And finally, the fundamental reason we chose Ajijic for our year abroad: we’ve sensed God’s leading to come here.

We’re Christians, and we’ve been praying for God’s guidance throughout this process. One way I sense His leading is through peace—or the lack of it—in my heart. Many times over the last two years Angela and I have discussed an option, settled on a choice, then woke up the next day unsettled. Our friends will tell you about the many times when they’ve heard us say, “We’ve decided to go to this place!”, then discover us talking about someplace completely different a week later. (At this point, some of them probably won’t believe we’re going to Ajijic, either, until we’re actually there.)

But with Ajijic, we have felt peace. It’s kinda cool, actually. We feel peace about our decision to spend a year abroad. My coworkers feel peace (mostly) about me working remotely. My children are excited about spending a year in México. And we feel peace about Ajijic.

Frankly, this town isn’t at all what we had in mind when we started this journey. We thought we’d be helping out at an orphanage, or a girl’s home, or a school. We thought we’d be in a more economically-challenged area. We thought we’d be participating in some mission associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But Ajijic has none of these, from what we can tell.

Still, God has something in mind for us. We believe God wants us in Ajijic. We have peace about this decision. So off we go on an adventure together.