Saturday, June 1, 2019

We have a house in Bolivia!

Moving to another country is not easy. There are many difficulties, but one aspect of this move that the kids have struggled with is this: not knowing where we will live when we get to Bolivia. This is certainly an opportunity for them to learn to walk by faith in God, trusting Him to provide. But we also know that they have a legitimate need for security. And I think a basic component of feeling secure is knowing that you have a safe place to lay your head at night.

Until this week, we didn't know where we would settle in Bolivia. Yes, we knew we would live in Cochabamba, and that the mission house would be temporarily available for us. But we had no long-term housing arranged. That was okay with Tara and me, but this idea was more difficult for the kids (and for one child in particular, who will go unnamed). We planned to move into the mission home until we could find a more permanent place in Cochabamba, then move a second time into that house.

Well, earlier this week we received a pleasant surprise. ITM has decided to rent a different place to serve as the mission house, and Tony called to ask if we'd like to rent the current mission house. It didn't take long to come to a consensus, and our answer was a resounding, "Yes!" It's a huge relief to know that we have a place to settle in to when we arrive in Bolivia. Not only that, but the kids have actually stayed in this house, so it's a place that's familiar to them. It has sufficient bedrooms for our family, room for an office and/or music room, and space for guests to stay—all things that are lacking in our current house. What a blessing!

It's exciting to see the Lord providing for our needs as we prepare for this move. There's still a lot to do, and we feel overwhelmed at times, but we have confidence that God will provide what we need when we need it!