Possibly the last post for this blog

It is amazing to think over the last 12 months. We started searching for housing in Cleveland on-line as soon as we felt God wanted us to start a church plant there. We toured the new construction next to the Cleveland Clinic and wondered if that was what God had in mind for our family. As we continued traveling and the economy changed, options opened up that we could not have afforded in 2005 when we headed out on deputation. We also placed our children in the public school in 2005 which, since it was God's plan for us, worked well for our family. As we put on paper lists of amenities that we thought would make a house a home and a place that could be used for ministry we prayed, searched, talked to real estate agents, drove the neighborhoods, and asked advice from anyone we thought might know how to encourage us to do the right thing.

We have lived in our house for three months so far and we are so thankful for the path that we have journeyed. The children have adjusted amazingly well in their new schools, continue to receive good report cards, are beginning to develop friendships in their new community, and had a great Thanksgiving with grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin, in their new house. We have done some Christmas decorating but we haven't decided where to put the Christmas tree when it's time. Drew and Ken have birthdays coming up and they had fun shopping on Black Friday. There was a great sale on desktop computers and we were able to replace the one that had gotten a fatal virus back in August.

Ken went for training for his temporary holiday position with UPS today. He'll be a driver assistant for the month of December. It should be interesting. Renee starts helping Derek's teacher tomorrow as a once-a-week volunteer. Mrs. Baca is not a believer so please pray for her to come to Christ. We still meet as a team on Wednesdays and get together as often as our schedules will allow. Saturday night was a big celebration downtown with the 50 foot Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a carriage parade, and fireworks. We had fun meeting the Taylors and watching the festivities together. Sunday morning we attended a church in the Cleveland area that a friend of a friend pastors. He was very encouraging and excited about the church plant in Cleveland. His congregation has been praying for God to work in the city.

One interesting opportunity to meet people has been through finding furniture and supplies on craigslist. I have a 15 year old jacket that I wore to look at a desk that I had seen on craigslist. It has BJU embroidered on the front. As I stepped into the house the woman said, "BJU! We use their homeschool materials." We plan to get together after the holidays. A family from Pennsylvania was coming for care at the Cleveland Clinic so we ramped up the search for a sofa bed for the basement. I checked the craigslist postings in the morning and then checked again around lunchtime. There was a posting that read, "An apartment full of furniture." The photos looked promising and I emailed the seller. We made arrangements to look at the furniture the next day (the day that the folks were coming from PA). When we arrived a sweet young lady and a two year old answered the door. She showed us to the garage where the furniture was stored. As we talked she said that she had just moved to Cleveland from LA. I asked some questions about the furniture and she said, "let me wake up Louis, he'll know." I said, "Does he work nights?" She said that he plays football for the Browns and he got home late from the game. When he came down and I asked if he could help Ken load the furniture into the trailer the answer was a "duh, yeah." While they were making everything fit (a sofa bed, loveseat, lazyboy chair, a coffee table, two end tables, and two lamps) I continued to talk to Lacey. I felt at ease to share the gospel with her and gave her a Gideon New Testament (orange for the Browns :) ) a Bridge tract, and a tract with Ken's testimony. She received it happily and said that she was a believer and had not yet found a church here in Cleveland. When we got home and put the furniture in place I emailed her, thanked her, and told her about a MOPS group that meets close to her home. She was very positive in her reply. I hope to continue a relationship with her.

The Lepleys came out that night from Pennsylvania for a heart procedure. Five family members stayed in our home Tuesday night and Larry's procedure took place on Wednesday morning. Ken took the family to the Clinic, helped them park and stayed at the hospital with them all day. There were some complications but by 6 pm he was in his room. The family returned to our house for a quick supper and headed back to Pennsylvania to be home for work the next day. The next morning Ken and I prepared to visit Larry but before we could get out the door the daughter called from PA saying that the Clinic called and Larry was able to go home that morning. She was panicked because originally he was supposed to stay for two nights. Ken decided to rent a car and take Larry all the way back to PA so that Larry could be home and so that his family would not have to drive all the way back to Ohio again. As soon as Ken got home from PA we headed to Michigan for our weekend meeting. The back-to-back weekends in Michigan went well. Hopefully the poor economy will not prohibit them from taking us on.

Renee's dad came out for Thanksgiving and helped install a phone jack and a few switches. It was great to spend time with family for the holiday. We have much for which to thank God this Thanksgiving. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

The Skill Set is Increasing

It has been awhile since I wrote on this blog. The reasons are numerous. Last week we had two meetings is New York - both were in sweet, country churches that were excited about what God has called us to in Cleveland. This past Saturday and Sunday a supporting church had us in for an update and for a fun harvest party. They always make things special for our children and the marshmallow fight was a highlight again this year!

The house projects continue to stretch our skills and teach us alot about remodeling. Ken tackled the basement ceiling that had been soaked from a leak in the bathtub prior to our purchasing the house. Installing drywall overhead is definately challenging! He did a great job and only if you inspect closely would you know that the section had been replaced.

