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Things are pretty good, actually. I think Richard knows that I'm still interested in him, but he's been very graceful and kind to me. He even attended my 26th birthday party in March, which was a big deal to me seeing as that was the first event, that I had put together that he actually showed up for!
Last month, I was able to spend more time with him at the annual Creation Camp, which is a weekend camp-out for kids and their counsellors. So that was a special treat for me.
A few months ago, I discovered that his parents are planning on moving out of the Valley. At first, I was worried that Richard would be going with them. But it sounds like he is planning on staying here, because his friends, job, EMT work, etc. are all here. All he has to do is find himself some property and a place to stay while his home is being established. I'm pretty sure that his best friend, Jared, would be more than happy to let Richard stay with him for a while. Also, the pastor and his wife have been known to board people before, so I'm sure they'd be open to boarding Richard for as long as he needed. Please pray for Richard, his parents and his sister, as there's a lot of confusion about what they should do.
Richard has also agreed to help me and two other adults work with the youth group, to paint Jared's house at the end of the month. He's never agreed to help out with youth group before. But I guess he figures that since he'll be helping his best friend, it'll be okay. This will provide me with an opportunity to not only have fellowship with Richard, but to also observe him in different situations. Joshua Harris recommends that if you're interested in someone, you should observe them in different situations, so you can get a feel for that person's character. So far, Richard has displayed a very loving, gentle, patient and godly character. (And trust me, I've tested his patience quite a bit during the past two years! LOL) And then, there's the possibility that he'll stop by my place every now and then to do some basic maitenence on my mother's conversion van, and the chance that he'll be haying on my mother's property next year. So who knows? If Richard's the one for me, maybe God is opening the doors. Then again, it could just be wishful thinking.
I'll keep y'all updated.