New Living Arrangements

If you’ve been following along on our journey and reading over our prayer requests, then you will know that we’ve been seeking wisdom and direction for what to do about our current living situation.  Our lease ends August 11^th, and Josh and I were both feeling like that’s when we should move out of our house.  Even though the owner offered to pro-rate our payments if we stayed up until our departure on September 5^th, we both felt led to decline this offer and trust that the Lord would provide a place for us to stay so that we would have time to pay off final utility bills and receive the refund of our security deposit before leaving the States.  Our prayer went something like this, “Lord, help us to find a place to stay or someone to live with, but God, it’s important to us that our family has some personal space for bonding and to grow closer together.”  Do you know that the Lord’s plans are ALWAYS perfect, even if they don’t make sense to you at the time?!?!  It turns out that someone we barely even know offered for us to live in his RV in August until we depart from the States on September 5^th, praise God!!!  And, as if things couldn’t get any better, some dear friends of ours offered for us to park the RV at their house – double bonus!!  Our family will have some personal space but will also have access to do laundry, etc. and hang with some of our greatest friends before we leave!  Thank you Beers Family for being so generous and loving towards our family.  We foresee great times ahead with the Mason and Beers Families – like worship nights, sleeping on the trampoline, having water fights, late movie nights, Wii competitions, BBQs and who knows what else!

Our last day living in this rental home will be August 7^th because we are taking a trip to visit my parents and family in Eastern Idaho that weekend.  We are super excited for the mini reunion my sister, Amber, is putting together!!  It’s always great times when the “Campbell” Family gets together!  We’re also super excited about our A/C being fixed in the Jeep so that we can enjoy our last few trips in the States without dripping sweat in this hot summer heat.  Although, I guess you could say it was only preparing us for hotter and more humid times in Africa, but we’d like to enjoy the coolness while we still can.

In preparation for our move into the RV, we held a moving sale this past Saturday and it was a great success!  Not only financially, but we had some great conversations with complete strangers and the Lord has really encouraged us through them!  We’ve learned that it really is okay to ask the Lord for specific things, so our prayer for the moving sale was to raise $3,000.  Quite honestly, we didn’t own a whole lot of extra stuff because we’ve down-sized before and have held garage sales in the past couple of years for mission trips, so we didn’t know where we’d end up this time around.  Immediately upon posting a “moving sale” ad online, we had someone request to hold our couch for $500!!  The Lord continued to bless us with a steady flow of visitors whom purchased a total of $1,888 worth of items from us on Saturday.  In addition, we received a donation check from a beautiful couple in the amount of $3,000!!!  When we told them that’s the amount we were praying to the Lord for they said, “No way!”  Then He basically almost doubled the amount, bringing in a total of $5,388 on Saturday!!  We still have some big ticket items left to sell as well, so ads have been posted on craigslist.com if you or someone you know is interested!  When you step out to do what seems impossible, and you know the Lord is leading you, TRUST that He WILL provide!!

Even though we’ve sold our couches, the buyers (whom we know) are letting us keep them until we move out in August.  Yesterday we sold our bedframe, and again, the buyers are letting us keep our bed until August.  We’re willing to give it all up, but the Lord’s been sweet to let us enjoy them just a little bit longer.  We said goodbye to the first car I purchased all by myself – little Red – you were so good to me these past 13 years, with your quirks and all!!  It’s a little trickier coordinating errands, appointments, etc. and Josh’s work schedule with only one vehicle, but today some friends of ours blessed us with a bike for Josh to get to and from work when I need the vehicle for other things.  Thank you, once again, Beers Family!  The kids are also doing great without many of their toys, TV, Wii, movies, games, puzzles, etc.  I am so proud of them, their hearts and their willingness to let go of their “stuff.”  They are reflecting the heart of Matthew 6:19-20!  They are learning what true richness means, and my prayer as their mommy is that they learn that happiness isn’t rooted in stuff or more money.  It’s rooted in the greatest richness of all, a personal relationship with Jesus! [Philippians 3:8]