The most challenging job was attempted yesterday. Before we purchased the house we planned to install a wood-burning fireplace insert. Not only to improve the efficiency of the fireplace but also to conserve on heating costs since we are ministering in a long-winter area. We searched online for months to see what our best options would be. While in Michigan for a recent meeting we talked to someone about a wood-burning furnace. Ken's brother-in-law also had recently installed one in his house. We investigated and discovered that our basement was set up nicely for a supplementary wood-burning furnace. We gathered the necessary materials, including a stainless steel chimney flue insert. We, by God's grace, safely slid the 400 lb. furnace down the basement stairs and put it in position. Yesterday, Ken crawled out onto the roof and prepared to insert the 6 inch diameter stainless flue liner. He quickly discovered that the terra cotta liner had shifted and would not let the 30 foot, corrugated, supposedly flexible, tube down the chimney. We had hired a HVAC guy to remove the old gas lines that were next to the new furnace and he was present when the big silver snake rolled off the roof. I thought that Ken had rolled off the roof and ran out calling, "Ken, Ken!" Bill, the HVAC guy, was at his van and dryly said, "He didn't fall off the roof." Bill finished his work and made an appointment to come back another day to clean the furnace. He left and while Ken was considering options and checking things out in the basement he realized that the pilot had gone out on the water heater since Bill had re-lit it after turning the gas back on. Ken called Bill and Bill said that he'd be back after he finished the job he had gone to. He returned later that afternoon and re-lit the pilot and decided that Ken really needed help with the chimney flue liner. He stayed till after 8pm guiding Ken through the process of holding the terra cotta out of the way, shaping the tube so that it would slide down the flue easier, and knocking out a 2 1/2' x 3' hole in the basement wall so that they could grab the tube and attach it at the bottom. Bill worked at cleaning the furnace while Ken was doing parts of the project that he could do alone. After they had the liner in place and all Ken needed to do was fix the basement wall the next day, Bill packed up his tools and Ken asked what we owed him. He said that all we owed him was the cost of the cleaning! We gave him that amount plus a generous tip and were so grateful for his help.

We are amazed at another neat provision from our Heavenly Father of help, wisdom, and supplies! This week on craigslist there was a carpet warehouse that was clearing out. Any roll of various lengths was $50. We had gotten estimates to carpet the basement as high as $1500. Ken and I went and there were only a few rolls left that were long enough to do our basement. The one that we chose is a nice commercial carpet. We are so excited! Natalie, our teammate, also found three rolls that will work in their house.

We praise the Lord that the Taylors finally have heat in their house. Their inspected furnace failed the first time they turned it on. It was weeks of getting estimates and trying to be good stewards of their resources. Yesterday the installer got the furnace running and will work at installing duct-work as time allows.

The most exciting update to add to this blog is that for the past two Wednesday nights we have gotten together as a team for a meal, devotions, and prayer. These are the first official meetings of the Cleveland church plant. It is sweet to see the children praying for their new friends and neighbors to come to Christ. We hope to be able to invite others to this weekly get together as we make contacts.

Ken had contacted a bicycle messenger company last November and let them know why we were coming to Cleveland. In June he filled out an application for the job and they told him that when he moved to the city to give them a call. They were pretty positive about him getting the position. When Ken called they said, "call next Wednesday." Ken did and he was given the runaround. His emails have not been returned either. We know that God knows exactly what is best for us. He knows our needs and knows how we will best get to know the city and make contacts with people. Ken applied for another bike courier position on Tuesday of this week. And he has put out an application at UPS. We'll see what happens.

Getting There

Last Monday was my 39th birthday. I was a little retrospective and had a desire for a little adventure. My goal was to ride the bus to the Westside Market and hopefully have a chance to present the gospel to someone. I prepared my purse with a New Testament and tracts. The bus schedule didn't fit with the kids' school pick-up schedule so I drove instead. The Market is an amazing place! English is a second language for many of the vendors. As you walk past their booths they are hawking their goods in loud voices. It was a cacophony for the senses with smells of produce and fresh meats, crowds pushing on every side, vendors with every accent shouting, all colors of the rainbow in the goods being sold, and samples of foods from every part of the globe available to taste. I was sad to have to leave to pick up the kids without having an opportunity to talk one-on-one with anyone.

Kelly asked to spend some time in Cedarville with friends for her upcoming birthday. We headed down Wednesday after school. We were able to visit many friends in the short time that we were there. Thursday night Ken's dad, sister, and nephew brought Ken home from Michigan. We thought they might enjoy the Market. On their way back to Michigan on Friday morning we took them there. It was a little overwhelming for them too at first. Coy bought bananas from the first guy who hollered to him. They headed home with bags of bacon, apples, grapes, and other neat treasures from Cleveland's Westside Market. I was encouraged on this second visit that people actually initiated conversations with me! I was interviewed in the parking lot by a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He was polite as we told him about our hopes for starting a downtown church. And a little later a vendor who was selling cucumbers to us told us in broken english all about the meaning of the cross he was wearing on his necklace. It is so exciting to see God at work!

