Have you ever had your faith tested so much so, that you step into something God asks you to do, then wonder what in the world you just got yourself into?  This journey to Bethel in Redding, CA has seemed like this to me…over and over again.  Plans fall through, I panic, I doubt that I heard Him tell us to go, I get stressed out, I pray urgently, and then…at the last second, God comes through.  I swear He loves waiting until the last minute to act.  Although, when He does act, it is usually in a way I never saw coming.

From the beginning of this journey, when I first applied to school, I knew that God would never lead us into something that He would not help us through.  I don’t know how many times I have reminded myself of that:  if He brings you to it, He’s faithful to lead you through it.  He is not a God who sends you somewhere, only to abandon you in the middle of nowhere.  It may often seem like that, but He has a habit of watching us squirm for a while before racing in at the last second to save the day.  I had to remind myself often, of the way God had intervened when Brian wanted to start his own business last year (Faith in action.)  It spurred me on to keeping believing for something not yet seen – like a job and a place to live in Redding.

I knew this adventure would be a test of faith, but I’m not sure I was entirely prepared for it.  As of last year, Brian had a job all lined up for him in Redding.  As soon as we moved out, he would start work full-time on a commercial roofing crew.  This assurance brought me peace and confidence, knowing that as we branched out ‘entirely’ on our own across the country, there would be a steady paycheck coming in.
Brian made a few phone calls last week and discovered that the roofing crew could no longer ensure him work.  They had not been getting job contracts like they were hoping for, and thus, could not afford to hire on a new worker.  I must admit, this dealt me quite a blow.  Two weeks before we move out, and we have no job.  I was unsure of what to say or think, other than: “Ok, God, now what? You asked us to go out there for school, but now you won’t give Brian any work? I though you were supposed to be our provider….”  I worried, tossed and turned all night, and worried some more.
Our plans for a temporary apartment in Redding had also fallen through, and I was growing more anxious by the day.  We had a few options, but none of which I felt right about: we could rent one bedroom and live with another family for $725/month, we could rent a pet-friendly apartment close to school for $1,250/month, or we could pay $800+ extra to nullify a one-year lease so we can move when we close on a house.

Each day, my anxiety was increasing.  We were getting down to the wire.  Finally, in talking to my in-laws, they convinced Brian to apply to a few window companies in Redding.  Brian is a professional installer who owns his own crew, so it would be worth a shot, but neither of us had any expectations.  Without anything to lose, Brian made three phone calls.  He hung up, telling me that all three companies were interested in hiring him.  One company has been calling at least once a week to discuss terms and to make sure we are still coming out.  A few of our friends in Redding have offered to give Brian temporary work until he is able to start full-time with the window install company. Praise God! With only a week and a half left, He provided us with a job – one that Brian enjoys and is proficient in, no less!.

My stress level decreased knowing that we would have a paycheck in the mail after our first week in Redding, and would have steady work afterwards, too.  But what to do about an apartment.  It had to be affordable, pet-friendly, and not in an area that was too awful sketchy.  Apparently, these few conditions were too much.  I was getting frustrated. We had about 11 days to find something.  Suddenly, Brian found an apartment that would fit the budget and would allow us to bring our little Mini-Dachshund with us.  They finally called back, saying that the only available apartment was being remodeled and would not be ready for sometime.  It turns out, construction will be finished about two days prior to our arrival!  Talk about perfect timing.  Everything in the appartment is brand new and in perfect condition.
My only concern was the penalties if we moved out before our one-year lease was up.  They were super eager to work with us, and said that if we did not want to pay both the rent and the mortgage on our new house each month, we would have to find a replacement tenant for the apartment.  We are to notify them a few months prior to our move-out date and they will advertise the apartment.  Once they have a new tenant, we are free to leave with no extra costs!  Another problem that arose was our lack of rental history.  Because we are so young, and have only rented from family members (who don’t count as references on the applications), we were stuck.  Again, they were happy to appease us.  They said that if we would be willing to put down a bigger deposit, they would overlook our lack of rental history.  Thank God for favor and understanding landlords!

We have less than 11 days until we move, and we have both an apartment and a job!

Prayer Requests:

1. Continued peace as we prepare to pack up and move
2. Comfort as we say our goodbyes to our family and friends who will remain on the East Coast.
3. Safe and stress-less travels as we drive a U-Hual across the country
4. Continued favor with our future landlords and bosses
5. Strength and stamina as we continue with our busy lives that keep getting busier
6. That despite the sorrow and stress this move may invoke (38+ hours of driving through the hot mid-west away from those we love), that we would still be able to have FUN on the journey.