Merry Christmas

I know it's been a month but we just got internet the other day.  We're working on an update with pictures and all that so we'll let you know.  Thanks for being patient.

Santee National Wildlife Refuge

    We made it to South Carolina last Sunday night.  Our position is as resident volunteers putting in 24 hours a piece a week in exchange for full hook ups (water, electric, sewer).  The people are great and the place is beautiful.  We are right in between Columbia and Charleston on Lake Marion.  We will be doing maintenance and some work in the visitor center and whatever else needs to be done.  We'll be spending this weekend getting to know the area better.  Our internet access is pretty limited at this point so the updates might be a bit lagging and we are working on putting pictures together.  We'll let you know when we have done/know more.  Thanks for all your prayers!

Quick Update

We're moving to South Carolina tomorrow.  Let you know when we get there.

Good Times In MO

So we left you at IHOP, the International House of Prayer that is. As Nate was feeling spiritually moved to wait and listen, I was having a different experience. Since we left, I have been wondering about that verse in Proverbs about not leaning on your own understanding and letting God guide you. At IHOP I was asking God to show us something. What we needed to do, where we needed to go,  how we could have this adventure and still be of some use to him. I felt moved to open to Proverbs to look up that verse. And what  I saw first was the title of a chapter called “ Start with God” the first step in learning is bowing down to God. I went on to find my good verse and found an amazing chapter instead. Please read Proverbs 3:5-12. My favorite part is “Trust God from the bottom of your heart, don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track”. We went to IHOP to spend time with God and ask him our questions, but I think God lead us there because he just wanted to spend time with us. Wanted us to make a single act of selflessness; to start with Him.  No questions, just worship.

Marty and Randy's

From IHOP we went south to stay with my cousins Marty and Randy. They own a farm/ranch with 5 dogs, 3 cats, 9 horses, and a few other things walking around. And we are sure glad that we did! Not only are they some of the most welcoming and friendliest folk you’d ever meet, they know how to show you a good time! Randy works for Garmin, makers of GPS units. We had an amazing tour of the company where we visited the labs and offices and observed some of the inner workings of their amazing products. Randy then treated us to an amazing lunch, made fresh by Garmin chefs, and then a tour of a sunken steam boat museum where we enjoyed viewing thousands of amazingly preserved artifacts as well as an incredible story. We saw where Marty and her son Donnie work in Kansas City, very nice offices, and went to my cousin Trevor’s, 15 yrs old, football game. That was day one!!! We stayed 5 days, Randy kept bribing us with fun things to do. Marty showed us how to play the video game ROCK BAND! Which is similar to guitar hero except there are several different instruments. Nate tried everything and sang which was great! I myself rocked out on the drums. Woohoo! Nathan bought a ukulele and then I broke an unbreakable string tuning it for him last night! I am trying to learn guitar. I have officially learned C major. What?! Oh, that’s right, look out! Randy helped us fix the vibrating in our car, it was a tie rod! We are so thankful to him for helping us solve that mystery. Then they treated us to Jackson’s “This is It” movie, which was great!! Then on Sunday we had amazing motorcycle rides. At one moment Randy and Marty had us going at 95 mph and I didn’t pee my pants!! They made us breakfast and dinner almost every day, while having a farm, kids, and FT jobs in the city. Wow!!! That visit is going to be hard to beat!

Fern's

We are in Vanzant, MO now, very close to Arkansas, where Marty and Randy own about 220 acres. Her mother and brother live there, Fern and Ray and Ray’s wife Kathy and their 2 daughters Katie and Maggie and Katie’s baby. Went on our first hike today, had lunch over a fire and I am typing this in a hammock while dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. It is lovely down here. Lord, thank you for the amazing weather, safe trip, full bellies, and incredible family and friends. Love!

Waiting

    A week ago Cas and I were talking about how we used to volunteer and got so much fulfillment from it and how we haven't felt that for such a long time. So as I was complaining about the cold and the delays and the illnesses, what was really happening was God was setting me up.  Had Cas and I left when WE planned I would not have gotten to help at Reggie's Sleep Out.
    I have also been wondering what God want's for us in this adventure we've set out on (we left yesterday by the way).  Every door for us to leave seems to have been near flung open but not a lot of clues as to wear they lead.  The only direction we've gotten so far was from some friends that told us to check out IHOP in Kansas City and then some of Cas's family from the area told us to come visit.
    So here we are.  Waiting for God's next move.