Saturday, Jeff Coward and two college students from his Sunday school class in the Columbus area came and helped us get our garage in shape. They scraped, painted, and repaired rotten drywall. It is really nice in there now and ready for winter. Jeff is a good friend who went to high school and college with us. His wife, Susan, was my college roommate. It was great to see him again.

On Saturday night Ken did a benefit auction for Bill Taylor's school. They raised more than $10,000 for the school!

Progress

Things are coming along in the house. One of our supporting churches requested information for possibly helping us with a project. The following is the email that I sent them regarding our basement:

We are so amazed at God's provision, protection, and positioning throughout this moving process. As I look back over the past few weeks there is no doubt that God has amazingly taken care of us. To look ahead and say that we have everything figured out for this church plant would be not only a lie but also would be foolish. Even the simplist detail of moving and purchasing a house rarely went according to the plans that we had formulated. However, we have seen that God's way is and always will be the best.

One aspect of ministry that we feel burdened to do here in Cleveland is to minister to people who are coming to Cleveland to receive treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. Whether for their initial appointments to help them navigate the hospital or to house family members if the treatment time is extended. We have, in the short time that we have lived in the city, already had an opportunity to help a family from Pennsylvania that came to the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. The man's sister is a friend of a friend. He had a procedure done in Pennsylvania that caused complications with his feet. The doctors in PA said that they didn't have any more options other than amputation. His daughter called us and asked for help. We put them up in our home (all six Dockerys slept in one bedroom so that the father, son, and daughter could each have a private space). We gave them a nice breakfast and Ken went to the hospital with them to help them navigate traffic, construction, parking garages, and the maze of buildings in which he had appointments. They received good news and returned to PA tired but encouraged.

One project that we feel would make our home more comfortable for people who come to Cleveland for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic would be to make an apartment-like space in the basement that would be more private. The basement is currently partially finished. The walls have wainscoting and 1/3 of the floor in the main part is tiled. The old carpet has been removed. There was a leak in the upstairs bathroom that ruined a 10' area of the ceiling (the leak has been repaired). There is a new toilet and a small vanity in a closet-like space.

We would like to:

carpet a 25' x 14' area - about $900 installed
put in a shower enclosure - about $900 installed
frame in the bathroom - about $300
put in a kitchenette - small refrigerator $200, small counter and sink $400
furnish the area with a bed, dresser, couch, table, chairs, etc. - with second-hand furniture we could probably make it cozy for about $1,300
fix the ceiling - we have the materials on hand from some of the other projects
paint the ceiling and upper part of the walls - we have the materials on hand

The total for these listed items is $4,000

A friend from high school and Renee's roommate from college are married and live in Columbus, Ohio. They hope to come in October with some friends from their church and help with some small projects.

I am finding that to locate matching tile to replace the five broken pieces elusive. I contacted a guy that had them on Craigslist and have played tag with meeting up with him to get it. Also, the window treatments are taking quite a bit of time to choose and install. I have to keep reminding myself that it doesn't all have to be done today.

Ken and Bill are in Michigan for some missions' conferences. It will be a good break for both of them to not have to focus on settling into new homes.

Today was Sunday. The kids and I visited a church about 40 minutes away. Church is such a huge part of our lives that to go and not know anyone but not be ministering was a little bit of a downer. We are looking forward to loving and serving the body of believers that God gives us here in Cleveland. Our neighbor girl came over and played with the kids tonight so that helped us not feel so lonely. Our prayer is that we will do what God wants us to do, when He wants us to do it.

Surprise

The big project this week was on the back of the house, the sun room. We hope to eventually put siding on it but for now we were going to paint it. We noticed a board that was rotten so we pulled it off to replace it - we were told later never to do that just cover it!:) When we pulled it off we saw that water had gotten in there over the years and most of the wall had rotted. When Ken was done removing the rotten wood the neighbor wandered over and looked at windows hanging practically in mid-air. He was a little worried about what was going to happen. But, before the night was over Ken had the wall rebuilt. Today he spent probably 7 hours caulking the windows etc. so the new wood won't rot. We hope to be able to paint it early next week.

Last night we helped the Taylors take a load from their Medina house to their Cleveland house. It was a late night but it is great to be working together as a team even on projects like moving. We were supposed to have been in Michigan for a mission's conference this weekend but the church had a split recently and cancelled the conference. Ken will go next week to Michigan for two other mission's conferences, the kids and I will keep the school routine going during the week and go up for the weekend.

