It's official: we're closed!

We closed on our house today at 11:30 a.m. I can't believe it only took 2 1/2 weeks to close on our house......that was a miracle. The realtor said sometimes when you are dealing with something that we had to deal with in our buyer's process (I forget what it was called), it can take up to 45 days. It was neat because we were able to let the buyer know that we hoped this home would be a blessing to her because that was what we were praying for whoever bought it. She said that it has already been a blessing so that was really encouraging.

Now we are praying that Jeremiah's truck will sell. It would be so nice to not have to worry about this while we are down there. Again, hoping that the Lord would bring along the perfect person for this truck.

Next week we are leaving for West Virginia to visit my Aunt Laura & her husband before we leave. Also, they will be taking care of our dog, Tessa, so we will be leaving her down there with them. I am looking forward to visiting with my aunt and seeing where she lives (she lives on an Angus cattle farm) but not so much about saying goodbye to Tessa.

Christmas is quickly approaching and with all that has been going on I have barely had time to reflect on the meaning of this wonderful holiday. As a Christian, I am so thankful for God sending His Son to this messed up world so that He could make a way for us to have a relationship with God. There is no longer that feeling in my heart that something is missing in my life since I asked Jesus into my heart AND decided to live my life for Him. I am forever grateful for His mercy and grace.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas & are able to make the time to celebrate the true meaning behind the holiday!

God Bless!

Time is flying!

We are all moved into Caleb's and it has been so fun hanging out with everyone! I am so thankful we are able to stay out there. I feel very comfortable there and love how homey his old farm house is. A perfect place to spend the holidays!

Last night I spent hours comparing ticket prices from Miami to Lima. I found some that are very reasonable through a Colombian air carrier and we were able to use our American Express reward points that will save us over $400. We are still waiting to see if we will get the free tickets from Indy to Miami. We are praying that this would work out perfectly.

It won't be much longer until we will be boarding the plane to fly out of the U.S......35 days to be exact! I am so excited:)

We are praying that we can sell our truck before we leave. It will just be one less thing we will have to think about. With all the snow we just had we are hoping someone will start searching the papers for a 4x4.

The closing on the house is scheduled for Thursday at noon! I can't believe it, time is flying by!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Inspection & Moving Out!

Yesterday we had the inspection. Everything went well except their was a gas leak at the gas valve in the furnace. The buyer asked that we get it fixed before closing. I called my mom to ask her if she could send over one of their service guys to check it out. Tony said they would do it for free as long as they didn't have to order a part or something.

The service men came today at lunch and tightened a screw or something and said the leak was fixed. Praise the Lord! We are so thankful that it was nothing serious or something we had to pay a lot for. The furnace is very old so it could have been much worse!

Most of our stuff is moved into my aunt Terri's and Uncle Gary's attic & basement. The rest of our stuff is at Caleb's. The stuff at Caleb's is mostly necessities and stuff we will be taking to Peru!

It has been so awesome to see God's hand in everything. Especially now when I look back and read this blog over the past months, I know it was God growing and stretching us. My emotions go from excitement to fear to homesickness! I am seeing now how important prayer is because it is helping me to know that for the past 5 months we have been praying for God's PERFECT will to come about in our lives. Now that we can see that God is opening the door for us to go to Peru we can rest in knowing that we are stepping into God's perfect will for our lives at this point in time.

My prayer is that we would grow tremendously in our relationship with the Lord over the next year. That we would love God more with each breath and desire to reflect the image of Christ in every decision we make. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

Appraisal

The realtor called us yesterday to let us know that the appraisal went through okay! Praise the Lord! We are getting ready to pack our things up and decide where we are going to store stuff. My Uncle Gary & Aunt Terri have said we can store some things at their place so we are going to see how much room they have for stuff and decide what we are storing where. I pray for wisdom in deciding which items to keep in storage and what to get rid of.

The inspector is coming tomorrow to inspect the house so I pray all would go smoothly with that. After tomorrow's inspection we will be waiting on the paperwork for closing to go through.

Lord, I pray you would take care of all the details so beautifully that we would see your hand in it. I pray we would find a buyer for our truck before we leave.

Be with us, help us to look to you each morning and throughout the day to give you praise.

Prayers answered & lifted up!

So I can't believe that we are actually going to Peru. It is so exciting. We are trying to remember to live for TODAY and what God is showing us TODAY instead of looking too far ahead. We can't stunt our growth because we are waiting to get to Peru.

I was just talking with Jeremiah and he was talking about what an amazing work God has done in our lives since we stepped out to go to Peru. We have definitely grown stronger in our relationship with one another and with our individual relationships with the Lord.

He said he will never forget seeing me bent over crying because I didn't think we were going to get to go to Peru. We got the offer on our house like 2-3 days later. He couldn't believe I was crying because we weren't going to get to go to a 3rd World country. Sounds strange, huh?!

