Country Mouse Moves to the City

By Matt Acton

On my first night in Western Pennsylvania (before Maureen and I were married), I tragically burned my Stouffer's French Bread Pizza in the oven. Discouraged and hungry, I took to the streets to find myself something to eat for dinner. To my shock and amazement, everything was closed and I do mean everything! I later found out that all businesses in that small town closed promptly at 5:00 pm. If you needed something at 5:01, you were out of luck. I remember walking home to eat blackened three meat pizza thinking, this is going to take some getting used to. Well, after four years of stores closing at 5:00 pm, schools and businesses closing for the first day of deer hunting season, cow patty bingo, and "corning," we've left behind the small town of Ligonier and moved back to the city of Baltimore.

While it may take a few weeks to get used to the faster pace, it is exciting to be back in Baltimore. My wife, Maureen, and I first met here in Baltimore when we were both freshmen at Loyola College. I think we would both agree that it was during those four years that our faith went from believing in a God to knowing and loving Him and seeking out His will, thanks in part to the work of Kevin Hula (A little shout out to our InterVarsity faculty advisor). Through a series of divine interventions, God brought me to Ligonier, Pennsylvania and three months later, Maureen joined me after we were married. For four years, we worked with youth at Covenant Presbyterian Church and Ligonier Camp and Conference Center. Then God decided to do that crazy thing He's been known to do and call us out of Pennsylvania to come lead the Student Ministries program here at Central Presbyterian Church. While it was difficult to leave our first home together, we are very excited about where God has brought us and what He has planned for us and Central.

We bring with us our beautiful two-year-old daughter, Michaela, who has been known to entertain patrons at Target with her rousing medley of "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jingle Bells." This summer, we are looking forward to adding to our family with the birth of our second child (gender to be discovered at a later date). We are looking forward to raising them in this church and community.

In the story, when the country mouse goes to visit the city mouse, the country mouse gets uncomfortable and scared and rushes back to the country. Well, from what I've witnessed, if that mouse had gotten involved with a community like the one here at Central, that story would have had a different ending.

(see also Central Welcomes New Director of Student Ministries)