The House

It's been a while. Here is why:

1. Back to work
2. Back to grad school
3. Possibly buying a house!

Yep. We put an offer on a house yesterday. We find out this morning whether they accepted our offer. We offered the asking price and them to pay closing costs. I am so excited with anticipation I can't sleep. The house in in a impoverished area (which is what we have been looking for). We have been sure that God has unravled the events in both of our lives to lead us to serving the marginalized since before we even met each other. That is one of the reasons I know it's real - because I had a calling to live in the inner city BEFORE I met Jay. I almost moved to Philly a few years ago to do Mission Year. Then I met Jay - who had done Mission Year. So,I by-passed Misison year and just jumped into Mission Life :). We both believe an essential theme of the Gospel is loving neighbors. And the best example of how to live was Jesus. And who did he hang out with? The sinners, the poor, the lame, the sick, the marginalized.

So, we've been married a little over a year. OUr church is moving near the area. We realize we have to be the ones to begin the process of bridging the gap from one side of "the tracks" to the "other side of the tracks." We pray that we will not be the only ones. But we also pray we don't gentrify the neighborhood.

We have been looking for a house in this area for nearly a year! We've found a few, some needed lots of work, others we weren't financially eligible for. NONE of them were as perfect as this one. We also are confident that even if this doesn't work out, God will provide us with other houses at the right time.

So, please pray for us. Pray that I can stand the wait till 11am! Pray that we can have clear vision about where and what God is calling us to do each day. And mostly pray that the attitudes of our hearts are ones of humility and rememberance that we are the 'chiefs of sinners' and that the Gospel is the only reason we do anything. The grace of God is all we have. That we don't get haughty or self-righteous about mission work. God levels the playing field with the cross - we all need him, poor and rich alike.

Here is a slide show of the house if you want to see it:

http://slideroll.com/show.php?s=2ejbre2r