“Jehovah Jireh”
Our God Provides …ALWAYS
The Petrarca Family is moving… TO FLORIDA!
Moving out of state was NEVER a part of our plan. The Lord writes bigger and better stories. And in every single season, He provides. It may not be in the way we expect, but it is always better than we can ever imagine. We have joked for years that we should just move out of California… and we always knew that if we ever left, it would be to move to Florida. However, we knew for a long time, without a shadow of a doubt, that we were meant to be in California. I was teaching at an incredible school, our boys were plugged into school and sports, and Dillon was pastoring at a church he had the blessing to help start in 2017. We had our purpose, and we had our season here. Eventually, I ended up leaving teaching altogether, soon after we made the decision to homeschool, and now Dillon is feeling led to minister in different ways… Little by little, the Lord has been working in our hearts and preparing us for something new. Suddenly, our joking of leaving the state was no longer a joke; it became a serious conversation. It became something that we spent time praying through, talking about, and seeking wise counsel in. The more we prayed, the more we became confident that the Lord would bless us whether we chose to move to Florida or to stay here in California. We are firm believers that as long as we are living in God’s Will, He will bless the path we choose. But the more we prayed, the more we decided that choosing to stay would be acting in fear, while choosing to go would be stepping out in faith.
We said ‘yes’ to this journey because we know that we could be providing so much more opportunity for our kids and for our family. We want to set our kids up for success; we want to be able to financially support them in the avenues they choose in life; we want to be able to travel and show them the world; and we want to be able to show them God’s goodness and faithfulness through all of these things. And the sad reality is that California is not a place we can live in while also living out these dreams. Saying ‘yes’ to this was BIG, and it was scary, and emotional, but the biggest thing we have felt through this entire process? PEACE. Peace that surpasses all understanding. Ever since we decided to say ‘yes’ to this journey, the Lord has carefully laid each and every stepping stone out in front of us as we walk forward. He has been in this process every step of the way, and we’ve even seen ways He’s been preparing us and our hearts for YEARS leading up to now. The more we step out in faith, the more we see God saying, “Look at what I have for you! It is far greater than anything you could ever dream of or imagine.” He has been in every detail and every decision. From the timeline of our move, to the community He has already brought around us, and even down to the very house we will be living in. He has already blessed our family immensely, and we look forward to sharing our story and the GOODNESS and FAITHFULNESS of God with everyone we encounter.
Why Florida?
We absolutely LOVE Florida with all of our hearts, and it has everything we enjoy… Beaches on both sides, the tropical feel, theme parks… Let’s face it. We are a theme park-loving family. Disney? Universal Studios? Legoland? Sea World? You name it, we love it. The business that I started as a side hobby has now become a means to support our family, and it is centered around theme parks. The travel agency that Dillon has started working with centers around theme parks and Caribbean travel. Florida just makes sense for our family. We first visited Florida in 2019, with the plan that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once we went, we fell in love, and we knew we had to make it back. Since our first trip in 2019, we have now been to Florida 8 additional times. It truly does have a piece of our heart! We do also have family in Florida, and we have a huge community of people that are welcoming us with open arms. People who love Jesus, love Disney, love homeschooling, and some of them will even live on the same street as us! Yep, I told you God was in every single detail!
What’s next?
Dillon has been working in full-time ministry now for over a decade. He is so excited to be able to attend church with his family, and serve in his new home church in a volunteer role. If the Lord was to lay a ministry opportunity in his lap, would he turn away from it? Of course not! But he’s very excited to serve in a different capacity and make his family his first ministry. Bri will continue running Darling Dream Co. full time, with the equal help of Dillon now! This business that started as a side hobby has now become a means to provide fully for our family, which is absolutely insane. Thank you, Jesus! Bri will also continue homeschooling the boys, with tons of community that the Lord has laid in our laps. Dillon will also be ramping up his travel agency and growing that as a means to continue supporting our family! The Lord also laid an opportunity in Dillon’s lap that has allowed him to use his giftings in helping another brand new company get off the ground. We are really looking forward to working together in so many capacities, spending quality time together as a family, and creating new memories together.
Leaving California is the biggest decision we have ever made. We certainly didn’t make it light heartedly, and we know there will be ups and downs throughout the entire process as we move, transition, and settle in. But we also know that our God is faithful, and GOOD, and He always provides. We look forward to seeing the ways He will use us in this new season, and the ways in which we can serve Him as a family. We have appreciated all of the support we have received up to this point, and we are so grateful for so many people praying for us and loving us through this change. Florida, here we come!