After these long meetings Ken hopes to start his part-time job. This will supplement our income until we raise about 20% more support. He also likes to be able to meet people and learn about this new-to-us territory. We are feeling more and more settled each day. Hopefully soon all of our waking hours will not be consumed by construction projects and we will be able to start meeting people. The basement is the last big project that we hope to do before October. It has been neat to see God help us with either providing people, supplies, furnishings, or wisdom to do all of these projects. We are so grateful.

Please pray for Derek. This past week he cried in Sunday School at Grace so the teacher came to get me. On Monday, the school nurse called and said that Derek was crying and complaining of a stomachache and had a slight fever. I brought him home for the day and had him rest. The next two days he cried most of the day. His teacher - who looks alot like Julie Sheridan - does a great job keeping me aware of how he's doing. She said that Friday went much better. I think that being back at Grace last Sunday was pretty hard for him to digest. I believe that he'll do fine and make good friends here. We were just so spoiled to have so many great friends in Cedarville.

Ike - "I will return"

It was fun to be back in Cedarville, although we all said that it felt good to be home tonight too - God is good! We were sorry to have missed the service at Grace tonight because the remnant of hurricane Ike blew through Cedarville and left the town without electricity. We are glad to be home. By the time we left Cedarville we knew that we needed gas. We hoped that Springfield would have power - they did - right until it was our turn to pump. I saw the lights go out in the station and then people staring at the pump, checking the nozzle and then trying to figure out what had happened. We looked at the intersection and the traffic signals had also gone out. We tried to go north on 72 a little and see if anyone had power up that way. No one did. With a quickly breathed prayer of "God please help us" we headed out on 70 to see who would have power. At rt 54 (?) we pulled into a station that had lights and a long line and filled up. We also stopped for a bathroom at our regular stop at rt 42 and they had attendants out at the road with cardboard signs reading, "Closed, no electricity!" I didn't watch every exit along the way but we pulled onto at least four more exits between Columbus and Cleveland that didn't have electricity or gas. We realize how dependent and spoiled we are and what a blessing it is to live in this country where it is a rare occasion to have to think about availability of gas and electricity.

Apologies

I have honestly tried and have seemingly wasted precious time attempting to take photos from one place on the computer to this blog page. I guess the time is not really wasted if I remember the 101 things that do not work! It has to be so simple that I am missing it by a small function.

Anyway, I'll update you on the week. Saturday we picked up two tables, a desk, some chairs, and other furniture. We got home before 5 pm and Ken got busy setting everything up. It is so nice to sit at a real table to eat together! We headed to Oberlin, Ohio for our Sunday morning meeting. The folks were so sweet and almost as soon as Natalie and I walked in the door Fran whisked us off to the missionary cupboard where we could stock up on some of our supplies. We enjoyed a nice meal after the service and got to get better acquainted with the people.

Sunday evening my parents, Becky, my sister, and her little one, Alex came. We enjoyed some homemade pizza together and talked about the projects that needed done. Monday morning after the kids headed to school my dad and Ken got to work replacing light switches, outlets, and other old wiring. They also worked on making sure the furnace was clean and ready for winter. I so appreciate the hard work they did while they were here. It was just a bonus added on to getting to see them.

Tuesday morning they wrapped up a few projects and headed to Tennessee. We got busy getting ready for the next round of visitors. George, Crissy, and Steven Boyer came on their way to a quartet convention in Tennessee. We loved spending time with them and appreciated their taking us out to eat at Yours Truly.

Wednesday morning the Boyers headed out and we began getting ready for the next round of visitors! Ken painted the boy's room and I did laundry and some shopping for the house. I found some good deals on rugs, towels, and curtains. By early evening the Lepley's from central Pennsylvania arrived. They were tired from their trip but in good spirits. Larry, Tony, and Theresa came for a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic. Larry has some serious health issues and is hoping the Clinic can help. Ken took them over there this morning and helped them navigate the parking and maze of buildings to get to his appointments.

We are so thankful for all of the wonderful help, gifts of furniture and supplies, and opportunities to minister that have come our way. We head to Cedarville tomorrow afternoon to prepare for a charity bike ride that Ken is helping and for a farewell to our friends in Cedarville.

God's grace has truly been sufficient for these last few weeks and we are confident that it will continue to be.

Pioneering

We are heading to Cedarville tonight for a quick pick up of some items that we couldn't bring along the first time. Our Sunday meeting is in Oberlin, Ohio so we could make the quick trip. Thank you so much for your prayers. Things are not easy but all along the way we see Gods hand guiding, protecting, providing, and strengthening. He even stretches our skills. The team that had to leave early had planned to install a vinyl floor. We, by God's grace, installed it ourselves yesterday. Church planters are expected in many ways to be pioneers. I guess that includes being able to install floors, refinish hard-wood floors, finish drywall around a bathtub, paint, caulk, install a microwave range hood, all while living in the house and making sure four children eat, do homework, and make it to school on time with clean clothes and an edible lunch! Last night they even slept in beds that weren't mattresses on the floor. God is good! His timing is amazing.