Jeremiah has been such an encouragement through this whole process. He has been so strong in his faith and someone I could look to and lean on. It has been awesome to see him grow so much in the Lord and so quickly. I am excited to see how the Lord is going to use him and I am so thankful for him.

The appraiser is coming tomorrow to appraise our house. I pray that everything works out okay with the appraisal and the home inspection. Once our house has been appraised, we can start packing and moving our things.

We will be moving into Caleb's house until we leave in January.

For Christmas, my grandma is giving us 2 airplane tickets to Miami and then we can purchase our flights to Lima, Peru from there. She got 2 free tickets for buying $240 worth of Dockers clothes. Then we have $4oo reduction on our tickets through a promotion with our American Express card. If we can get the flight to Miami, then my grandma will be saving us over $900. I pray that we will be able to get a flight to Miami on those dates.

Yesterday, I purchased our health insurance for our trip down there. I found some reasonable rates and feel blessed that the Lord led me to them. That saved us like $330.

We put an ad in the Journal Review to sell our truck so hopefully someone will buy it before we leave. I pray that the Lord would bring along the perfect person to buy the truck and that it would be a blessing for them. We are willing to sell it below Blue book value so it would be a good deal for someone.

Offer, Counter-offer, SOLD!

Wow! I can't believe this.....but I can. We sold our house yesterday evening. Our house sold for more than we were asking and our closing date is set for December 21st. December 21st is the day that our non-refundable deposit is due to the college. God has definitely been stretching us and I am so thankful for His faithfulness. It is times like this that you wish you could go back and do things better. All the worry & impatience is such a waste when you can simply trust that His will WILL come to pass no matter what that may be.

I can't believe that God would actually want to use us. Praise the Lord!

Father, thank you for being so faithful! We are so humbled that you would choose to use us. I pray you would be glorified in our lives. Help us to realize that we are merely pilgrims passing through. Give us strength to endure whatever you have for us.

Help us to live day by day, moment by moment in Your everlasting love.

I trust that everything else that needs to be done before we leave would fall into place. THANK YOU!
In Jesus' name, Amen!

Peace & the 2nd Showing!

The lady that came to look at our house last Tuesday is coming back to look at it again. We'll see what happens. I think I really am okay this time if we don't sell our house. I have a true inner peace that whatever God wants is best and whatever happens is His will. I've just been praying that regardless of whether or not God opens the door for us to go to Peru, that He would be glorified in and through our lives. I truly do want the Lord's perfect will for our lives and if that is not Peru then I don't want anything to do with it.

Jeremiah & I went to church last evening and were very encouraged by the message. Dave went through Psalm 37-39 and spoke a lot about trusting in the Lord & delighting in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. It encouraged us that He did put the desire to go to Peru on our hearts and that it is not a fleshly desire, so we need to trust in Him and His will will come to pass.

Prayer for Peace

Lord, help me! My thoughts are racing and my mind is going a thousand different directions. Help me to focus. Help me to live in today. Give me peace in my heart and help me to walk in it moment by moment. I pray that an answer would come quickly if that is your will. I feel tired from waiting & wondering. Forgive me for living in my emotions and not in You. I feel like I have been on a circumstantial roller coaster ride these past few days. Help me to remember that I want Your perfect will for our lives no matter how long it takes to get an answer. I am wasting my time thinking of all the things that could or could not happen. It seems I have been through every possible scenario but You are the only one that knows how things will end. Help me to remember that an answer will come, it may not be when I think it should be or the answer I am looking for but You will be faithful to answer. Give me peace that passes understanding! In Jesus' name, Amen!

More showings!

Last night Gina showed our house to an older lady. While they were looking at our house a realtor (Stacey Murphy) knocks on the door and wants to know how much we are asking for our house. I told her and she said that was within her buyer's price range. The buyer was with her so I said they could come back and look at it after the other people left.

They did come back and it turns out that I went to school with the potential buyer. I think she would be a great fit for our house. She said she wants to have her dad come back and look at it.

I guess we are just waiting again to see if either of them are interested enough to make an offer.

Disappointed but Hopeful

Well, we got our hopes up about getting an offer and it turns out these people were approved. Afterward they said they would like their payments to be $100 less per month. We cannot lower the price this much.

The realtor, Gina Reagan, asked if she could show the house to someone else. She said this lady is approved, lives in an apartment, and Gina thinks our house would be a great fit. We are showing the house tonight at 5:30 p.m. So we will see what happens.

Even though things didn't work out with this first couple we are encouraged because virtually no one has called about our house in the past 3-4 month BUT in the last week and a half we have had 5 people look at our house! It seems God is moving......only time will tell if He is moving us toward Peru.

Also, today we received an e-mail from the Bible College inviting us to arrive in Peru 4 days early in order to help with a church plant in Pisco. This was one of the cities that was hit the hardest by the earthquake in August. It would be awesome if we could sell our house in enough time to make this trip. They said all expenses would be paid!

