Hi friends – How to describe the last year?
We prayed and trusted God to lead every step of the way, and then moved from our home of 5.5 years, church family of 7 years, near Drew’s extended family in Pennsylvania to cross the country back to Oregon where we had previously lived. Camping our way across this majestic country, we enjoyed the wonders of God’s creation in protected landscapes. We arrived in May and lived with friends for 3 months until God provided a job and our own place to rent, one year ago this month. We moved into the Edgewater Neighborhood of Salem, Oregon, where we sense God calling us to root and plant relationships and a neighborhood expression of church.
In the last year we’ve prayer-walked and walked and walked throughout our neighborhood! We realized the house we’ve been renting doesn’t work for gathering friends or sleeping through the night regularly. And so, our prayers for connection have expanded to prayers for God to lead us to the next footprint for our family and Peace City BIC Church in the neighborhood. We continue to pray for the right people or couple or family to join us in this mission. We pray for meaningful friendships and relationships to develop for all 4 of us. During this Covid-19 season, gathering groups of neighbors or even another whole family has been challenging without a yard. And every day, we pray and trust God to lead us every step of the way. And we know God does and will continue!
In the last year we have seen:
Neighbors recognize us, smile and wave. We welcomed neighbors to an Autumn party in the courtyard between the apartments, hosted a Christmas Eve open-house, and gave neighbors flowers at Easter. We planted and nurtured a plot at the Community Garden 2 blocks away to which we walk every day. Drew helped neighbors move in next door. We recognize the life happening around us with daily greetings and conversations with neighbors. Our sidewalk chalk messages reach passersby, and we hung a prayer request mailbox out front on the tree - We pray for our neighbors. Millyellen and the kids finished another year of homeschool and are about to start the next. And we said goodbye to our old reliable family vehicle of the last 11 years as God provided a new one just in time (this one isn’t mustard-gold, thank goodness!). Millyellen and the kids have volunteered regularly at a neighborhood food pantry. And Millyellen is involved with our neighborhood partnership of residents, businesses and churches. God has led us in worship on Sunday evenings in our home as the weekly rhythm is practiced for Peace City Church.
God listens and answers. God leads us in action and leads us to wait. We trust and doubt and hope as we follow. God provides friends from years ago, a place to land and a place to live, a job and the provision associated with it, and the experience of a year of praying and walking and waiting and doing and hoping and growing and worshipping. God provided us a year – we praise God for it!
God may be calling you to continue with us in prayer or maybe start for the first time. Sometimes we offer specific requests to those who have committed with us over the last year. If you would like to join that group, please reply to us at peacecitychurchbic@gmail.com . IF you feel your time supporting us in prayer has come to a close, please let us know that as well and we will take you off that list. If there are specific things you sense God saying to you for us, weigh it in prayer and then share as you feel led. Blessings to you all!
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