We have been blessed with sweet neighbors on both sides. One said that he had heard of people splitting firewood but had never actually seen anyone do it before. We are still searching for a fireplace insert to make our heating more economical this winter. The house is feeling more and more like home each day. My dad, mom, and sister are coming to visit for a day early next week. My dad is an electrician and HVAC guy so we'll have him make sure everything is ok in those areas.

Normal, just a setting on the dryer

We feel like we're getting things put away as much as is possible. Today we stopped living out of suitcases out on the back porch (We're still sitting on bag-chairs but that is all part of the fun and adventure :) !) Tomorrow we hope to post some before and after photos of the progress of the projects that have come along in the house. I'll also include a detailed report of how the weekend went and how school is going for the kids.

The Latest

Ken is speaking at Gitche Gumee Bible camp way up in the Keewinaw Peninsula of Michigan's upper peninsula. We scheduled deputation meetings in the UP while we're here to make the best use of the miles driven. He'll speak again tonight and tomorrow. The camp week ends on Friday and we have two churches to present in on Sunday. Our teammates are here with us and it has been great to spend a lengthy amount of time with them. They were finally able to close on their house and have begun the tedious process of cleaning and moving a few things. Their house needs quite a bit of work as well but folks from churches in Medina and Elyria seem willing to help.

We talked to our realtor today and she says that everything is still set to close this coming Tuesday. Our lender also called today and locked us into an interest rate (6.6% isn't too bad is it?) We have scheduled a closing appointment for 12:30 on Tuesday. Our kids will be registering and taking assessment tests at 10:20 that morning for school.

The pastor from the church in Indiana who wants to bring a team from his church to help get our house move-in ready will fly in on Tuesday look everything over and fly home to drive out with the team to do the work Thursday-Saturday. We have reserved a a moving truck for Friday the 22nd and hope to unload it on Saturday the 23rd. We have all day meetings in a church near Sandusky on the 24th and the kids start school on the 27th. God promises not to give us more than we can handle. We are relying on His strength and wisdom to make all these details come together.

Liars

Yesterday Ken called Judy, the realtor, and asked how things were progressing - since we were supposed to have closed July 30, which was the day before, and had been put off again. She claimed not to have any information but we could call our lender. Paula said that the appraiser went back in this week and that the plumbing still was not fixed and that the earliest that we could close this deal would be August 10. Ken and I are pretty patient people. Maybe too patient. We have been told things like, "we should close by the end of June", "we should close by the end of the week", we should close Wednesday".

My mind reflects on two things. One is that we know that Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He is Truth! We can and desire to trust Him. Two, have we been or will we be guilty of the same tactics that have driven us crazy? I hope not! Our business and life practices need to be above board. We need to be completely truthful when we give the gospel. I am finishing Dr. Henry Cloud's book Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality. Integrity, according to Dr. Cloud is more than mere honesty. The dictionary definitions include synonyms like, "moral uprightness, strong moral principles, whole, undivided, unified, unimpaired, sound in construction, internal consistency, and lack of corruption." To have integrity or to be "integrated" is so much more than telling the truth. It is our desire to serve God in Cleveland with "internal consistency" because He is eternally consistent!

Believe it or Not?

The last that we heard was that the seller was going to make the repairs by this Friday. I am a little skeptical based on the fact that we put our offer in on this house back on June 10th and here it is July 24th. Our lender says she has never had the seller do any repairs. We have heard that more than once - "This has never happened" "We've never had a bank do that before" "This has happened to you, but this is an extremely rare occurrence". But it is best to keep a positive attitude, right? God can orchestrate any detail and use any person to accomplish His desires. We rest in Him and realize that there is a spiritual battle going on as well. The Taylors tried to close on their house on Monday and went to do the walk-through and the seller hadn't even attempted to move out! They went back Tuesday did the closing and tried to move some things in on Wednesday and someone (the seller?) told them that they couldn't because there were some problems with the title transfer.

We're just packing a few things here and there, enjoying time to hang out with the kids, reading, and Ken is finishing his paper - he has it more than half done. Jeff Brock asked Ken to speak on Sunday while Pastor Miller is in Montana for Kathy's mom's funeral. Hopefully the folks from Main Street Station will come to church again.

Hurry up and Wait

We are so thankful that we do not buy a new house every day. It has been a learning experience each step of the way. Sadly we have learned not to be so trusting of those who claim to be looking out for our interests. After waiting for over a week for an appraisal to be completed our lender called and said that she had bad news. She said that the water heater, the furnace, the gas meter, and the plumbing had all been stolen. She also said that they do not give loans for houses that need that kind of work, but if we were to get those things replaced they would be glad to give the loan. Throughout the day we called the real estate agent and the next door neighbor. As they investigated they found that the water heater and furnace were still there but the plumbing was indeed missing. Our real estate agent and a representative for the bank that is selling the property took some pictures and are talking to the seller to see if they have insurance that would cover the repairs. There was no forcible entry. Whoever came in probably had been through the house pretending to be interested in purchasing the property and had the code from the key box that agents use to get in.

