As an MK, deciding which place to call “home” can be quite confusing. So, in general, my home tends to be based around where my people are!
A little over two years ago, we moved to a small farming community here in Indiana so that my husband could pursue a full-time ministry position. Even though our new town lies only forty-five minutes away from our previous town, it has a very different feel!
Here, everyone knows everyone else and their cousins, too. 🙂 People are friendly and patriotic. Neighbors look out for one another and kids play in backyards around the block safely, for the most part. Many homes in this town, including ours, were built well before 1900 and have the architecture to prove it!
We have one stoplight in town (and one four-way flasher), next to which stands this giant Indian statue, a monument to the Miami Indians. You might recognize him from the opening credits of the show “Parks and Recreation.” In town, he’s just known as “the Indian” and serves as a great point of reference when giving visitors directions!
We’re very thankful for the small library here in town, which in spite of its size, hosts a summer reading club for the kiddos each year. Our town also sports a fairly new community gym, which has been helpful during the winter months when the only option for activity is to don layers and layers of snow gear. 🙂
Our town is surrounded by farmlands, but not the vast rolling expanses you might expect to see in some midwestern states. The farmland in Indiana is dotted by clumps of forest here and there, remnants of the pioneer days. I particularly love seeing these crosses whenever I travel to a neighboring town for groceries. The last time I went, the sun was just setting, full of final-minutes glory.
Currently we spend a lot of time at the soccer fields in our nearby sister town. We’re thankful for the opportunity to join sports teams since the offerings are few and far between locally.
We’re also incredibly thankful for the school that our children attend nearby. It’s an elementary attached to a combined junior high/high school, small enough for decent class sizes, but big enough to offer an academic challenge for our two older children, both smarty pants. Most of all, we appreciate the school’s dedication to patriotism and morals. Our principals are free to pray openly, as well as our students, a freedom that no longer exists in many American schools!
Although we’re still getting used to the small-town atmosphere, we are really beginning to enjoy it! I wasn’t sure the Lord really knew what He was doing when we first moved here. There were many difficult adjustments in store for us, but of course, His plans are always, always for our best.
And now, it’s really starting to feel like Home.
Jen 🙂
NOTE to the Lofters – what lies below is the previous Loft link-up. For the new link-up, please visit Leah Adams!
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This Week’s Topic: “My Town” (We want to know about where you live! We are living all over the world, so tell us a few of the unique things about your town, city, or farmland. Share a photo, give us a video tour, or just share what makes where you live special. This will be fun!)
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Also sharing with The Loft (version 2) at Leah’s place.
Jen, your hometown sounds very much like mine…small and wonderful. I’ve never seen the Indian…I don’t watch tv much. thanks for sharing about your town. It helps me know you better, friend.
Hi, Leah. 🙂 Yes, our town is small and wonderful – the more I learn about it, the more I love it! I just recently found out that the Indian was featured on tv, myself, haha. I look forward to reading about your town, too!
Jen 🙂
Jen. Thanks for letting me visit your small town. It’s looks like a great place to raise a family. Does it have great history?
Chris, I believe it IS a great place to raise a family! I’m sure our town has wonderful history (I do seem to remember it sprung up due to oil fields – maybe??), but I’m not much of a history lover. My husband would probably know more about that than I would. It probably wouldn’t hurt me to find out about it!
Jen 🙂
Indiana isn’t too far from WI. We just went to Middlebury to pick up a tractor, spent the night and came home. It was a FULL day of driving both days, but was fun to see the countryside. It is actually fascinating to me how diverse our country is any time I travel.
Love your staircase!!! 🙂
Yes, there is so much of our country that I would love to see in person! 🙂 I wish I would have had a better shot of our staircase because you can’t see the underside of it, which is beautiful! Maybe someday I’ll clear out the toys and take another shot of it.
Jen 🙂
I grew up about one hour from Indiana in Michigan, Still love to go to Shipshewana whenever we have the opportunity. Sounds like a wonderful place to raise a family!
I haven’t been to Shipshewana in a few years, but it’s a lovely place to visit! Now that our littles are a few years older, we could probably do that as a family and actually enjoy it.
Jen 🙂
Sounds like a great town!!!
It’s taken some getting used to, mostly because I’m used to convenience, but there is so much to love about our new town! And I’m finding that the flip-side of convenience is peace, quiet, and a slower pace of life that our lives often lack.
Jen 🙂
I arrived at The Loft too late to link up (I added my post to a comment on Arabah Joy’s blog). Our house was built in 1900 too! I LOVE the three crosses! We have a bill board with a cross and Jesus on it that I love to see- particularly because bill boards are now illegal in Maine. This one must have been grandfathered or something because it’s been allowed to remain. Thanks for sharing your small town which oddly enough had things in common with our city!
Isn’t it funny how we can have things in common in spite of vast distances? It really is a small world we live in, in some ways! Hopefully you can join in this week’s link-up!
Jen 🙂
Haha – I can hear it now… “So you turn the corner, go past the Indian, and turn right…” That really is such a cool way to give directions! I love learning little tidbits like that! And the 3 crosses – just beautiful! Thanks for sharing your town with us! I love small-town living; we don’t have anything quite like that out here. Enjoy the beautiful fall season! 🙂
It’s very convenient for directions since getting to our place involves turning at that intersection! 🙂 I’ve always wanted to take a picture of those three crosses, so last time I passed them I just pulled over and made it happen. I’d love to go at sunrise sometime. The sunset was too far behind them to capture. I would have had to cross a huge ditch and get in the field. But, a sunrise could probably be captured from the road!
Je 🙂
This is such a sweet place to live – I would love to live in a community like yours! It sounds so quaint and homely. I hope you are doing well Jen! 🙂 xxx
Our town is a nice place to raise a family! I am well, Ruth, thank you for asking. How about you?
Jen 🙂
So glad you linked up with us this week.
Thank you for hosting, Leah! 🙂
Jen, your “new” home town looks inviting and interesting and like a place I would like to visit one day. Thank you for sharing… LOVE the Indian, by the way… what a memorable landmark! Blessings to you and the ministry life… I am a pastors wife, too!
Hello, Jen! It’s always a pleasure to meet a fellow pastor’s wife. 🙂 Yes, it’s a really nice place to raise a family. Thanks for stopping by.
Jen 🙂