did you guys want a...

In regards to the last post, God is faithful. We have a meeting with the landlord (Fawn) on August 7th and we are all so excited to discuss the possibilities for next year. I still stand in amazement whenever I hear someone else tell the story and am so happy to think that God didn't just want to give us a house, but wanted to add a little excitement and humbling perfection to the situation.

All we really do is dream about next year. It was easy being in the moment when the house was a hazy concept and our location was undecided. Now that we have a house and we have a location we want to be there. August will be the best month of anticipation we will ever experience.

In the mean time, God is keeping us in the moment by providing incredible blessings. The people that he has surrounded us with are putting on the skin of Jesus and giving richly. We are in constant awe of the generosity of the body and the faithfulness of God to provide. A dear friend recently gave us an entire kitchen set. She worked since her junior year of high school to generate supplies to live on her own but her heart has changed and she can't see her future self living outside of community or within the US. Through God's nudging she decided that our house would be a great home for her belongings. My parents are donating a bike rack and Mason jars for canning (fresh peach, pears, tomatoes, applesauce, and salsa). Hangers from the side of the road, colanders from dumpsters, glasses from free boxes are just some of the ways that little bits of God have popped up in our lives. We see the amazing work that he is doing, weaving together supplies for community living and we are overwhelmed, but together in our joy which makes it infinitely sweeter.

The 3 of us in Seattle are going to be planning, planning, planning over the course of August. We will be creating a recipe book, finical system, food structure, fencing, gardens, flowerbeds, and then the last joyful act of moving in!

If you are looking for a way to support us, please pray. It's a phrase that gets used flippantly but we have seen God move so powerfully in response to our prayers and we want to constantly remain in the center of his will. Some things that we need prayer for are planning over the summer, the process of securing the house, finding balance of the now and the overly exciting not yet, and more faith.

Things that we still need:
push lawnmower, vacuum cleaner (preferably new), large pots and pans, an indoor drying rack, white dishes, and furniture.

It's all going to be okay though... someone will most likely just say, "Did you guys want a..." and we will just laugh and say, "Yeah..."

perfection is found in Ballard

As we sit at our favorite, or most frequently visited coffee shop (Fremont Coffee) we are rejoicing and so at peace with the plans that God has in store for us. Abby had the opportunity to meet with a fellow member of Sanctuary today. Her name is Clara and she has lived in community for 9 years in Boston and a few other cities. Over the course of the conversation the topic of our lack of housing came up and Clara responded with a shocked face and an overflow of excitement. Apparently, the house that she is living in right now is a 6 bedroom, 2 story house, fully optimised with a backyard! and garden! and washer and dryer! and TWO refrigerators! in Ballard! The landlord is a 33 year old female who is a Christian and feels that God is calling her to rent the house to an intentional community.

Right now we are overwhelmed with the smallness of our imaginations and overwhelmed with the faithfulness of God. He wants to give his children amazing gifts and we sit here and doubt with our worry. He is so faithful and just to give us our wildest desires and ultimate dreams. We will be meeting with the landlord, God willing, sometime this week. Please be in prayer for this opportunity and we will keep you all updated about our journey.

To God be the glory!

-abby and lindsey

faith. not worry.

this has been a difficult week.

satan is constantly tempting us to worry about our financial obligations, both present and future. each time i'm under this now familiar temptation, i pray asking God to fill my heart with His Spirit while assuring me that He will take care of us all as long as we trust in His promise.

God already has a house picked out for us! and He will provide whatever funds are needed to get us into that space. He will also help us pay our last months rent, our cell phone bills, money we owe to our families, etc... i can't allow myself to worry even once because i have personally seen over and over again how God has blessed my sister with anonymous checks in the mail, or a refund from something or other presented with the exact dollar and cent amound that she needed. her testimonies become personal to me, so how could i possibly sadden my Lord by worrying and doubting His hands and His angels?

thankfully i have a friend, Jake who reminds me of God's faithfulness every single day. i value so dearly the encouragement from people that are dear to me and our daily prayer times together.

i pray that the Spirit of the Lord is dwelling in our future community house already.
i pray Jesus blesses you as He continues to bless us.
and may you remember to have faith in His promises.

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