We know that God is in control. He knows the timetable. We trust Him. Our lender said that the devil must not want you in Cleveland! We know that there is a battle going on that we cannot see so we continue to prepare to go.

Glitch

Hi! I'm guest-blogging for the D's, as they don't have internet access right now.

They've been expecting a call from their lender all week, and it finally came. But the house has apparently been robbed of at least its copper pipes, maybe more, so the loan is on hold until that can hopefully be fixed.

Communication between the D's and the various agents is difficult to manage right now, so please pray that all of this will be straightened out. The D's know that God is in control, and they are resting in that.

This week's VBS has taken the D's on as their Penny Parade project. The money may go toward an alarm system!

Details Oriented or OCD?

Occasionally we will watch a detective show called "Monk". The main character is an investigator who is being treated for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His attention to minor details will often solve the case. I am amazed that while we may consider attention to detail odd or remarkable it is not strange to our Creator God. Attention to details is His specialty. When I breathe a prayer like, "Dear Lord, could you please give us some moving boxes?" He responds with a friend calling after 9 pm saying, "our new neighbors put out their collapsed boxes for the garbage man - but you'll have to come right away because the truck comes pretty early." Now we have boxes, nice ones, and it looks like there will be plenty. Thank you, Father.

We Have a Signed Contract!

While we realize that things are not final until the keys are in hand - this is definitely a positive step. The seller gave us a closing date of July 30. We have a week-long speaking engagement the second full week of August but we could be moved in by the end of the month. Knowing that we would need to care for those who help us with moving and fixing I began to pray for sales on food and pop for our workers. Last night I was in Kroger and saw people loading up 12 can packs of Coke, Pepsi, etc. It was on a great sale! They also had many 10 for $10 deals. Thank you, Lord!

The Rest of the Story

While Ken was in Cleveland on Tuesday he drove to the Ammon Road house and ended up talking to the neighbors for quite awhile. The one to the left of the house is a pastor who has been praying for good neighbors and was quite excited that we had bid on the house. Before Ken left, Mark prayed with Ken and said that he'd even be willing to contribute whatever we lacked for the bank to accept our bid, not necessary, but too sweet! One odd thing that happened during their conversation was a deer walked through the backyard - in the middle of the afternoon! This property has about 400' of woods behind it and apparently the deer enjoy it. Ken also met a man who had bid on the house the day before and had been in the house quite a bit just to plan out the renovations that he and his wife wanted to do to it.

After visiting the house that the Taylors bid on Ken checked out a part-time job - since we are moving to Cleveland without yet having our full support. (We still have a full schedule of meetings through November). This job is one we had seen online back in the fall. It is with a bicycle courier company. When Ken told them he wanted to be able to ride his bicycle often and get to know people in the downtown they said that this would be a great job for him. It is quite possible that he would start in September.

Drew is in Trinidad on a missions trip with Renee's mom and dad. We'd love to tell him all the recent developments with the house but the phone number that he gave us is constantly busy.

Since we lost the first house after our bid was accepted we know better than to get too excited about getting it before all the paperwork is finished. The next step is to sign the contract, send earnest money, get an appraisal by our bank, and possibly close in early July.

Photos of the Ammon Road House

A Step in the Right Direction

Today at 4:15 pm we heard that the seller (a bank) agreed on our counter-offer. It appears that they planned to accept our bid last Friday. Who knows why they waited until today - Wednesday, to tell us! Ken went up to Cleveland yesterday to attend the "Partners in Philanthropy Celebration" at the Cleveland Clinic. When he arrived, the valets for the parking garage informed him that there had been a break in the gas line and that the event has to be rescheduled. He chose to use the opportunity of some free time in the city to drive around. (to be continued. . .)

Waiting

On Tuesday we were heading back to Ohio from a meeting in Pennsylvania. On our way through we stopped to look at another house that we had seen in the emails from Judy. Our weekend in Pennsylvania was amazing. Good friends, the Fultzes and Reichenbachs planned and put together a picnic at Fultzes creek-side retreat. Many good friends and acquaintances from Bible Baptist in Kreamer came. The kids splashed in the creek and we got to visit with lots of people. Sunday morning's meeting went well and again we were able to see friends - some of whom we hadn't seen in three years. Sunday evening we camped at R.B. Winter State Park, our favorite campground. Brian Herrold, our friend who joined us on Inspire Hope Tour Coast to Coast came to visit. Monday the kids swam and played in the sand with Jace and we chatted with Mary Fultz. That evening we had dinner with our former neighbors, the Chiarkas' and friends, the LeVans. The Chiarkas' are amazing cooks and we loved retelling the funny stories about the kids when they were really little.

