Sitting in church not listening to the pastor, my father turned to my mother on January 18, 2003, to ask if she would put him through college again. She turned to him and immediately said, "You want to go into the Seminary don’t you?" It seemed weird at the time. How could they both know what the other was thinking?

One week later, our parents called a family meeting. Usually they weren’t bad ones, but this one would change my life forever. They sat us down on the couch, turned to us, and said, "How would you feel about moving?" Not wanting to hear another word they were going to say, I ran to my room and closed and locked the door. I didn’t come out again that night. I just sat there wondering why they would want to take me away from the friends and people I loved. I found myself wanting to run away from it all, to not have to deal with moving again.

With my father’s job, we had moved around to different places, but we had settled down and had been in the same town for about five years. Now they wanted me to just get up and move again. Back then, I was so hurt by what they had done, but I see it in a different light now. I knew that in order for my family to be happy in Christ we had to make a change. Things have happened in my old church that I believe would’ve torn our family away from the church if we had stayed.

We now live in Battle Creek, Michigan, and our church family is great. My father is attending Andrews University to become a pastor. The Lord works in magnificent ways. He put me in a school where all the students are friends and where we are free to talk about Christ as much as we want. We are very involved in our community, and try to bring people closer to Christ as we become acquainted.

My class has about twelve students right now, but we have come to know each other like sisters and brothers. My family made the right decision when we decided to move here, even though at the time I was mad at God and my family. I thank my parents and God for letting me go to a Christian school in a town that is full of Adventist heritage.

Michelle Blahovich just completed her junior year at Battle Creek Academy.