We've Moved!

It's been a while since I last posted, and I thought now would be as good a time as any to say that we moved from rural Odon to the small town of Washington, Indiana, last month! We have moved into our very own, brand-new house that was built by Habitat for Humanity and the Twin Rivers Vocational School. We feel very blessed to have a home to call our own! And God really worked miracles over the past year to make this home a reality for us! :)

We completed all of our 400-plus "sweat equity" hours throughout the latter half of last year. We worked on the build itself and also volunteered for various NGOs and other charities in the area. As our house was nearing completion, we had a few close friends come to the house a month or so ago, and we prayed over each room in the house. (6th January 2019.) Below please find a passage that I shared, along with some of my thoughts on this passage. :) More photos of our completed house will be posted as I work through my blog backlog.

I just want to share a well-known passage from Jeremiah 29: 11 - 14. It is the prophet Jeremiah writing a message from God to the Israelites in exile. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

These are people who are in exile. They are alone. They are away from their homeland. Maybe they feel abandoned by God. There are definitely challenges living in a foreign culture. I am from South Africa. I am not in exile or alone here. But I have struggled with the culture and can relate to a tiny slither of what they are going through.

And I take heart from the fact that they are not alone. God has plans for a hope and a future. When Candace and I were struggling in the place we rented, God saw our battles and had a plan for us. His was a perfect plan to give us a future and a hope. A place where we can safely raise our little South African-Americans in Indiana. A place to call home. Where we can rest and be ourselves. 

God has brought us out of captivity and gathered us together here. What's more? He has listened to our prayers. He has abundantly blessed us in our "exile," in our situation. And we are eternally grateful for all that He has done and continues to do for us.

Praying over the kitchen/living room area.