So "Plan Move" is underway and sweeping us off our feet! Click here for our previous blog post. We are moving through our goals quickly:
Move into RV
Save up every dime of Brian's income for 2-3 years
Pay CASH for whatever house we want
Pray for a new plan (kids say adopt 20 more kids...hope that isn't God inspired)
In late June we went public about this plan and began operation get debt free, it is early August and all is happening so quickly! We don't even have our house on the market yet, the Realtor just put a sign out front and we have already had 4 showings, which by the way cleaning your house in a way that it looks so enticing that someone else wants to live there is very difficult with 5 kids and 2 dogs. We found out today we officially have a contracted buyer! If God wants our house to sell, sell it He will!
It is strange to think of life anywhere but our cozy little 3 bedroom 2 bath home in our perfect little city door to door neighborhood. It was our dream home, it has murals on the walls that remind me of my time spent waiting, waiting on children to come. It was here that we prayed for children, that we cried, that we rejoiced. It was here that the kids first knew what it was like to have a real home, one with running water, electric, food, and a family. This is our first home, but one that came with a heavy price tag and financial strain. Although we will miss our life here we are learning that stuff and walls don't make a home, family does.
We have sorted through stuff and more stuff and more stuff! This is different than most moves as we don't have any space for stuff, we need clothes and schooling materials and only very little of either can fit. We have sorted through our clothes and now each of us only have 14 outfits each plus 4 church outfits, which is still more clothes than we can fit in the RV. The kids have chosen their favorite toys and filled a shoebox full, all the rest had to leave. We have all had our material possession idols torn down as we part with every item that provides memories or comfort.
Even with all our losses we are excited about the future to come! We had decided to look for cheap plots of land to park our RV on while we save money to build or buy a house. We know that the RV park in town is $600/month and we know it would take us at least 2 years to save up enough for a reasonable house. So in looking for land we wanted something that would cost less than what we would pay in rent to an RV park for 24 months. We were looking for an acre maybe two in our price range. God had plans for sure! The very first property we looked at was 7 acres, but out of our price range. We tinkered with the idea, what if we could get that land, what if we could have the farm we always wanted! God was weaving our steps as we day dreamed and not only did this property get negotiated into our price range but it is also being owner financed over the next 6 months. But this is 7 acres with a history, a story, 7 acres that is not pretty and looks like it has just plain given up on life. 7 acres of trash and filth that is screaming for salvation, wishing to be cleansed, wanting to be pure!
The yarn God uses to weave our tapestry is always worn out and beat up. To the world it is ugly and tattered, but when He is done and says "See what I have created!?!" the world takes a second glance and can only give glory to Him alone who can make the most stunningly beautiful tapestries from worn and tattered yarn! Our life has been one jumbled mess of tattered yarn, we don't buy pedigree puppies, we don't birth perfect newborn babies and we don't buy gorgeous, pristine property, for if you see any beauty in us you see our Father's amazing talent alone, He is the creator of beauty!
I love thrift store shopping! I actually NEVER shop retail, it is too perfect, with it's too perfect high price tag. We frequent every thrift store in town and we are recognized by all the workers and owners. We are always buying used and broken toys and turning them into what they were created to be or better. Often with just a new coat of paint, some elbow grease and love they turn into amazing treasures that the kids love playing with (and often can be turned around for a good profit!). This land we got is like the thrift store of land, but with a little elbow grease and labor of love it will one day be the gorgeous green pasture with scattered pine trees for shade with a swing set and clothes line behind a huge light blue country farm house!
Before After
The path from here won't be easy. It is raw land. No water, electric, or septic. It looks like the forest and we have enough bug bites and poison ivy to show you that the wildlife there is thriving! It will take time and we are working hard every chance we get, we have cleared about .20 of an acre by hand, just clippers, an ax and a rake (we can't afford to rent machine help!). We even had the brilliant idea of getting some free labor out there so we got goats to chow down on brush so we can clear enough of an area to get our RV parked in there. We have had the blessing of some amazing people jumping in with the task of putting up a fence and even brought us a gate and we look so legit!
At this rate we will be moved in no time! This next step of the journey is so exciting and scary all at once. It is at the same time freeing and overwhelming as we lose our financial weight of a mortgage but gain tons of work as we pretty up our new home!
Posted by Shannon
Soli Deo gloria - Glory to God alone
This is wonderful! Thank you for the update, Shannon! You are an inspiration! So excited that you are moving ahead on your plan!
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