Lord, thank you for being in control of our lives. Guide us to your perfect will. I leave it in your hands, give me peace! Help me to leave it in your hands! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Vacation, Open House & Thanksgiving

Well, I have had the last week off of work and boy have I been busy. Sunday the 18th we had an open house and had two families show up. The second family seemed really interested and was asking us when we could be out and everything. We never heard from them so I guess they found something else.

My sisters came to stay the night Tuesday and we had a nice time visiting. Wednesday we went to my mom's Thanksgiving in Bainbridge. Thursday we spent Thanksgiving with my family at the Holiday Inn and then with Jeremiah's family at Adrianne's. It was a nice time visiting with everyone. I definitely ate my fair share of turkey and now I am paying the price.

Friday morning we woke up at 2:45 a.m. to try and buy a laptop on sale at Best Buy. It was a fun little adventure. When we got there we realized we were probably out of luck because the people were lined up outside the building at 4 a.m. Some people even brought their tents and slept there over night. The store was not even opened yet and they had already given out all the tickets for computers. We were able to buy a Dell on sale at Super Wal-Mart. I love it and am so thankful for it!

Later that day we got a call from a realtor who wanted to show our house to a couple Saturday afternoon. We didn't really think too much about it but I guess you are always kind of thinking that if God is going to sell our house, then this could be it!

I woke up early Saturday morning to start cleaning the house and getting it ready for the showing. They arrived at 1:05 p.m. Saturday morning with their realtor, Gina Reagan. They looked around asked us a few questions said they loved it and would go back to the realtor's office and run some numbers.

Gina called us back in an hour or so and said that we should expect an offer later that afternoon. Well, we waited and waited, but we never heard anything. Jeremiah called to get an update, she called back and said that Jackie Thompson had a death in the family and wouldn't be able to work on it until the next day. So we waited all day Sunday and heard nothing. Jeremiah called her again for an update and she said that she hadn't heard from Jackie, the mortgage person, so she said she hopes to hear something on Monday.

We are a little confused about the process at this point as to why they have to get a hold of Jackie to make an offer but we hope to hear something today. I am excited to see what God is going to do. It seems as if we are at the brink of discovering whether or not He is opening the door to Peru.

Lord, I pray you would guide us during this process and that Jeremiah and I would be in agreement during the selling process. You are in control, help me to remember that. Thank you for all you have already done for us! Your will be done! In Jesus' name, Amen!

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE'RE GOING TO PERU IF JESUS WANTS US TO! This is what I keep singing in my head:)

Newsletter

Jeremiah wrote an article for the church newsletter so I thought I would post it on our blog. It follows:

Stepping Out
by Jeremiah Hurt


2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Are we to be any less encouraged when God closes a door compared to when He opens a door? Surely we should find joy in closed doors just as we find joy in opened doors. I have come to find this can be easier said than done. As Christians walking by faith, it is the Lord who both opens and closes doors. We, as growing believers, should simply want what God wants, His perfect will for our lives. Seeking God’s perfect will is going to involve both doors. It is by waiting on the Lord that we truly discover what He has for us. Eventually, we must be willing to put all fear aside and step out in faith.

My wife and I have recently stepped out in faith. Through a strong desire to know and live out God’s perfect will for our lives we feel led to attend Bible College in Lima, Peru. We have been accepted to the college, have put our house up for sale and must simply wait to see what the Lord is going to do. We are excited to see if moving to Peru is what the Lord wants for our lives.

Please pray that whether or not God is calling us to Peru that we continue to live for the Lord, here and now. Pray that we find encouragement in what the Lord has already done in and through our lives and an excitement for what He has in store.

Our prayer is that if you are feeling led to step out in faith in an area of your life, that you would go for it! Put all fear aside and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, for He alone knows your heart’s desires.

Encouragement

The Lord has continued to give encouragement by speaking to me about patience, His will, and His perfect timing through things I am reading, radio, etc. It has given me a renewed faith that He is going to sell our house so we can go to Peru! It is so cool when it happens because it is happening so often that there is no way it can be a coincidence. Praise the Lord for the many ways He speaks to my heart! I am so thankful for the encouragement.

Lord, increase our faith! Forgive us for lacking in our faith! Show us how to be patient as we wait for your will to unfold! Give us peace as we wait! Thank you for comforting me and growing me during this time! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Approaching deadlines

We just received an e-mail from the Bible College that listed the deadline for submitting the $600 non-refundable deposit. The deadline is December 21st, which gives God a little over a month to sell our home. If we go, we will be leaving a lot earlier than I had originally thought. The first day of orientation is January 26th so they ask that you arrive no later than January 25th. It is exciting to know that we may not have to wait as long as we thought to know whether God is going to open or close this door.

Jeremiah and I have been talking a lot about it lately and he has really encouraged me that we need to rejoice in the fact that God is going to show us His will either way and that we will at least know where we are not supposed to be. He could close the door to Peru because he has something even more perfect for us.

