Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Big developments make for a really busy life!

Well it's been a while since we've updated anyone with any information. Needless to say we've been super busy with life here. Sorry that it's been so long since we've updated you all but I hope you'll understand here in a second.
After we came back from our Christmas vacation in California we got right to work. The first week back we hosted a small team of men from Visalia who came to help us get the tutoring center remolded. The trip was great and everything turned out wonderfully. Next I helped Dustin move the Photo site into the shop. We made my storage space into a classroom and made a small hall type space into a darkroom. Now we have two sites right next to each other and things are going great.Feb was the beginning of school for Ella and Judah and I started classes again at the shop. It's been a little slow but we're getting back in the groove. Also Judah turned 4 on the 13th!! had a lot of fun at his Batman party. The week after that we hosted the women's trip which was also a ton of fun.
So now for the big news and probably the thing that's taking most of the time. This last year Erin and I started to feel very restless in our house that we're renting. After having someone break in, other things get stolen through the gate, and a TON of things breaking we started asking God for somewhere new. I started a fast and began believing God for a place of our own. Every day I'd look online for houses to rent or buy and I'd try to take new roads home every afternoon in order to find something... and then we did!! I sent an email to a lady about a large plot of land up in the hills about 10 minutes from our current house because the price of the land was about 1/4 the price of anything I'd seen. She didn't get back to me so I called her. It was probably about the fifth time that I left a message that she actually called me back to tell me that she'd sold the land... But her sister had one right next to it and she wanted to sell too! It was just days before we left for Christmas that I went up and walked through it with the owner... It was pure Jungle on a 45 degree slope... Not really what we wanted but we were willing to think about it. While walking around on the lot the owner (Ricardo) kept offering me fruit and I kept telling him no... He finally asked me why I wouldn't eat and so I told him I was fasting and praying for a new place to live... It turns out that they are Christian also and really wanted to help us out!
So now, in order to save time... cause I know most people don't want all the details, I'll summarize it all for you. They had a different lot and wanted $40 per square meter... Not happening. He said they'd give us a deal... Through an email while we were in Ca he said $13 per mtr!!! We said OK!! We asked some supporters for a loan and they said yes!! We agreed but then found out they meant 13,000 colones ($26).... No go.... They lowered it to $20 and we said yes again...
So we are now in the process of buying a plot of land that is about 11,000 sq ft. We have some great new Christian friends who will be our neighbors. We live outside the city in the mountains.We have sloths and toucans on our property. We will save over $100 a month paying a loan rather than rent and we'll have something to show for it in the end. We started building the house yesterday and the walls and floor should be done by Saturday. We now have another story to tell about Gods faithfulness and how he answers prayer...
So there you go. That's about as short as I could make it. I work everyday till 4 and then go up to the lot and work... Erin is still being mom but now without my help. She's already packing boxes getting things ready to store. Oh yeah... the house is only going to be 625sq ft... So we
have to store a lot of stuff away until phase 2... We'll let you know about that later. So it doesn't really suffice to say we're really busy! Please pray for us. We are trying to get all of this done without having to take time off so that the shop doesn't suffer. Also starting tomorrow I will be camping out up there to make sure that no one steals anything. Pray for our stress levels and that God will continue to show his provision through this process. Pray also that everything goes smoothly so that we can finish before the rain hits... If the rain comes we may have to wait until november to finish:( Thank you all so much! We appreciate your support, both financially and in prayer. Know that you are one of the ways that God is able to bless us and the people we work with here. Blessings,
Jeremy for Erin, Ella, and Judah