Damn It All!

So now the Neon is acting up, the list of things to do is getting longer instead of the other way around, we've had just three days of partial sun in the past two weeks, and I have a cold.

The Day Is Set

Friday Oct. 23.

Are We Ever Gonna Get Out of Here!!

    This is taking a bit longer than anticipated though we are very close.  We have some trim to put up and the stove to mount and the interior stuff will be done.  The plumbing is done as far as we can do here.  With the weather turning fast we'll have to check the storage tanks on the road.  The electrical is done as far as we can do as well.  I got some solar panels the other day but can't mount them as the roof sealer needs warmer climes.  Mechanically, I'll do shocks today if all goes well and there is a slight radiator hose leak and I have to hook up the tow lights.  Our friend Darrick is coming over tonight to look at the welds on the trailer hitch because I think they're a bit ghetto.
    Little things keep poping up but pretty soon we'll just have to say screw it, we'll deal with it on the road!!  So far we only have a general direction of Southwest for an agenda.  Be praying for us that God gives us some guidance for where we can be used.  With staying so busy with getting stuff ready we have found ourselves neglecting the one that will make all this a success.  Pray we stay focused on why we're doing this in the first place.

      "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.  Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.  Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
       Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.  Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.  Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.  Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality."    Romans 12:9-13

Update

So apparently I was unclear about what we’re doing. Sorry. We are not already gone. What happened was; Sept. 1 we moved out of our house and to the farm for two weeks while I finished work. After that we went to Ankeny to stay with some friends for the weekend. We then went to West Des Moines to my parents house to work on the camper. That is where we currently are.

We have the floors torn up and are replacing the carpet with vinyl tile. Candice has been making new curtains that will better insulate the RV. I finished plumbing today (for the most part) and will work on electrical tomorrow as well as try to replace the fuel line to the motor so the engine stuff will be done. Cas rented a rug Dr. today so she is cleaning the captains chairs as well as the van (if anybody is looking for a ‘94 Chrysler Town and Country with leather interior and 170k miles for $500 spread the word… seriously). My mom has been helping Cas with the redecoration and they are about done with that. We have some remodeling to do in the kitchen and we’ll try to get the old propane tank out as it’s a couple hundred pounds and we won’t be using it. Some other stuff here and there I’ll update as I remember it. 

So I apologize for the confusion and will keep ya’ll updated as we can. We are still shooting to be out of here beginning of October though Oct. 1 won’t be happening (survival 101: make a plan but don’t fall in love with the plan!). As always keep us in your prayers, and if anyone needs some handy work done around their house let me know as we could use a little income. Thanks!!

First Stop

Last Thursday night Cas and I left the farm for our first foray into the traveling world (the farm doesn’t count since we lived there before). Our friends Chris and Katie Brubaker let us shack up at their place in Ankeny for the weekend on our way to my folks house in West Des Moines. I do realize that at this rate we will get out of the state some time late next year, but it‘s all good! We had a grand ‘ol time with our friends The Bruskies. They fed us good food, we went to the Des Moines farmers market, and played a marathon match of Phase 10 (I lost). We can’t express how thankful we are for their hospitality and friendship, and look forward to having similar experiences with other folks both well known and not so much!

So How Much Info Do You Want

So I don't really know proper blogging etiquette.  I would think readers would probably only want to know about interesting stuff, like cool pictures and interesting places and people.  However today we shelled out a bunch of coin for new tires and took the RV on the interstate for the first time.  Exciting for me!  Nothing like driving a few tons of steel wrapped around all our worldly possessions at sixty five miles an hour.  I'll get some pictures up here eventually.

Away We Go!

    Once again Candice and I are attempting to blog.  We have come into possession of a thirty foot 1983 Holiday Rambler  motor home that has not yet been named.  On September 1 we moved out of our house in Slater, Iowa, parked the RV at the farm for two weeks while I finished my term at Mediacom and we cleaned up our new home.  In the next day or two we will leave the farm, drop by the homes of a couple friends and family then head west.  At this time we have no specific agenda other than a desire to see the Pacific Northwest.  In the coming weeks we will be checking various websites and other venues to find part time work, but the primary objective is to:
  
    “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” - H.D. Thoreau

    Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this adventure.  We would love to come visit anyone who is willing to have us, and if you know somewhere we should check out or someone that could use some help please keep us posted.  And I will try to do a better job this time around at this whole blogging...thing!