We've been on the road now for almost one month. I can't believe that a whole month has gone by. It's been a good month but it has had it's challenging moments as well!
We left Minnesota for Florida on Feb. 4th and we took about a week to get down here. We were able to stop by and see a few friends along the way, which was really wonderful and we didn't really have a time line for when we needed to be in Florida so it was nice to take our time getting here. However, it was our first trip with the RV and we had a few kinks to work out! We had to replace our alternator...that caused a few adventurous moments in the rain/snow and dark! But the Lord orchestrated everything for us and it ended up all working out perfectly!
We were at the first Rainbow Gathering from Feb. 12th-19th in Ocala National Forest. During this time we ended up camping with another Christian kitchen called Jesus Loves You. They are a great group and our friends from other Gatherings. It was wonderful to camp with them and see how they do things at a Gathering. It was also wonderful to just watch them as they loved the Rainbow Family and to learn from all their experience.
We are now parked in a town called New Smyrna Beach which is just south of Daytona, Florida. We were able to get some work picking up trash at the Daytona Bike Week. It's nice to have some work but it can be a bit tiring have to look down at the ground all day long! It's been fun, though, seeing all the different kinds of bikes and I (Teresa) am working in the Harley Davidson section...so it's fun to people watch (when I look up from the ground) as well.
We will be here working until March 9th and then we'll be heading over to meet up with Rachel and Nigel (another couple from our kitchen). We will then spend a few days just resting together and praying for the next Gathering, which starts this week and is in Apalachicola, Florida. We will be there for a couple of weeks and then I am not sure where we will go from there yet.
It's been a good time so far. I am learning a lot about living in such a small space and learning how to be fully dependent on the Lord. It has been challenging for me, personally, because I am an introverted person and realizing how important it is for me to take some time off from all that is going on around me and to just be.
Prayer Requests:
-That we would finish out our work time with energy and physically have the strength to keep going (it gets a bit sore on the shoulders/neck to look down all the time!).
-For our marriage that the Lord would protect us and give us time to spend together even though there is so much going on.
-For Ben as he works on fixing up the RV (just little things that need to be worked on) that he would have the wisdom to know what to work on and that he would have the time to do so.
-For our team that we would continue to be united and love one another!
Thanks to all! We will try to be better at writing although we do not always have internet access.
Love,
Ben and T
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Getting Closer
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! I can't believe that the holidays are already over...I feel like we were just getting into it when suddenly it's over. We had a nice holiday... Ben did a lot of plowing because of all the snow, but he enjoys it so it's good.
Now that January is here, the ball is beginning to role for us to get ourselves ready to head out on the road at the end of the month. I am very excited with a mix of a lot of other emotions too! It's hard to not get overwhelmed with trying to move into an RV...having to go through everything we own and decided what to take with us, what will actually fit into an RV, what to put in storage at my sister's house and what to sell or give away. It's also hard, because do you give everything away, knowing that you may one day need that one thing you just gave away if we are ever going to live in an actual apartment or house someday in the future?
Wisdom. We need wisdom as we sort through our entire lives possessions and decided what is worth keeping, taking or leaving behind.
I think it will actually be very refreshing once we are all done. I love getting ride of "stuff" so I look forward to being at the end of the cleansing process. However, while in the middle of it...all I can say is STRESS!!
I am also beginning to feel the pains of actually leaving friends and family. This happens to me anytime I am changing seasons in life. I love change and look forward to embracing it, but that doesn't mean that it's easy all of the time or that I am not sad that I will be away from a lot of my family and friends for an extended period of time.
The end of the month will be here before I know it! I ask that you would join Ben and I in prayer as we enter into this new season of life.
Please pray:
-For wisdom as we go through our stuff
-For all the emotion and stress that comes with moving and change
-Protection for our marriage. That we would be able to work together as we move into the RV and head out on the road
-For all the details that need to be taken care of before we go
We hope to leave at the end of January (no specific date as of yet). We will be heading down to Florida for two gatherings. We are not sure where we will go after that...we have to wait upon the Lord and see what is happening once we are down south. We hope to be back in Minneapolis in May for about a month before heading out the the National Gathering in June-July.