It has been awesome that every message I have heard at church, bible study, and on the radio has been in regards to faith and how waiting on the Lord causes Him to build character in my life for His glory. I need to rejoice in this!

We did lower the price of our house to $92,000 and we may go even lower still if we don't get any calls.

These past months, even though they have been trying at times, have definitely brought me to a closer reliance on the Lord. It has also brought me closer to Jeremiah and God has been showing me lately how much Jeremiah loves me.

Father, thank you for these last few months and all that you have taught me! I pray you would continue to give us strength and patience as we wait to see a door open or close. Thank you that I can trust in You and know that my life is in your hands. I am so comforted to know that You know what is best for Jeremiah and I. I pray you would work quickly! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Waiting............

We had a second garage sale this past weekend and sold a few more of our things. On Friday, we went to the Phil Wickam concert at Sacred Grounds. It was a really great time worshipping the Lord. I don't think I have ever felt so comfortable worshipping the Lord in public. When we got home from the concert that evening, it really hit me that ever since we stepped out to go to Peru, my walk with the Lord has been all about me and what the Lord can do for me. As I reflected on how wonderful the Lord is, I repented of my selfish attitude and my thinking that He owes me something for wanting to serve Him.

I have been struggling lately with being patient. Everytime I start worrying or having a negative attitude, I have to put everything back into perspective. It is definitely a battle and it seems to be going on constantly in my mind.

Lord, help me, I have no idea what is going on. Help me to rest in that. Give me peace and patience to see your plan unfold as you will. Thank you for being by my side. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Garage Sale & Faith

We had our garage sale last Saturday and made $243.00! I still have a lot of things left so we may have another one this Saturday. We sold a lot of things we had stored away. It was nice to get rid of all that stuff.

On Saturday evening someone called about our house sounded really interested and said they would come look at it Sunday afternnon at 2:00 p.m. I got the house cleaned up really well and they never showed up. I was pretty disappointed even though I tried not to act like it.

The message on Sunday at church was really great. He spoke out of Romans 4 about the steps of faith. It seems the Lord is really speaking to me about my faith in Him. Most of my devotionals have been about faith too. I am asking the Lord to increase my faith and to be comforted in the fact that "He is able".

I am taking some days off of work over Thanksgiving and Christmas so I am really excited about that. I haven't had a day off other than holidays for 2 years!

So, we are excited to see what God does in regards to selling our house.

Father, give me peace, hope and faith that you are in control and will take care of all the details if it is your will to go to Peru. Thank you for walking with us as we grow closer to you. Father, I pray you would amaze everyone, even Jeremiah & I! Your will be done, In Jesus' name, Amen!

Accepted!

We got the long awaited e-mail that Jeremiah has been accepted to Bible College in Peru. YIPEE, Praise the Lord! I am so thankful that she e-mailed us this week instead of having to wait another week and a half. Now we just have to get our house sold in enough time to leave at the end of January.

Another praise is that our bill for the innoculations came in last week and we only have to pay the $20 co-pay for each of us. This is a huge savings considering the total cost was almost $1,000. Hopefully we can get in sometime next week to receive our next round of shots.

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to see your hand moving in regards to our stepping out in faith. We trust you are at work and if we are supposed to go to Peru in February, you will see to it that we are able to go. Lord, I pray you would bring someone along that wants to buy our house before we decide to list it. Father, I also want to pray for our health as we go and get our second round of vaccinations. I pray you would keep us healthy and strong. I also want to lift up our garage sale we are having this Saturday, I pray you would keep the rain away and that we would have a good turn out. Most of all Lord I pray that Jeremiah & I would love you and others with all our heart, soul, and mind. Your will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Stuff & Bible college

Well, we are planning a garage sale for this weekend. I have been rummaging through all of my stuff and decided to sell most of my stuff being stored in the attic and in the extra bedrooms. It makes for a pretty nice sale. B.J. Parry will be coming over some time this week to help us price the items because we have no idea what people would be willing to give for certain items. I think it will be such a relief to get that stuff out of the house. I am praying for nice weather this Saturday. I plan on cleaning up the house really well so that if someone is interested in looking at our house they can come in and check it out.

Yesterday we received an e-mail from Candy at the Bible College. She said she just gave the applications to the English Admissions Director and we should expect to have an answer from her this week. If not, then we will definitely hear something in two weeks because the whole college is leaving on different missions trips across Peru and Ecuador next week. I was so excited to finally hear something from them and now we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to be much more patient from here on out and rest in the fact that the Lord is in control and everything will take place exactly the way he has planned it. Praise the Lord for all that has taken place already and that he knows where he is leading us!

Lord, help me to have faith and patience as you guide and direct us to your perfect will for our lives! Help me to live for each day and be thankful for what he is showing me each day. Thank you for a loving husband who wants to serve you however you desire. Thank you for all the things you have given us; good jobs, a nice home, nice vehicles, nice things, loving friends and family! We are so blessed! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Great vs. Greater

I am just praising God right now for his love & mercy. I just have this yearning to serve him no matter the cost.

