This Old House

This week has been another busy—and somewhat stressful—week. But, before I get into that, let me tell you about our weekend. We had the opportunity to drop-in on a couple of small country churches on Sunday. I use the word “small,” but in God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a small church, for where two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst. Anyway, we had a great time with each of these local churches and were invited to present our mission goals. I also had the privilege of singing and playing an offertory in the evening service. The pastor and his wife treated us to dinner afterward, and we had a very pleasant time of fellowship. We feel as if we’ve made new friends, and we’re looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in both of these ministries.

Now, on to the chaos. Last week, we had a couple of different realtors come by the house to advise us in the area of repairs and renovations to the home. One recommended a nearly complete overhaul while the other advised us to clean, repair, and make some cosmetic improvements. Either way we decide to go, there is a lot of hard work to be done over the next few weeks. Our first order of business is to move into Jason’s parents’ basement so we can be out of the house while all the repairs are taking place. We’re hoping to accomplish this by the end of the week, but that will all depend on how soon they’re ready for us.

Once we’re out of the house, the real work begins. We’ll need to pack up the remaining items and sort them according to what we’re keeping, what we’re giving away, and what we’re selling. Then, we’ll need to start on the various repairs and improvements, including scraping and painting the ceilings, refinishing the hardwood floors, painting (or possibly replacing) the kitchen cabinets, and much, much more. I’ll be honest, I’m not looking forward to the labor in our near future, but it is our prayer that the hard work will pay off and get us top dollar when we sell our home. Please help us pray that God will give us wisdom to know how much to do and where our efforts will be the most valuable.

We have a missions conference in Texas the last week of September, and it is our fervent prayer we can fix the house, sell the house, and purchase the motorhome by that time. We realize it is a lot to ask for, but we also know we serve a mighty God, and if He sees fit, He’ll work things out so we can do just that. Will you help us pray?

Also, if you know of any good deals on home repairs, carpeting, cabinet doors, landscaping, or motorhomes, please let us know. The more money we can save, the better.

One other note, we had planned to take Barnabas to his new home in Pennsylvania sometime within the next couple of weeks, but that door has now closed. We thought there might be another possibility in that same area, but that door also slammed shut. For now, it seems the Lord wants Barnabas to stay with us. I don’t know how long that will be able to continue, but we’re praying for God’s will in this matter.

We truly appreciate all the love and prayers that have been sent our way. We cannot thank you enough for the interest you’ve shown in our mission endeavors and for the support you’ve given us along the way. May God bless you richly!