The church plant has a location… but what about us? With the landlord notifying us that they are selling the house, we have had to make some decisions…
After the initial shock, we began to stress about it. Then I got on the internet and started looking for a new place to call home. Then after a little bit of time, some encouragement from others, we took a breath, got off the internet, and began to contact the one person who could really help in the situation… we began to pray. (I wish we had started this way).
After much prayer, we have come to the conclusion that we just need to stop looking, and wait and see what happens. The landlord is determined to put the house on the market, but that might actually take some time as there are some papers needed to do that. The attic (where my office, CJ’s bedroom, and our laundry room are located) is not a legal addition and that has to be resolved before they can sell it.
For that to happen, they have to run around the capital getting paperwork taken care of. With the landlord living in Greece, that is not an easy thing to do – their daughter, our neighbor, has to do it for them and she recently mentioned it won’t happen fast. (This being Romania it could take a really long time, or be resolved in a flash with an envelope full of cash).
Then a buyer has to make an offer, and it has to be accepted. And with the neighbor being their daughter, they plan to be a little picky on who they sell it to.
So Lord willing, the whole process will take a year. That might be wishful thinking, but we are hoping to make it a year in this home because then we return to the US for a long over-due furlough (starting summer 2025). If it sells quicker, there is still a chance that the new owner might allow us to stay a few months in the house. If not, we will begin to look for a place when “the writing is on the wall.”
Ultimately, we are trusting God, knowing that He has a plan and the right timing and the right location for our next home. We desire to not place our time and attention on a home, but on the ministry that God has called us to do.
– That we would be content in the Lord’s timing. That we would trust Him, and not worry about it.
– For our home to continue to be a place of ministry as we look forward toward the church plant this fall.
– That with the remaining time we have in this home, that we will continue to engage in Gospel conversations with our neighbors. (It has taken years for us to build relationships with the neighbors on the street – and each one of them needs the Lord).