Yesterday, Jeremiah had an interview with Nucor. He was unable to make the first interview because he was so sick from the shots he had a couple of weeks ago. He felt like Nucor was such a great opportunity that he felt he needed to make sure God didn't want him to take the job. He was so torn about making the right decision for our future and for the Lord.

He went to the interview and it turns out the guy who would be his supervisor is a Christian & the other two guys he would be working with are strong Christians. The supervisor (John) started out with the typical questions "What person & event in your life has had the greatest impact on you?" So Jeremiah tells him Jesus Christ & becoming saved have had the greatest impact on him. He proceeds to tell John his testimony and John opens up to Jeremiah about how sometimes he accidentally curses on the job, etc. They get near the end of the interview and John says he has interviewed 8 people and Jeremiah is his number 1 candidate. So Jeremiah tells him he has to be honest with him that we are planning on going to Bible College in Peru but Nucor is such a great opportunity that he would be praying about making the right decision. Then John thanks him for being honest but says he has to be honest with him and he is still his number 1 candidate and would be recommending him. But John also let Jeremiah know that he would be fine if he decides not to take the position......in other words he needs to follow what the Lord is showing him to do.

Jeremiah said he left the interview with peace. He thought it was going to be a black & white decision. A bad decision vs. a good decision but the Lord showed him that it is a good decision vs a better decision. It is great vs greater, just like Haggai 2:9 spoke to us from the beginning. It is God's will vs. God's perfect will. The Lord also showed him his motives are pure for wanting to go to Peru. No matter how much Satan has tried to lie to him and tell him he had selfish reasons for wanting to go to Peru, the Lord showed him he wants to go to become closer to the Lord and to seek out God's perfect will for our lives.

I am so proud and thankful that God has blessed me with a husband who wants to seek the Lord and His will for our lives no matter the "cost".

Meanwhile, I was at my Daniel study being totally blown away by Beth Moore's message. She spoke on sacrifice vs. selfishness. She said that the Enemy wants to tempt us to not be a daily living sacrifice so that we will miss God's calling on our lives. She said if whatever God is asking us to do doesn't "cost" us something then how will it ever seem priceless to us? It was probably the best message I have ever heard in my life. Praise the Lord!

The Lord really used that to confirm once again that Jeremiah is making the right decision by not taking the job at Nucor. I think it is such a miracle of God that we are both in sync with this decision. Last spring, I was so consumed by thinking that the answer to life's problems would be for Jeremiah to get a better job so I could stay at home and raise babies. I still have a strong desire to have children but my desire to follow the Lord and His desires for our lives is stronger. Thank you Lord for working in our lives so visibly, it is only by the changing power of your Holy Spirit that we can become more like you.

Lord, I thank you how you guide & direct us each day! I pray I would not allow distractions in my life to drown out your voice, even in the small things of life, that I would seek you in everything! I pray you would honor our decision to go to Peru, that regardless of whether or not we go to Peru that you would show us the perfect way in which Jeremiah & I can serve you as one. Lord, I also pray for peace in waiting for your answer on whether or not you want us to go to Peru! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Home update, vaccinations, etc.

Well, we still have not had anyone come look at our house except for those two families right at first. One of them ending up buying a house in our neighborhood.......too bad it wasn't our:( The only people that have called about it, want to know if we will sell it on contract/rent-to-own. We are not interested in doing that. Everyone is saying how bad the housing market is, it is even all over the news. The Feds dropped interest rates by half a point last week and there is talk of another drop so maybe that will help the market a little. We are praying about whether or not we should list our home with a realtor, so we may be doing that in a few weeks if we don't get any serious prospects in the meantime. Regardless, I have to keep reminding myself that if the Lord wants us to go to Peru, then it is NOT a hard thing for him to sell our house despite the slow market. Thank God He is in control!

Well, Jeremiah called me at work on Monday and said that Nucor called him for an interview. Just after we made the decision to go to Peru, he said he was sure they would call before we left. It is so luring in the financial aspect but we both agree that it does not fall in line with the life we feel God is calling us to live. Just thinking about what Nucor would mean for us, we both get caught up in the money aspect of it all, so I can't imagine what we would be like in a couple of years if he took the job. It is funny because a week before Nucor called, we were driving by Nucor and I said, "Man, I am glad you don't work there."

