“Kids, we have something to tell you,” my mom uttered softly. Turning to look my dad in the eyes, she let out a sigh. My dad’s deep voice rang clearly, “We are leaving Cornerstone.”
My brother Noah and I were shocked. Our family would soon be uprooted from the church I was born into, the place I had come to know and love. There we sat in Office Depot, not knowing what to think or how to react. The news had come so unexpectedly, and we were simply stunned. “Why?” I thought. Although my 8 year-old mind did not understand at first why my parents would make this decision, later I knew it was all for the best. At our new church, we found beautiful friendships, sound doctrine, and new opportunities.
It was not long until we discovered another church to visit. From the get-go, my parents knew this would be our spiritual home for a while. Countless beautiful friendships blossomed there. On the first day we visited, everyone was exceedingly friendly. They asked for ways they could help us, got to know us, invited us into their homes, and connected us to the church in many different ways. Distinctly, I remember walking through the halls with various people approaching us to welcome and ask questions about us. Even the kids would come up to introduce themselves. In fact, I met my best friend Annika at this new church. Meeting new people and creating solid friendships was a huge help in the transition and is a massive blessing to this day. 
Another thing that stood out to us there was the Gospel-centered doctrine presented from the pulpit. Each week, Pastor Pino exposited a passage of scripture in light of the saving work of Christ dying on the cross for our sins. At Cornerstone Bible Church, they had a more legalistic approach. Rather than regularly pointing to the crux of the Christian faith in each message, they would focus on ways to improve yourself with the commands of the Bible. By going to this church, the Holy Spirit enabled us to more deeply understand the reality of the Gospel. This was a significant blessing in our spiritual journey.
This establishment also offered new opportunities to participate in as the body of Christ. Previously, we were not able to interact very much at Cornerstone. At Palm Vista, they had a great youth group for my older brother, Paul. In addition, they had a fantastic children’s ministry program where my younger brother Noah and I could enjoy worshipping Christ and memorizing Bible verses with friends. Undoubtedly, of all the facets of this new church, the most profitable was Home Group. “Home Group” is when a strong family in the church hosts scheduled gatherings each month for the people of God. For the adults, Home Group meant a time in the middle of the busy week to nourish friendships, sing, chat, and discuss Sunday’s sermon. For us kids, Home Group meant delicious snacks, games with friends, exercising our imaginations, and trying our utmost to keep the noise level down upstairs while the parents conversed downstairs. These aspects of Palm Vista made the transition much more bearable, and even enjoyable, for our family.  
Thankfully, at Palm Vista Community Church, my family and I benefited from long-lasting friendships, sound instruction, and exciting opportunities. Now, I’m not saying this was an easy time of life for us. I’m not saying I did not lose some great friends in this process. I’m not saying I do not still miss Cornerstone sometimes. What I am saying is this; after all was said and done, it was the right decision, even though it was a hard decision. Eight years later, we are still attending and serving at Palm Vista. We have made so many heartwarming memories here, and are looking forward to making more. So, although at first God’s plans were unclear to me, now I can lucidly see that they were all for the best.