Haven Part 3

We moved.

Just across town, but it is a BIG move for us. We went from renting to being the stewards of the amazing home I told you about in my last "Haven" themed post.

Yesterday at 12:22 I arrived at the apartment we'd been living with the U-haul.  I had 29 friends and family members waiting in the yard, ready to help us move. (That number does not include the children who joined their parents in helping us.)  By 1:33 we had all had our fill of pizza, and I was backing the U-haul out of the driveway.  By 2:30 it was unloaded. 

This amazing feat is not only a testament to the wonderful friends with whom God has blessed us, but also to my wife's amazing organizational skills. It felt like she was a part of moving day, even though she was in Hungary, because she had everything ready to go, and labeled so that we could organize it quickly on the other end. 

I arrived at our new home were other friends were already busily cleaning carpets, dusting shelves and scrubbing floors.

Some were ready to leave when the truck was unloaded, others would stay until evening helping us unload boxes and clean.  Before the amazing group of volunteers scattered, I called them all into the living room, and told them the following.

1. THANK YOU
2. This house is a gift from God
3. The owners have told us that their one condition for letting us use this amazing house is that we keep a room or two open for people who need a roof over their heads. Something we are eager to do.
4. The Bible makes it really clear that we should use the gifts we have been given to bring glory to God or we will lose them.  We intend to use it.
5. If you are ever in need or know of anyone in need, let us know, so that we can prayerfully consider sharing this blessing.

Since then two of the families that helped us move have mentioned that they know people who might be in need of just the kind of help we are looking to offer.  This blesses me more than words can say. 

We aren't yet ready to take people in quite yet.  For starters, Shandy will need to get back from Hungary. Then she and I will need to sit down and figure out how to evaluate the various needs that we will no doubt encounter, and what kinds of arrangements we will need to make with the people who come to live with us.  That said it is good to know that our friends took us seriously about the ministry we feel called to do. It seems clear that there is a need, a void that we will be able to fill.

In other news, one of our friends called me to ask if she could swing by the house and pick some acorns from our woods from her son's school project.  It is so cool that she would ask, and that we could be a blessing.

Can't wait to see what kinds of things God is going to do with Haven.