It's Pouring Now!

On March 2, I put a blog post out about really believing that God would grant my prayer for our house to sell and preparing to receive that answered prayer.  We were getting ready to put the house back on the market after two and a half months of "down time" since we had been consistently on the market since May of 2011. 
My first day to have time to start packing was Saturday, March 10th. 

On Sunday, March 11th, we received an offer. After some negotiating back and forth, we have ACCEPTED THE OFFER!  Closing is set for April 30th. 

So God chose to show off and show me that He can sell my house even if it is not on the market.  Not only that, but the young man buying the house told us that as he walked the property line, he came across an old refrigerator with three bullet holes in it down in the ravine at the bottom of the woods.  Seventeen years ago, he was deer hunting with his dad and he missed the deer.  His dad made him do some target practice into an abandoned refrigerator. 

It's the same refrigerator.  Little did he know that 17 years later, he would own that same property.  And hopefully someday teach his own son to hunt on this land.  Someone once said that coincidence is just God's way of remaining anonymous.  I say, "Amen".

So our next steps?  The new owners have graciously agreed to let us stay at the property until the Squirrels are done with school, then we have a retreat with our sending agency in California and a family wedding before loading up and moving out on July 9th.  No sooner will we get settled in on the border than we have to be back for a family vacation and then on to Colorado for three weeks of missionary training at Mission Training International www.mti.org .  Finally, as soon as the girls are in school, Husband and I begin 9 months of language training in Mcallen to become fluent in Spanish and LSM (Mexican Sign Language). 

Reynosa or bust...Isaiah 55 better batten the hatches because the Squirrels are about to hit town!



Preparing for Rain

We have taken a couple of months off from having our home officially listed on the market for two reasons:
1) Barren trees, dormant plants, and gray skies do not make for good curb appeal. 
2) Keeping a show-ready house with two spastic children is enough to may one consider taking up a bourbon addiction. 

But alas, we are getting ready to go on the market again.  The last time, I let the national news about the economy, the (horrid) real estate market, and just my general approach to life (which is to keep a cynical attitude so when things don't go my way, I am not surprised) take over my brain. 

This time, I am "preparing for rain".  This scene from "Facing the Giants" (among the list of movies that make me cry every time even if the acting is sub par) keeps replaying in my head.  Let me set the scene:

The football coach of a losing Christian school team has his life unraveling around his ears - mounting debts, infertility, and a losing football team with attitude problems.  He is in his office late one night wondering out loud to God about why when a man who routinely comes to pray over the school stops by the coach's office with a message:


So this time, I am not only putting the house back on the market, I am starting to pack. I may end up looking like a fool but I am trusting God to "bring the rain". We are fully funded for our first year and within about $10,000 of recurring contributions for our second year and beyond...which anyone who does personal support-raising can tell you is a MAJOR PRAISE (and no, asking for people to join our support team does not get any less awkward with time).

So I am trusting...bring on the rain!