On Wednesday, Jer and I had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Douglas to get our immunizations to go to Peru. Jeremiah has to get a few more than me since he has never been vaccinated. We prayed just before we received the injections that we would not have any adverse reactions to the chemicals being injected into our bodies. The tetanus shot was kind of painful, other than that all was well. Then the following morning when Jeremiah woke up he walked into the dining room and said he was sick and had to lay on the floor. We noticed the site of one of the injections was swollen to a size a little bit larger than a golf ball. I called the nurse and she said he was having a reaction to the pills and that he needed rest, tylenol, and clear fluids. We did all of those things and prayed for his body. When I came home that evening I took his temperature and it went from 99.6 to 102 in like an hour. He was not feeling well. The tylenol helped to decrease the fever. In the middle of the night, that night (last night) he was talking in his sleep and I heard him say John 5:3-10, for some reason I knew I had to remember that and kept saying it over and over in my head and prayed God would help me remember until morning (since I was too lazy to get up and write it down or look it up). First thing in the morning I went straight to the bible and looked it up, this is what it said: 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.[b] 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." Wow! I just think that is the coolest thing! I love when things like this happen because it just reminds me how real God truly is.

Thank you Lord for the ways that you reveal yourself to me. I pray you would help me to realize the depths of your love each day I walk with you and how you want to heal us all, whether its physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I just need to have the faith to believe you have healed me then "Get up, pick up the cross, & walk". Thank you Lord for helping me to remember the scriptures Jeremiah murmured in his sleep and thank you for comforting him in his sickness as he sleeps. In Jesus name, Amen!

Learning to Trust in the Lord!

Well, it has been over a month now since we decided to step out in faith to pursue enrollment at the bible college in Peru. Our home has been for sale for a month. Things have been pretty quiet, I am trying to be patient in waiting for God's answer and having faith that no matter what all is in His hands. I have to admit, what I fear most is the possibility of us stepping out and nothing happening.....and then feeling foolish! I was thinking about this though and the Lord reassured me that it is better to step out and look foolish than to be disobedient and not look foolish. How will we ever know if God wants us to go to Peru or not unless we step out? Sometimes the only way that Paul knew where he was supposed to be, by knowing where he wasn't supposed to be.

My patience has been wearing thin with the lack of prospects for our home. Jeremiah is very good at redirecting my focus back on the Lord when I lack faith that our home will sell if we are supposed to go. I am praying daily for the quick sale of our home, and for patience in the meantime.

I have been having some really great times with the Lord and have been so blessed. Through all of the waiting and wondering God has really shown me how much I need Him, even in the small things. Even if we don't go to Peru, I am so thankful for this time spent with the Lord as He increases my faith and trust in Him.

Lord, thank you for how you comfort me daily with your peace, hope, and joy! I pray you would continue to humble me and keep me in a place of continual reliance on You, for ALL things! I pray I would be like an infant, who relies on its parents for all of its needs and trusts that they will provide. Lord, continue to bring Jeremiah & I closer as a couple and bless our marriage. I pray you would show me daily how to submit to my husband in a godly manner. Prepare us for whatever ministry you have for us. Place the desires in our hearts for the things you would have us do! Fill us with your Holy Spirit! Also, I pray for peace and faith in waiting for you to answer on whether we are to go to Peru or not, on selling our home and being accepted to the bible college. Father, let your will be done! In Jesus' name, Amen!

The earth shakes!

Wow! I can't believe it! Only a couple of weeks after we decide to step out and go to Peru, there is an 8.0 earthquake only 90 miles South of Lima!

It is sad to think of all of the people affected by this earthquake but at the same time it is exciting to think of hearts that may be more prepared to hear about the hope & peace of Jesus. We are so excited to see how God might be able to use us to touch lives there!

There are many people asking if we still plan to go, "the answer is YES, personally, I can't wait to go now!" But all in God's timing!

I am not much of a daring person, in fact, I have spent most of my life being afraid! So I am shocked to realize that God has protected me from being fearful about going after hearing about the earthquake. I am resting in the fact that the Lord holds my life in his hands and he knows the number of my days!

Lord, please be with us as you strengthen our faith and pull us closer to you! I pray for the Peruvian people, break them to the point where they have no where else to turn except into your loving arms! Give them your supernatural peace, hope, & joy! Keep the people at the college safe and show them how to care for the victims of this earthquake so that they might see your love through them! I love you, Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Waiting.........

So the "For Sale" sign is up in our yard, my boss knows, neighbors know and now we do the hard part..................WAIT for the Lord to do it all! As I am writing this I am thinking, why do I think it is the hard part. It should be easy if I truly believe God is going to DO it all and it is out of my hands! Well, thank you Lord for showing me that it is easy if I give it all over to you!

Anyways, the Lord has been speaking to me through the people around me in order to build my faith and trust in Him during this time. It is easy to start worrying and wondering if we are CRAZY! But I am resting in the fact that God is faithful and He won't allow me to go through anything that I can't handle! Praise the Lord!

