It is now March – the month in which we are moving – and somehow it feels like things have taken off and there isn’t going to be any stopping.  Thank you for continuing to pray, both for our housing but more importantly for us – that we would not lose faith in what God can do, that we would be steadfast in our conviction that God is for us, that we would handle the many unknowns and stress with humility and patience.  Several friends sent me the same verse this week that has become my breath prayer: “He will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).  What a great place to rest my mind and my heart this week.

We have started the application process for the piece of land that we shared about in a previous update in Watanoha, near the elementary school that had served as temporary shelter for many people.  This process is not binding at all- it shows interest, and it stops others from being able to purchase it until we decide.  We have discovered that there are developers snatching up a lot of the good land and beginning to build homes on it (the other 2 properties we mentioned were gone when we called, as has been the case in many we have inquired about.)

There are some things that we are excited about in this location:  it is near many families who have been hit hard where Eric and Be One have been ministering, it is very near to a temporary housing area where the Huddlestons have made some friends, it is a two-minute walk from the senior center (remember the old lady with the scarf?  the staff who loved the costco underwear?). The downside for us is that the kids would need to take a fifteen minute bus to a temporary school shelter up in the mountain area.  In the next year or so the old school will be redone – then it will be convenient.  But we don’t know how it will be for our children to enter into a school scenario like this.  We have heard good things about the school district – that they are fairly academic and do a good job with education.  So that is great.  Only God knows what our children need!  One of our good friends who works with missionaries said to us once – “People always say that kids (especially missionary kids) are resilient so you don’t need to worry about them.  But that isn’t always the case… our son is an example of that…”  We really need God’s wisdom and leading in this huge decision!

We did find out about a small, older home near this property that has been abandoned and may be a possibility for our family for a few months.  So that lead is encouraging.  It is filled with the previous resident’s stuff, but in general the tsunami did not do much damage.  It would mean our kids would be able to start the this school and not switch.

We are praying that God will open the right doors, and close the wrong ones.  We are still trying to find out about different moving options, from putting all of our things into storage down here for a couple of months, or taking it all up there and putting some in storage – we really just don’t know yet.

I have come down with some kind of flu/cold that has wiped me out.  I am thankful for cold meds to help me get through the days. I had a special final lunch with my ladies’ english class, wearing my mask in hopes of not infecting others.  I tried to be all there, even when not feeling too great.  I love these friends so much – it is hard to imagine weekly life without them.

Tomorrow we will spend the day with special friends who are taking us to their family’s country home while our kids are in school.  It is another “last.”  Then in the evening Eric will do his last boys’ class, and take them all out for conveyor belt sushi for a final celebration. Praying for many wonderful moments as March madness continues!