Tuesday morning we packed up and headed for Ohio. We were so thankful that there was no rain while we were camping. The sky grew darker as we headed west and I was concerned that we'd get soaked while checking out another house in Cleveland. It did pour but by 3:00 we arrived and Judy gave us the code to get into the house. It has a big yard, it is brick, it has four bedrooms, it has two fireplaces, it has a two car attached garage, it has a partially finished basement, it is on a quiet street, it is bank-owned, it has central air, & it needs some work. We put in a bid $19,000 less than they were asking and our bid was rejected. Today we counter-offered and now we wait.

The Taylors also put in a bid on a house today just south of the Cleveland zoo. It will be interesting to watch God again orchestrate every step along this journey for both families.

Dreaming or "Bless me Indeed"?

A few years ago a book, The Prayer of Jabez, became wildly popular. Its premise stated that we ask God for things but sometimes we miss out on the amazing things that God has for us just because we don't ask. Our prayer for a house asks God for a two-car garage, a fireplace, air conditioning, a safe street, a big yard to play in and have a garden, four or more bedrooms, a basement that can be finished, 2 bathrooms, a company-friendly kitchen, a place to house and serve folks from out of town, and it needs to be affordable both to purchase and to maintain. In my mind that is a tall order. In God's economy it is simple. My question is, to ask God to "Bless me Indeed" do we ask for more? To ask God to work in the hearts of the people of Cleveland is asking for a miracle. To ask Him to provide an amazing house for us we are asking Him to "Bless us Indeed" so that He may be glorified and honored.

Hide and Seek?

Oh the mystical "Will of God". Is it a yo-yo that God holds over our heads and just when we are about to reach up and take hold He yanks it just out of our reach? Is it the children's game that as we get closer to the sought after object He calls out "warmer", or "colder" as we move away from its hidden location? No, I believe that as a loving Father He wisely allows us to know the precise details necessary for each day's service to Him. Does that seem cruel? As loving parents we do not burden our children with every detail of the decision-making process for the weekly menu or schedule. But we do let them know the details that pertain to their daily life. As we have gone back to square one in searching for a house God still provides, leads, helps, protects, and guides in our daily lives. We trust Him to reveal His plan in His time. There are too many details for us to embrace at this time. Where will the Taylors live? Where will we live? Where will the new church be located? These details are not necessary for today. We will continue to look for housing, continue to work, continue to travel to churches, continue to build relationships with the people around us, and continue to wait on our loving Father and trust that He will do what is best.

Rejection

This has indeed been an interesting process. The housing market in Cleveland is, to put it bluntly, terrible. However we want to move there. Our paperwork was all coming together smoothly. The appraiser went to the bank that owns the house to get keys to do the appraisal and they would not allow her to go in. They said that there was not a contract on the house. Interesting, because we have all the papers here in a folder! Judy called on Tuesday afternoon and informed us that the seller (a bank) has now rejected our offer. She agrees with us that they have poor business practices. Ken was gracious with Judy and let her know that we realize that God is in control. He does what is best. We will trust Him. Of course we are disappointed and are not excited about starting the search all over again. But we will trust and obey.

An Interesting Turn

Friday, May 2, Ken and Bill Taylor headed to Lake Ann Christian Camp and Conference Center near Traverse City Michigan for a Men's retreat with the men from First Baptist Church Cedar Springs and while they were there Judy called and said that the bank had indeed accepted our offer from Tuesday! When Ken returned from his trip we began the paperwork necessary to apply for our loan. It is one week later and we have not yet been informed of any problems with this house becoming ours - amazing. Jim Matson and Paul Miller are putting together teams to come help us with any necessary repairs. Folks here in Cedarville have offered to both help us up there and to help us move. Father, God, you are Great. Thank you!

Clear Vision

To remain on the narrow pathway and not stumble requires clear vision. No clouds of doubt, fear, guilt, or self to hinder progress are permitted. Our offer on Monday was rejected by 8 pm that evening. Judy had us counter-offer on Tuesday morning and that too was immediately rejected. I took these events as sign posts to give direction to the next step. The May edition of Cleveland Magazine arrived on Tuesday. There was included a supplement called "Live Cleveland!" The cover story is, "Return to the City, Why Suburbanites are moving to Cleveland." It will be interesting to see just how many more sign posts we'll have to come across to make sure we remain on the path - that is, doing exactly what God has asked us to do, how He has asked us to do it, and when He wants us to do it. The song that has cycled through my mind is, "Be Thou My Vision". "Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art; Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light."

An Offering

Today we took a small leap of faith and made an offer on the Lyndhurst house. I say that it is a small leap because the house is listed for $134,900. However, it was purchased by the bank back in December so we decided to make a low offer and see what happens.

