, but excited that another family would be joining us. At the time we had baby Leighton and Alice and Brandon Morgado had just their oldest Jonah and Caroline who were almost 4 and 2 years I think.

Hallows Community 2012

Caroline, Leighton, Jonah and Delaney 2012

Alice reminded me last night that her earliest memory of us was how she was honored I asked her to watch Leighton while Wes and I did a dirty dash race. She was happy I had asked her and entrusted Leighton to her for the day even though we were just getting to know each other. That was a big deal for me too. But over the next 5 years we would watch each others kids a lot. Since neither of us have family close, you lean into friends. It is a must to survive. I tear up typing this as I remember how Alice grabbed Leighton and Sadie from the hospital the day Levi bled. I never saw her but I knew the girls were taken care of. All the emotions, feels, and memories are beginning to flood now. When the Morgado's began praying about potentially moving back to Birmingham it didn't seem real. And I think I was in denial till last night at church as it was their last Sunday. They served communion at the end of the service. That is when I lost it. They served the Lord's Super as "Great is Thy Faithfulness" played and I couldn't hold back the sobs.

All the memories rain or shine started to flood in. I started picturing about 20 of us sitting in the side room of church on Sundays meeting before our first worship gathering launched AND all the play dates, holidays, service over the years. We never got to be in a small group or (missional community as we call them) with the Morgado's because we were both leaders of them initially.

When you decide to invest in a city, a church for the sake of the gospel whether you think you are qualified or not you become leaders of small groups, running sound, doing set up, kids ministry, etc. Bodies are needed for all kinds of service. That is what it looked like over 5 years in general for us and the Morgado's. Most of our relationship was serving back to back. Not serving hand in hand but back to back trying to get to know others. The cool thing about church planting is that even if we actually spent time with others more, we were here in Seattle for the same purpose. We had each other's back when we needed help or to celebrate kids birthdays. There is was  automatic tight, unspoken bond when you have a common mission in life. Our two families missions being our church' mission, to multiply and magnify the gospel through Seattle to the ends of the earth.

What a joy it has been to be co-laborers with them and mutually discipled by them. For me, Alice is a gracious, patient example of God's love to her kids. They are generous with their time and resources. They have let our extended families stay in their house when they have been out of town. We have watched them love others well and invest in many couples, families and individuals.

mutual discipleship by all these ladies for 5+ years = God's grace 

Alice baptizing a friend, Gabrielle, who Alice and Brandon invested in her and her husband sacrificially

Getting to rejoice with the Morgado's and all of our church family of how God has been at work has also been fun. Like I said our church's mission and thus our families common goal in Seattle has been to see the gospel multiplied and magnified throughout Seattle to the ends of the earth is awesome. Hallows church now has 3 expressions throughout the city. Though maybe smaller in number, the gospel is being proclaimed. Seattle is a unique city in which turnover is frequent and most people either reject the gospel or are committed followers of Christ. No cultural Christianity or people really growing up here/staying for 20 years.... Hallows may always be "planting" for these reasons.

elders/staff Christmas party

 Leighton and Caroline are only 1 year apart and they have had a sweet friendship over the years. They play so well together and graciously have included Sadie as she got older.

Their entire family has been part of our kids community as well. 

Since neither Alice nor I are much of a hugger we will let the girls do it for us. Tear. 

 We will end with Brandon's announcement from Facebook at the bottom....when I read it, I put myself in their shoes and agree whole heartedly with it all :) It also made me think of how I don't think the Moragdo's would say their heart was for Seattle and now their heart is for Birmingham. This is what makes the decision / discernment process when moving hard. See I believe the Morgado's heart breaks for what breaks God's. We don't have to choose between making disciples here or there. There is no "or" in Acts 1:8. You can make disciples in Seattle AND Birmingham AND ____ . That's the picture of doing what we want to do here or there for the sake of the gospel everywhere. God has a heart for the world, which includes Birmingham and Seattle. If we have only a heart for Birmingham then we only have < 1% of God's heart. Or if our heart is only for the US then we only have a heart for 5% of God's heart. Lets be a people that has a heart for the world, God's heart.

5 years ago at this time, Alice and I were planning our move from Birmingham to Seattle. We were getting things in order and making arrangements for the thousand things that needed to happen in order to move across the country. 

We came to Seattle with the intention of serving alongside some amazing people to plant a church. The Lord blessed the work in unbelievable ways. Over the past 5 years, God drew imperfect people together to live out the gospel and to be a blessing to the city of Seattle and the ends of the earth. 

In all honesty, the Hallows Church is the most amazing church family I've ever experienced. We've been loved and cared for in countless ways. We've matured in the gospel and the understanding of what true community looks like. I am incredibly thankful for every person that I've been able to work, worship, and serve with here. 

But after months of praying about our family's future and the direction we need to go, we have felt that the Lord is leading us back to Birmingham. 

We are both happy about the new chapter we are starting and sad for all the friends and family in Seattle that we will miss. God has used this city and our faith community in powerful ways during our time here.