To Mr. and Mrs. Vermont (and children)

I know that we have probably broken all the real estate rules - no contact and no relationship before all is settled, but God had different plans.  Regardless how it all turns out in the end, we have become friends and bound together with a love for Christ and a passion to see the whole world hear the name of Jesus.  Through this blog you have had an opportunity to share your support and prayers for us, but it is kind of a one way communication - so today's post is a prayer and note of encouragement for you.

Dear Vermont Family,

The road to Spain on this journey of obedience has not always been easy.  It has been filled with days of excitement and peace, and on other days there has been an overwhelming lonely feeling and a desperate desire to just hold.  Some days we have forged ahead confident in God's leading, and other days we have stood still in His presence and asked for Him to give us the courage to even take a baby step.  Some days we have been frozen in our footsteps and God has had to wrap His arms around us and remind us He is in charge and faithful, and other days we have been running at such fast speed that we had to stop and turn around and get back into pace with Him.

When we began to sense God calling us to follow Him in a different way than ever before we prayed for many things, but one was that we would not go ahead alone.   We knew we weren't going ahead without Christ, but we didn't want to go without "people" either.  We prayed that through our obedience many others would become a part of the picture.  Little did we know how that would look.  Little did we know who would join us without hesitancy and who would run as far away as possible.  We never imagined the number of people we would meet along this journey.

The morning that Mr. Vermont saw our home I had reached the end of my rope.  As I drove to church that morning alone (I leave before anyone else and usually have at least one child with me, but that day no one came along) I just poured my heart out to God.  I told God I was tired and done fighting Him - but since He was working on a different time frame than I was, would He please answer our prayer regarding the house in a God size way.  Instead of just asking Him to sell the house so we could move on, I begged God to do a great work that gave His name all the glory and awe that He deserved.  I was finally willing to wait on not only His timing but His greater purpose than my selfish, exhausted desires.

As we connected with you we have been overwhelmed by how God answered that prayer.  His answer to this point has been greater than even my imagination.  I told someone yesterday that the story of our connecting is just too bizarre to even make up.  Oh, if I could just live in that point of surrender at all moments of my life.

We pray for you each day, as do many others who are praying for our journey.  You will forever be known to many as Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous from Vermont (how your posts on the blog appear) and how our lives have crossed paths will always serve as a testimony to the greatness of God.  Thank you for being a "rule breaker" and sharing your journey with us.

Heavenly Father, creator of the world, the One who is all knowing and whose plans are greater than ours, we give you our praise and and recognize your glory and the awesome God that you are.  We rest in your plans and your faithfulness and lean totally on you today.

We pray Lord that if it be in your will that today's showing of the home in Vermont be the final showing needed and that even in the sale of that home we will see your perfect will and plan.  Lord, this morning as Mrs. Vermont and the kids are running around to put the final touches on the house for this afternoon's showing give them peace and without interruptions.  Give them sunshine coming through the windows and may this potential buyer walk in the front door and experience your presence in a home, not a house.  Give the whole family your peace that passes all understanding.

We, the Hunters, have lived in separate states before and know the stresses that come to each family member.  Lord, we boldly ask in your name that you move quickly and bring this family back together.  Lord, our prayer is that the holidays are spent together in one new home and not apart.  And Lord, while we wait on your timing we pray for each family member to have the wisdom to make decisions they face each day, the strength to resist temptations that come from separation, and the love for each other that flows out of a love for you that controls the tongue and the attitudes when frustrations arise.  Grow the family in their love for you and for each other as they travel this season of life.

We give you the glory and the thanks today for the answers you will provide. 

In the only name that deserves our praise and worship,
Amen.