Welcome Home!
A couple of significant changes have been happening in the Donahue house. I don’t frequently post about family-related activity (I don’t post frequently at all) as it is mostly covered over at Donahue Happenings but here are a few things which are worth covering!
Meet Ezra.
Ezra Joseph Donahue was born January 20th in Lewiston, ME. At six months old, and is as big as his 1-year-old peers. I call him “The Large One” which is mostly in light of a nickname I picked up from Evan Desjardins – supposedly in light of my affection for Dunkin’ Donuts, but I don’t ask questions. Once again it’s proven true that “all children are different” as “Tres” is altogether unlikely his older brother and sister in their infancy. I could bore you with details of birth weight and size and time and eye color and percentage of birth weight composed of hair – but here is the important fact: He completes our family. We have a really special sense of togetherness and closeness that is nothing like what I’ve felt before. Andrew and Amelia absolutely love Ezra. When they are not watching Spider-Man or Avatar: The Last Airbender, they are smiling and tickling and playing with Ezra.
Within a couple weeks of Ezra’s birth we also welcomed my niece Lilliana Kathleen (who visited her American family recently!) and the passing of my Nana, Kathleen Brydon, as well as the passing of Julie’s grandfather Ira “Joe” Berry. This was a highly emotional time for our family and many helped us through it.
Pastor, Ellsworth Church of the Nazarene
Following the Call of God, which it could only be at this tumultuous time in our lives, we packed up the fam and moved to Downeast Maine as Pastor of the Ellsworth Church of the Nazarene. This is truly a new chapter in our lives, and its still overwhelming – even 5 months into it – but God has been good and both the churches at Ellsworth and Lisbon Falls have been very gracious to us. It has been tremendously heart-breaking to part ways with students and families that I have LOVED for four years – but I am very grateful that I am moving only a couple hours away and still get to see them around. I have been surprised by visits from Sandi Wood and Dustin, Robert, Melissa, and Kristen at district events, and have seen Jordan (briefly!) at teen camp and kids camp. I hear reports of Ben and Meagan who are stepping up and serving in Children’s Ministry. I still see Erlene everywhere I go!! Rick and Janice and the whole family came up to visit one weekend and I was also able to see them recently at camp.
As we came off the 50-foot truck which moved us here, we were welcomed by a large banner in the parsonage reading, “Welcome Home!” and signed by many in the church. And so we turn the page into a new chapter of our lives – with three kids, 2 of which will be in school in just a few short weeks, a new role for me serving in ministry, a new location to explore and new families to meet and to love . Welcome home.