This morning as I worried about telling my boss, I received an e-mail from my Aunt Laura and this is what it said:

Hey Beautiful! I thought this was so awesome this morning in my reading of "The Purpose Driven Life", NOT that you are too old or Jeremiah is too young....you'll see what I mean after I type this paragraph...it really spoke to me about you two...Here it is..
"Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was to young, God rejected their excuses. "'Don't say that,' the Lord replied, 'for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you.' "
Wow! I just thought that was amazing that both of your names(even though yours is spelled diff)were used in the context that they were!!
Here is a good scripture that goes along with it!
"Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind." Psalm 67:2.
I love you both so much and hope you have a blessed day and know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers!
Aunt Laura
P.S. Please share this with your hubby, ok?

Sorry, Laura, I hope you don't mind me sharing this with everyone but it was such a blessing and yet another way the Lord confirmed His desires for us.

Then later in the afternoon I received an e-mail from Jeannie saying she thought the following spoke to our decision to GO!.......
Come and Go
Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.Exodus 3:10
Recommended ReadingExodus 3:9-14Come now, and go.
That's the essence of the Gospel message. We're to come to God and find eternal life, abundantly given. Then we're to go. Notice the first two letters of the word GOspel. Notice the first two letters of the word GOd. This is our great GOal in life—to GO for GOd with the GOspel.
Perhaps the Lord is calling you to ministry or to missionary service, or to take a short-term trip with your church, or to enroll in an evangelistic training program. Maybe you feel an inner urge to volunteer for your church's visitation program.
God wants to send us to certain pharaohs who need His message.
Unfortunately, Moses' response was, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" Moses finally went, of course, but not without considerable arguing about it.
When the Lord calls you to a mission, whether large or small, don't argue. Just step out in faith and leave the rest to God, and He will use you for GOod.
If by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Yours,I'll go where You want me to go.Mary Brown

WOW! Isn't God so cool! He knows exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it! So I am going to do my best to sit back & watch God work because He is in control!

Father, thank you for showing me how easy it can be to wait when I allow you to do the work instead of worrying about everything and trying to figure out how it will all fall into place. I pray you will help me to apply this to my life as we WAIT on your work in our lives! Forgive me for not trusting in you! I love you! Use me today to touch the lives of others! In Jesus' name, Amen!

The ENEMY!

Since we have come down from the initial excitement of our decision the enemy has really been attacking both Jeremiah and I! He is trying to cause us to doubt and fear and using the fact that we have told everyone to make us afraid of looking silly. We have really put ourselves out there and now we just have to WAIT for the Lord to work! I know He will be faithful and will guide our steps along the way!

Father, help us! Strengthen our faith and give us a peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for how you have already spoken to our hearts and given us the desire to serve you in ANY way you see fit! Remind us that you are with us ALWAYS! Prepare us for the months ahead as you speak to our hearts each day!

I pray for our home to sell quickly and for everything to fall into place according to your will! I love you Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Informing family and friends!

Since we would be putting a "For Sale by Owner" sign in front of our house we thought it would be wise to let people know what is going on! For me it was a little scary to tell people what are plans are. I tend to worry too much about what people think! My grandparents were the ones I agonized over telling! I prayed that the Lord would soften their hearts and that they would be able to have understanding.

Most everyone was very encouraging so that was exciting! It was neat to see how faithful the Lord was to give peace and confirmation in our hearts that we are doing the right thing when we had our fears and doubts. Each time I went to him and asked for his peace, he was faithful to give me just what I needed through his Word, devotionals, speaking through my husband, etc.

The one thing that really stuck out to me was "Can I trust the man who died for me?" If I truly believe this, then there is NOTHING for me to fear. He has ALL things under his control and loves us and wants the best for us. The Lord also ministered to me about "GOING" and not being concerned with what others thought.

A LEAP of faith! (continued)

So, I went to the internet and checked out both schools. I immediately fell in love with the Peru campus! There vision was totally geared toward missions and getting you out there to experience the life of a missionary and how to minister to the people. Peru is also building a Calvary orphanage......which is so awesome! I went ahead and e-mailed both schools and didn't hear back from them. I wanted to know if they had married housing and a few other questions.

Finally, I decided to e-mail the campus in California to see if they could send me some information. Someone wrote back saying that we should continue to contact the Peru campus, it would be best for married couples and that we would truly be blessed in our time there. He said we would be thrust into ministry.

Peru wrote back shortly after saying that they had married housing but we would need to apply early in order to ensure our room. He also said that the cost would be $1,400 less a semester as long as Jeremiah was enrolled as a full-time student and I worked 20 hours per week at the college. In addition, I would be allowed to attend classes for free. How cool is that?!

The Brazil campus wrote back shortly after saying that they do not have married housing. I believe this was God closing a door. Thank you Lord!

The gentleman we were in contact with at the Peru campus was so kind and helpful. He even gave some of his and his wife's testimony as to when they applied to go to bible college in Austria. They had to sell their home too, and he said it didn't sell until a month before the semester began. He said he worried terribly about it but the Lord worked it out perfectly! It was such an encouragement to know that we weren't the only "crazy" people around! My hope is that we can have peace and faith through this whole process so that we can look back and not regret our lack of trust in the Lord!

