So much has happened in the last few months. We are excited to share with you what God has been doing in the next steps of The Journey Home. After a fire destroyed the building we had wanted to purchase and renovate, we spent time praying about and investigating a possible purchase of the land the building was on. The owner raised the price even more, making it unaffordable. Yet, God used the waiting time to nudge a member of our Sunday school class to offer us a beautiful piece of land (1.5 acres), at a reasonable price, just a few blocks from the old school property. Perhaps our wait for the old school land gave me many months to share my faith with, and interact with, the owner of the school land and then to wait for this new suitable property to open up.

We are in the process of researching all the costs involved with improvements to the land such as a road to access the property, sewer and water hook-up, etc. Please be praying with us that God would make it clear if this is the land He intends for those who need a temporary place to live. We have most of the money for the land saved in the Jon Read Memorial Fund, but we are asking God to speak to the hearts of others who might want to be involved in His work through The Journey Home. Please let us know if you would like to discuss this opportunity with us. Please especially be praying with us. Thank you so much!

It has been so encouraging to meet with people in other towns who run homes similar to The Journey Home to learn all we can from them. This project is overwhelming and we want to see how others have done this. Good Samaritan Ministry and New Life in Richmond, VA, were both very gracious to show us what works for them. Next week we will visit a ministry in Lancaster, PA, and the Hope House in Charlottesville, VA. What a blessing to see much good work going on in our Lord’s name to help brothers and sisters in need.

We will also meet again next week with Lindsay, the architect, who has agreed to do the building plans pro bono to use her God given skills for His glory. What a gift to us now and to many others in the future! God has also provided an excellent godly contractor to oversee the building process. God is laying this project on many other hearts as well. We are awed with what He is doing and excited to see what is next.

Attached are a picture of the land and a copy of our rough draft brochure for you to see. It has been interesting to work with a sweet Christian young lady in developing a logo and a brochure. Next is work on the website. Whew…there are so many new things to learn and so much to do to get the home up and running. Applying for grants and fundraising will begin as soon as we have some architectural drawings and have purchased the land. Our hearts are drawn to the residents whose lives will be transformed by the ministry God will do through The Journey Home and that keeps us working hard and praying harder.

Thank you for partnering with us as God leads you.

Ed and Debby