The Russinger family is made up of Greg (38), Michele (37), Ashtin (10) and Liam (6). In December 2007 we decided to make a major move to Portland OR from the watery ledge of Ventura CA to re-imagine, re-align and re-store our family unit and family mission. With any move, the emotional, geographical, and social changes take time, requires patience, understanding, and a need for welcome. Patience and understanding we sit with daily, the welcome portion, well, that has been consistent due to the self-less presence of Dennis and Patsy or grandpa, grandma, mom and dad as we know them. We are slowly finding our way into the world of relationship here in the NW, this is a gradual and gentle process something we dont take lightly.
The northwest has come with some role reversals or maybe its ‘role cooperation’? Michele has been working as office manager/events coordinator full time while Greg readies the kids for school, helps with the household items, (laundry, food, kids, errands, etc). Greg also consults for non profits on the side (when offered), works part time as a janitor and is the co-founder/president of JustOne (www.just4one.org). This cooperative way of life has taught Greg and Michele a level of compatibility they never shared in Ventura and has brought the occasional argument and laugh like when Allison, Michele’s sister, called Greg to wish him a happy Mothers Day:) (don’t you love the third person story telling)
The kids are adjusting well in their new school. Mt Scott Elementary has provided a familiarity for Ashtin who is now in the 4th grade making friends and enjoying being ed-u-me-cated. Liam has started kinder-garden and is adjusting slowly, but with his personality he will do just fine. The other day Liam raised his voice in class asking “who wants to be my friend,” in which a little girl name Kenzie responded, ‘i do’. Thats one way of making it happen.
After months of living with Dennis and Patsy we planted ourselves outside Portland in a spacious row house with a wonderful view. Spacious for us is anything over 800 sq feet since that was the size of the Ventura apt we lived in for 13+ years. We are loving the sound of neighbors, the city lights from our window, and watching Ashtin and Liam play with the neighborhood kids, something we had always hoped they would experience. The urban, gritty, diverse, creative and socially devout attributes of Portland stabilize us when we consider all that we left and the 833 mile chasm that stands between us and the friends/family that remain south from here. But thanks be to God for facebook, email, myspace, ichat, skype, twitter, texting, and every other social medium we depend on (scary thought) for the sharing of life. Though we can all agree nothing rivals the face to face experience (there’s something to that whole physical proximity thing:), those facial moments will become even more memorable and important as they occur.
So, this is just a piece of the Russinger Road, more can and will be said as this new adventure blooms. We know ‘faith travel’ is not easy, but when we look in the rear view mirror we recall the fumbles, the fruit, the failures, the forgiveness and the true friendships that have paved our yesterdays and will fortify the road that take us into our tomorrows.
Living for a just one world, hope you will join us!
The Russingers…