Love and Peace,
Ben and T
Now that January is here, the ball is beginning to role for us to get ourselves ready to head out on the road at the end of the month. I am very excited with a mix of a lot of other emotions too! It's hard to not get overwhelmed with trying to move into an RV...having to go through everything we own and decided what to take with us, what will actually fit into an RV, what to put in storage at my sister's house and what to sell or give away. It's also hard, because do you give everything away, knowing that you may one day need that one thing you just gave away if we are ever going to live in an actual apartment or house someday in the future?
Wisdom. We need wisdom as we sort through our entire lives possessions and decided what is worth keeping, taking or leaving behind.
I think it will actually be very refreshing once we are all done. I love getting ride of "stuff" so I look forward to being at the end of the cleansing process. However, while in the middle of it...all I can say is STRESS!!
I am also beginning to feel the pains of actually leaving friends and family. This happens to me anytime I am changing seasons in life. I love change and look forward to embracing it, but that doesn't mean that it's easy all of the time or that I am not sad that I will be away from a lot of my family and friends for an extended period of time.
The end of the month will be here before I know it! I ask that you would join Ben and I in prayer as we enter into this new season of life.
Please pray:
-For wisdom as we go through our stuff
-For all the emotion and stress that comes with moving and change
-Protection for our marriage. That we would be able to work together as we move into the RV and head out on the road
-For all the details that need to be taken care of before we go
We hope to leave at the end of January (no specific date as of yet). We will be heading down to Florida for two gatherings. We are not sure where we will go after that...we have to wait upon the Lord and see what is happening once we are down south. We hope to be back in Minneapolis in May for about a month before heading out the the National Gathering in June-July.
Love and Peace,
Ben and T
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thank You!!
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the On The Road Pottery Open House last weekend. It was a great turn out of people and it was so wonderful to see everyone who stopped by as well as meet so many new people!
Ben and I are very thankful to everyone for their encouragement and support as we get ready to head out on the road at the end of January.
For anyone still interested in getting some pottery, Dan Tarro has still has an auction open until December 13th at 5:00pm. More information can be found at: http://tarro.art.officelive.com/aboutus.aspx.
Ben and I are very thankful to everyone for their encouragement and support as we get ready to head out on the road at the end of January.
For anyone still interested in getting some pottery, Dan Tarro has still has an auction open until December 13th at 5:00pm. More information can be found at: http://tarro.art.officelive.com/aboutus.aspx.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
On The Road Pottery Open House
Our friends, Dan and Julie Tarro have graciously opened their home to sell Dan's pottery artwork in order to help supply some of our needs as we go out to live on the road full time bringing the love of Christ to those in need.
When: December 5th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and December 6th from Noon - 5:00 pm.
Where: The Tarro's house which is located at: 17164 Eveleth St. NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304
There will be a silent auction on Dan's website as well as during the open house, so check it out at: http://tarro.art.officelive.com
There will also be art and crafts for sale from us, Nigel and Rachel Houghton and Deborah's Joy.
Come learn more about what we are doing as we follow the Lord's call on our lives!
We hope to see you there!!
When: December 5th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and December 6th from Noon - 5:00 pm.
Where: The Tarro's house which is located at: 17164 Eveleth St. NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304
There will be a silent auction on Dan's website as well as during the open house, so check it out at: http://tarro.art.officelive.com
There will also be art and crafts for sale from us, Nigel and Rachel Houghton and Deborah's Joy.
Come learn more about what we are doing as we follow the Lord's call on our lives!
We hope to see you there!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Welcome New RV
Well, it's been a couple of crazy weeks. Last time I wrote, Ben and I were waiting to see if we actually got the RV...well we did!! Yay!! Since then, I've been meaning to write and get pictures up here, but things got a little crazy. So anyway, here we go:
Here we are the day that we bought the RV.
This is looking towards the back of the RV.
The kitchen.
Living Room/Dining Room.
The outside (it's covered because Ben fixed a little leak in the roof).
Thank you to everyone for all your prayers! We are very excited to have this RV and are working on getting it cleaned and fixed up and ready to go out on the road starting in January!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
3, 2, 1...
Last night Ben and I went to look at an RV that was a 3 hour drive away. We found the RV on Craigslist and felt we needed to jump on the chance to go look at it, since it is something within our price range.
We went and looked and both of us really like it!!
So we are getting it!!!
Yep that's right we have found the RV for us! Although I am feeling a bit on the anxious side, as we won't go and get it until Saturday...and I keep thinking, "What if this gets sold out from underneath us?"
But,
"Perseverance must finish it's work so that we may be mature and complete and not lacking anything." James 1.4
Am I going to trust the Lord with this?
