We Have A House… Our week in Florida has come and gone and with some excited results! We hunted for a home for three and a half days and on the final day, we found what we were hoping for – a home that is just right for our family! It is able to accommodate both of our families (Bethany and I and our three kids, as well as Lynn, Bethany’s Mom) with space for some privacy and room to grow. It even has a guest room for you all when you come to visit (one at a time please!) We made an offer the day before we flew back to Michigan and just four days ago, we received the fantastic news that our offer was accepted and we are on our way to becoming home owners! 
Why do we have to buy a house? We have been blessed in our years with NTM to have always had heavily subsidized housing provided in each location we have served in. At NTM’s Home Office (HO) in Sanford, there are currently only a few homes/apartments available and for a limited time. God has recently provided a newer building for our HO to reside in and this new building has no housing with it, necessitating that all staff need to either buy or rent a home in the area. Bethany’s mom is making this move with us and actually, by her living with us we are able to purchase a home together. Without Lynn, this would be impossible for us financially. We all feel like it is a win-win situation. First, God is allowing each of us to serve Him in reaching the yet unreached with the gospel by being spokes in the wheel of church planting. Second, we are all able to be together while doing that. Mom is now an intimate part of our family and we LOVE having her with us. And now, we have seen God provide a home for us all to live in while we serve Him. 
What type of home were we looking for? We’re not the traditional family. Since we have taken Bethany’s mom, Lynn, into our family, we have some needs in a home that many people don’t have. While she (Lynn) loves all of us, she still has a need for her own space, within any home we would buy. And with three young and growing kids, we really desire to give her the space she needs to both enjoy their energy but escape if needed. And on the other side of the coin, Bethany and I as a couple, still have a vital need for a certain amount of privacy and space to be able to thrive as a married couple. We’re also desirous of buying a home in a neighborhood where a family with three young kids can feel a high degree of safety and security. We’re confident that we were able to purchase a home that meets all of our needs!