Help

Help, an interesting concept. Most people that we meet want to help. They offer suggestions, ask intelligent questions, recommend people to contact. Most of the time friends, acquaintances, contacts, even our own children are helpful. This house search has been full of us headed one direction and then we receive help that points us in another direction. A friend who is a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic gave us a friend's number and said his house is for sale. It is in University Heights. It looks like it would work for us. We emailed the man and he is excited for the church plant in Cleveland. Is this the one Lord? Two days later Judy called and asked, "how are you doing?" She said that the neighborhood where this house is located is not that great. Back to square one. However, God's wonderful Word says in Psalm 33:20, "Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield." We are content to wait on Him because He truly can and is our Help.

A Possibility

Ken and Drew got home late last night from speaking at Cedar Hill Baptist Church in Cleveland Heights. Their pastor took a church in Columbus last August so Ken has done some pulpit supply there over the past several months. Some of the families there would like Ken to work with them to get their church back on its feet. There is good potential and they have a good building in a good location. They also could be very helpful to us in getting the church plant going in downtown as well.

Ken and Drew rode around with Judy on Saturday looking at houses in Euclid, East Cleveland, Mayfield Heights, and Lyndhurst. The Lyndhurst house reminds Ken of our little farm house in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. It has plaster and lathe walls, was built around 1900, has creaky stairs, mis-matched ceiling tiles, but it also has 5 bedrooms, a fireplace, garage, finishable basement, two full baths, air, decent yard with space for a garden and trampoline, a street we would be safe to walk or ride our bikes, a nice front porch to hang plants and a swing, and it is bank-owned so the price could be reasonable. Our next step will be to place an offer. Our friends at Cedar Hill think that Lyndhurst is a good area which is encouraging since they have lived in Cleveland their whole lives.

Maybe Today?

The couple who met us outside one of the homes (see "puzzle pieces" entry) has taken an interest in us and Ken and Drew are riding around today looking at houses with Judy. There are some that we have looked at on-line since last fall that they will go through today. There has to be a reason that they are still on the market right? It could be that the sellers will be greatly motivated because they have waited a long time. It will be interesting to hear how their day went when they call tonight. We read over and over in the Psalms, "Wait on the Lord". I am content to do just that. We also know that a car sitting still is much harder to steer. So, we also actively pursue, look, investigate, and pray for the house that our loving Father has chosen for us.

The Second Peak

We went back to the city to look at the fixer-upper again, the Taylor Road house again, and the development next to the Cleveland Clinic again. We have been pre-approved for our mortgage. We have investigated school options. We have spent countless hours on the internet searching neighborhoods and housing options. It is like climbing a mountain, reaching a summit, and realizing that there is yet another valley to cross before the peak is reached. It is an interesting process to, by faith, follow a path that we believe has been laid out before us.

House Shopping

Shopping, depending on who you are that word can either make you smile or want to run and hide! Shopping for a house in a city - when you've grown up and always lived in the country, has been a learn as we go situation. Today the lending officer at the bank called with our pre-approval for a mortgage - another key piece of our puzzle. They, however, will not give us a loan for a handy-man special. Their inspector will make sure that the house is in "move-in condition". Ok, that narrows our search again. Shopping for a house in Cleveland for us means hours on-line researching neighborhoods and houses for sale. Ken was up in Cleveland this weekend and was able to go inside a few that we liked on-line. We are still waiting for clear direction from our loving heavenly Father.

The scattered puzzle pieces are coming together, I think

We have been searching online for houses for months. Just getting an idea of each neighborhood. We are looking at what is available, the price range, the demographics, the school system, and just what we think would be a good fit for our family. As we pray and ask for God's wisdom and guidance through this process, new information seems to be added weekly. At first Ken and I set a basic budget and wrote a list of things that we feel would be helpful not only for our family but for ministry. We know that neither of us have the tools or know-how to gut and re-do a house so we were looking for a house that didn't need alot of work. Drew found one online and we all liked how it looked. Ken and Drew contacted a buyers agent and they went through it. It seemed like it would work. The next steps were to negotiate a price with the owner. That weekend a good friend from college, who is a pastor near Richmond, Indiana, got together with us and brought some options to the table that we hadn't considered. He and some men from his church would be willing to help us take a "fixer-upper" and make it liveable and help us keep our mortgage low. So, we started looking at completely different areas of the city for "handy man specials". Ken, Drew, and I went up last Saturday to go through a couple of these bank-owned houses. They definately need work, mainly because they have sat empty for so long. When we came out of one there was a car in the driveway and a couple who have been in real-estate for 20 years was also coming to look at the house. They gave us another bit of information that may help us in our search. Some communities have a point of sale inspection process that affects the amount your mortgage is required to be. The amount of money they think it will cost to bring the house up to code must be held in escrow. This is ok except we have folks who are willing to do the work for the cost of the materials. Sometimes added information is helpful and sometimes it is confusing. Please pray for us as we seek to do God's will for our lives.

From the country to Cleveland

This blog is being created to help our friends and supporters keep up to date on our progress in getting ready to move to Cleveland.