Yes, the house is...

We have been going back and forth on the details of the offer we have received. This couple really wants the house, and all things are working out fine so far. I believe they will be getting their financing together and that may be the only thing that causes any holds on the deal. However, as of this morning we have a signed contract!! We praise You Jesus for the sale, and the closing date. Forgive us for any doubt or anxiety we have had. Thank you to all who have prayed for this situation. Continue to pray that the house passes all inspections, and that the closing date of July 20 will stay the same. May we also continue to pray for this couple who will be moving in that God will bless them in this house as we have been blessed. Maybe soon, I can get back to some good blogging, rather than everything centered around the house! Thanks for sticking with me!

In Christ,

SAM

A Just In Time Offer?

God has many names. I think He has chosen to have us call Him "Justin Time", as we have seen Him be in the recent past.

I say that, to let you know that we have received a full price offer today with a closing date of July 20! Perfect timing, God's timing. We are praying that this family is able to get their financing for the house. I have been praying, as I posted last night, that this family will be as blessed with this house as we have been. We will send the offer back this afternoon and hopefully hear back soon that it has been accepted. I still hope to put a SOLD sign, (over a picture of the house here, Guy!), sometime this week! Pray with us that things go smoothly these next couple of days!

Updates

What a crazy time it has been since I last updated. Here is what's been happening-

Our prayer meeting at the house went very well. It was an incredible time to come together and receive prayer over our house. About 15 people came and we lifted our house to the Lord. One incredible thing happened- we began to pray for the people who would soon be living in our house! I began to realize that we have been limiting our prayer to only ourselves. We prayed not only for the house to sell, but we prayed that the family that would soon occupy this house would be blessed as we have been these last 8 years. I have been praying this, as well as for the people on the street to be blessed by God as well. I have really begun to see that there is a much larger picture and plan that God has in store for the house that belongs to Him anyway. Thank you to all who came that night, and to those who prayed from afar.

We received an offer last weekend from a couple from Las Vegas, who are moving here with new careers. Great news! Only problem was that they were moving here in August and wanted to close August 15. We will leave for FPO in Richmond August 5. They gave a full price offer with us paying 4% closing cost. We agreed to all, and put in the stipulation that they have their financing finalized 15 days after the contract is signed. They agreed to everything except for the financing part. They could not come up with all the financing. The reason we put a financial contingency of 15 days is because we did not want to find out their financing fell through on the day of closing, after having the house off the market. Turns out, their financing would not have been there. Praise the Lord for protecting us there. One door closed, the Lord opens another- possibly. This past Saturday a couple looked and immediately called to say they were interested, and to expect an offer on Tuesday the 19th. We'll wait to see. We know that no matter what happens, we are going to follow the Lord's call and go in service for Him in South Asia. God will provide, somehow.

My wife has put in her notice at work for the first week in July. My last day will be middle July. We have received our flight plans for entrance into the field. We leave for South Asia on October 17. We have the kids' passports and are soon to apply for their Visas. We have rented a storage unit to store stuff we can't sell or don't want to throw away. We have already sold much furniture we do not want to store. We have been preparing our field for rain, and will continue to do so. Our thought was that the house would be sold by now, but God has a greater plan in mind. As a good friend and church staff member looked me in the eyes yesterday and said-"stay faithful, God is going to provide!" Thanks, KG! We are staying faithful with a great church family behind us, and strong influential leaders encouraging us, and many prayers from family and brothers and sisters in Christ. God has placed many blessings around us, and we praise Him for that.

We will give God all the glory for this time in our lives. As a wise leader recently learned, confessed and submitted to- this is not about us, not about the people of South Asia. It is for the Glory of the One True God of the universe! Nothing more. Would I be thinking this had our house sold soon after we put it on the market? Doubtful. God knows our hearts. He is in control. He is teaching us every day to be faithful; to submit to Him in everything. Most likely because we will need to rely on Him completely where He is sending us.

Well, that's it for the ramblings. We are 1-1/2 months from going to Richmond for our orientation and very excited that it will be here soon. Thank you again to all who have been lifting us up in prayer during this time. I hope to soon post a gigantic SOLD across my blog!

Following Him-
SAM

Prayer Gathering

I have tried so many different ways to pray for the sale of our house. Just this week, I decided that after I get up and ready for work, I will prayer-walk around the house 7 times each morning. (The neighbors that are up that early probably wonder what their crazy neighbor is doing!) It has been something that the Lord layed on my hear to do this past weekend, so I've done it every morning this week.

This past weekend, I mentioned to my wife that maybe we could get some friends from church together and pray around our house sometime this week. It is something I want to do, but how do I ask a bunch of people to give up an hour of their evening family time to come and pray for us? Sounded a bit selfish, so I decided to go with the prayer walk around the house thing.

Wednesday, my wife's best friend told her that God laid it on her heart to have a prayer gathering at our house sometime. After my wife told her that I had mentioned the same thing, she felt that was confirmation, and she sent a message to as many people that could gather.

So, tonight from 7:30 to whenever the Holy Spirit leads us, we are going to gather around our house to pray for a sale. You can be involved as well from wherever you are tonight. Gather with us in the Spirit. Pray for a sale!! Lift up this need to God with us! I don't know how many will show up tonight, but where 2 or more are gathered...

How can they?

One of my favorite scripture verses is Romans 10:13-15, and has been a word from God to me that has inspired our decision to go overseas. Here are some facts about South Asia:

1.4 billion people live in South Asia, 99% have never even heard the name of Jesus. How can they believe in the God that we know, if they have never heard of Him?

In the state we will live, 3600 people die every 36 hours- that's 1000 people an hour on average, and 990 will die every hour, and will spend eternity in a real place called hell. They will never know that they can call on the saving power and grace of Jesus. How can they call on the one they have not believed in?

The people group we will focus on when we get on the field number 14 million in the state. Every 10 minutes, 3 of them die never hearing the Gospel. How can they, unless someone is preaching to them?

There are approximately 240 IMB units in South Asia, which breaks down to 1 IMB unit for every 6 million lost persons in South Asia. How can they preach unless they are sent?

I try to quote the verse in Romans 10 every day. It is the one passage of scripture that, like I said, has inspired me to make my decision to follow Jesus into the mission field. Read the passage and meditate on it- committ to partner with a missionary or two in prayer. In this way, you are helping to mobilize those who are called to bring Jesus to those who have never heard, and cannot call on the One True God, the way the truth and the life. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. The task sounds enormous, but God is a big God, capable of much more than we give Him credit. You may not be called to go, but you can partner with those going in prayer and be as much of an impact for the spread of the Word throughout the world. (Thank you to Alyce Faulkner, Debbie Kaufman and Milton and Nannette Lites for thier open support of and prayer for missionaries, and for praying for our family even though they have never met us!)

Here's a thought: one day, when we get to heaven, someone will come up to you that you have never met, and tell you "I am here in heaven because you committed to pray for the missionary who brought God's word and helped me and my whole family to believe in Jesus and accept Him in our hearts. Thank you."

How can they? Prayer. Prayer. Prayer.