So Helaina and I are in our new home, right in the heart of Kenmore. We are literally a 63 second drive to First Glance (I timed it). And we are doing a ton of work to our home! Our friends and family have helped us tackle so many tasks and we are truly grateful for their support and willingness to share their knowledge with us. We have done so many things for the first time with buying this home.
We ripped up the nasty carpet, refinished the hardwood floors, painted everything, fixed wiring and plumbing, tiled a bathroom, and we still have so much more to do. But it’s our home, and we are so grateful that God led us here.
It is so much more then a home. We are moving in to a community that needs the love of God in it in a real way. We are a part of the community that we are trying to change. Some people may think that we live in a place that is “undesirable” but we haven’t desired something more in our life. We know that the only way to make a difference is from the inside. It is crystal clear that God led us here. We have a purpose here, and God has really shown us the desires of our heart. Not to mention the house is perfect for us!
It is beautiful cape cod brick home with a metal roof, a big backyard with plenty of space for the dogs, a garage with 3 carports, and an enclosed back porch and covered front porch. Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms (which is crazy for the area), an upstairs master suite, a huge basement with a bar room and even a pool table! It just needs a lot of updating, as these photos show.
With all of the work that moving in and fixing up our house takes I haven’t had a chance to make a blog update about the ministry work. At First Glance amazing things are happening. Almost every day at the skatepark I have had a conversation with a skater about something deeper than skating or everyday life. Every one of the skaters has a unique story. From exciting news from our youngest skater (9 years old) about getting straight A’s in school, to heartbreaking news from one of our older skaters beginning the process of going through a difficult divorce; God has opened up more opportunities to share his love and grace then I ever would have imagined. Not only that but Helaina has been able to become more involved with the lives of the girls she mentors through her program called Ladies’ Night Out.
I will be posting stories here of how God is working through us in this community. So far we have seen one of our skaters come to know Christ since coming to the park a year ago. We are overjoyed to have been a part of his journey to Christ. I can’t wait to share his testimony with you.
Helaina and I want to ask for your prayer as we go through the stress of unpacking all of our things while trying to remodel at the same time. We also ask for prayer that we can reach our community and be an example of love to those who don’t always have a good example of what love looks like.
Thank you to all who are supporting us through this, be it with prayer or financial donations. If you feel led to donate to me as I raise support for the next two years, wether monthly or a one time donation, I would be extremely grateful.
I will post the next blog update very soon!