This is really happening!

God works in ways I don't understand. He has done just that in the past few months. After months of looking, waiting, and praying we have closed on a house in the Ivanhoe Neighborhood! We have a friend who has joined us on this journey, so we have been looking for two houses close to each other. She is excited about what God is doing, and we are so excited to have her join us!

This has been an eyeopening journey for us as we have gotten first hand experience of what families across the City must feel as they look for a homes in communities with hundreds of abandoned homes and vancant lots, but not enough resources (financial and relational) to be able to buy one.

So this is how it worked out for us: Since we are now becoming friends with the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association, we were able to get connected to Habitat for Humanity who offered to sell two of their vacant homes (that were right next to each other) to us for a great price....a really great price. This was the relational connection for us. Though this was an awesome opportunity and a great deal, Stephanie and I still needed financial help to buy a home. This is where our friend who will be moving into the house next door saved the day! She has a friend who has been blessed financially, and he offered to buy both homes (one for us and one for our friend) and rehab them! Crazy!!! God is using his people to provide a home for us!

So thanks to the relational connection through the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association with Habitat for Humanity, and the financial connection through a friend of a friend, we are on our way to making Ivanhoe our new home! Stay tuned for pics and updates on our progress as we begin our journey of making this community our new home.