Jeremiah and I talked and prayed and decided to step out in faith by applying to the Peru bible college and trying to sell our home! Now to tell our family of our decision.

A LEAP of faith! (continued)

Okay, where was I at? Oh yes, delaying the passport.

So the Lord really began to speak to me about having something different & unique for us, and about us going on an adventure with Jesus! Shortly after, a missionary that our chuch supports from Kyrgyzstan, Jed Gourley and his family, came to the states for their summer furlough. He spoke at church and came and spoke at the weekly bible study we attend on Tuesday nights. One of the things he mentioned for people that are interested in missions was the missions training program in Vajta, Hungary at the Calvary Chapel Bible College. This really sparked my interest!

So I checked out their web-site, brought the information home for Jer to look at, and I was all excited! I thought this would be awesome. Jer looked at it, didn't seem too excited......and said "It is something I will pray about". I actually started getting teary because he didn't react with the excitement that I had hoped....haha! I didn't think it was something he would REALLY pray about. Then Jer and Caleb (his brother) met with Jed and they prayed about their desires for missions. Jed mentioned the bible college again.

I finally decided to take care of getting my passport renewed......my heart was excited and I could sense we were on the verge of something! I didn't know what it was but I was excited nonetheless!

A couple of weeks pass and Jer and I are on our way to a family camping trip when he says he wants to talk to me, he says, "I have been thinking and praying and think the Lord is leading us to go to that bible college and sell our home. What do you think about that?" I said, I am for it, that is awesome!

Then after I started thinking about it, I started to panic a little. I thought, okay, I have talked about this, dreamt about this, and hoped for this.....but this could really happen....YIKES!! So I prayed that if this is what the Lord wants from us that he would make it obvious and give me peace in my heart! That night we go to Sunday evening church and Dave's message was a total encouragement to "step out in faith". We both felt the Lord was speaking directly to us, through Dave!!

Then, I still had my doubts.....so I continued to pray for confirmation to sell our house! That evening as I was reading my devotion for that day, it was talking about stepping out in faith and the scripture that popped out at me was Haggai 2:9 "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts." I thought, PRAISE the LORD! That was the reassurance I needed.

I shared the scripture with Jeremiah and he was encouraged as well. A couple of days later, Jer was telling a friend about what we were planning to do and his friend said "That is awesome, you never hear anything bad about the colleges in Hungary, Germany, Brazil, and Peru. Jeremiah said his heart lept when he heard Brazil & Peru, and couldn't believe the excitement he had within. He asked Jake more about those schools and said they were both huge on children's ministry and orphanage ministry (which my heart has always wanted to serve in an orphanage). Jeremiah said he couldn't wait to call and tell me the excitement he experienced and that the Lord may be leading us somewhere else! Jer said he had been praying that the Lord would give him an excitement for a people or country so we could have more direction on where He wanted us to serve.

MORE LATER!!

A LEAP of faith!

I want to share how the Lord has prepared our hearts and lead us along the way to take this leap of faith!

Jeremiah & I have had a desire put in our heart for foreign missions. We have talked about it since before we were married,on September 3, 2005. During the past 2 years the Lord kept stirring our hearts each time we would read about, talk about, or hear someone speak about foreign missions. We would get really excited about the idea, but fear would always take over.

Last March/April Jeremiah and I started talking about making more money and the idea of him getting a job at SDI or Nucor Steel where he would within a couple of months be making more than 2times what he currently makes. It was a struggle, we got really excited about all the things we could do to our house, what we could buy, etc. and at the same time talking about the good things we could do with the money. Then the Lord began to convict us individually that this was not what he wanted for us and that He has something even better! The Lord showed me that this was a fork in the road and if we go down this road our life will be one way...good, but that if we go the other we will be going toward all that God has for us.

Jeremiah came to me and said he didn't think this was what the Lord was leading Him to do. He said he felt God was showing him we were at a "fork in the road". Immediately, I was thinking NO Lord, but I want more money and security! Thankfully, though I admitted to Jeremiah that the Lord was showing me the exact same thing.

Once we shut that door we became very excited for what God might have for us! Jeremiah applied for a passport because we decided we wanted to go over to Kyrgyzstan for a short-term missions trip, because that is where the only missionaries we knew lived and served. I delayed at getting my passport renewed as the fear crept in.

MORE TO COME LATER!!

Reason for this blog

Most of you know that Jeremiah and I have decided to sell our home and apply to bible college in Peru. No, not Peru, Indiana, but South America!!! We are very excited and can hardly wait to see what He is going to do and how He is going to work out all of the details.

I decided to start a blog to record how this came about, how it goes along the way, and where God leads us as we make this leap of faith. I was afraid I would forget all of the cool things that He has already done.

God speed,
Serah

P.S. I named the blog Adventures with Jesus because before all of this came about and we were just talking about our desire to be involved in foreign missions I kept telling Jeremiah that I want to go on an Adventure with Jesus and him!