I kind of feel like I am holding my breath...but to hold my breath until Saturday is a long time! So the only thing I can do is to turn my eyes toward Jesus and know that he is in control. If this is the RV for us, then everything will be fine. If it's not, well, then the Lord has something even better in mind and who am I to go against the Lord's best?
So I am asking for prayer...
-That Ben and I will continue to trust the Lord to provide.
-That everything works out with this RV and that we get to go pick up our new home on Saturday.
-That all the anxiousness that I am feeling would be laid down at the foot of the cross as I seek to trust the One who knows my heart best.
We went and looked and both of us really like it!!
So we are getting it!!!
Yep that's right we have found the RV for us! Although I am feeling a bit on the anxious side, as we won't go and get it until Saturday...and I keep thinking, "What if this gets sold out from underneath us?"
But,
"Perseverance must finish it's work so that we may be mature and complete and not lacking anything." James 1.4
Am I going to trust the Lord with this?
I kind of feel like I am holding my breath...but to hold my breath until Saturday is a long time! So the only thing I can do is to turn my eyes toward Jesus and know that he is in control. If this is the RV for us, then everything will be fine. If it's not, well, then the Lord has something even better in mind and who am I to go against the Lord's best?
So I am asking for prayer...
-That Ben and I will continue to trust the Lord to provide.
-That everything works out with this RV and that we get to go pick up our new home on Saturday.
-That all the anxiousness that I am feeling would be laid down at the foot of the cross as I seek to trust the One who knows my heart best.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Waiting
So we haven't written in awhile...as if you haven't notice. Sorry about that. It's amazing how life can just carry you away sometimes!
It's been an interesting month and a half. It seemed, for awhile, that our plans were changing daily. They have now settled into something more concrete...we think. We were hoping to go to the Shawnee Gathering in Illinois in October with the rest of the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. And then from there out to Massachusetts to visit family and friends. However, I (Teresa) was only able to get one week off from work, which was a bummer. So we had to make a decision about where we were going to go in our one week off. We decided that we should get out to Massachusetts to see Ben's family since we haven't been there in almost a year.
I was feeling a little defeated when we had to make this decision. I wanted to do both. And I had been looking forward to going to this Gathering in Illinois. And yet, I feel like God is saying that we need to wait. We need to wait so that we can keep working and save the money that we need to get a vehicle to travel in. We need to wait on God to provide a vehicle for us. We need to wait to start traveling full time.
It's hard to wait.
I feel like I have been waiting for a really long time!! I have always wanted to do missions work. I got a taste of that right after high school (10 years ago), but then the Lord sent me to school in Bemidji, MN for 4 years. Which was great and I learned so much. When I finished there, I thought, "Now I get to go out into the world and do mission work." But instead the Lord challenged me to lay down my right to do missions and sent me home to Minneapolis. I love Minneapolis and it has been wonderful being here the last 5 years. During that time I got to know a lot of wonderful people and got married to Ben. I wouldn't trade these years here. But then a year and a half ago, the Lord gave Ben and I a dream to go out with the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. We have been waiting...we paid our debt off and now we are waiting for a vehicle to travel in. And so we wait, wait, wait.
I had a bit of a break down the other day, because I am tried of waiting. I want to go. I feel like I have had this amazing meal prepared for me and it's been set down in front of me. I want to eat it and my mouth is watering, but I am told...I need to wait.
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4 NIV).
This is a verse the Lord showed me the other day and I have been hanging on to it. I must persevere through waiting...and in the end I hope to be mature and complete, not lacking anything. I am trusting the Lord to provide the right vehicle at just the right time and I must be patient.
So prayer requests:
-That Ben and I would be faithful in waiting.
-That the Lord would provide the perfect vehicle for us so that we can get out on the road (hopefully in January).
It's been an interesting month and a half. It seemed, for awhile, that our plans were changing daily. They have now settled into something more concrete...we think. We were hoping to go to the Shawnee Gathering in Illinois in October with the rest of the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. And then from there out to Massachusetts to visit family and friends. However, I (Teresa) was only able to get one week off from work, which was a bummer. So we had to make a decision about where we were going to go in our one week off. We decided that we should get out to Massachusetts to see Ben's family since we haven't been there in almost a year.
I was feeling a little defeated when we had to make this decision. I wanted to do both. And I had been looking forward to going to this Gathering in Illinois. And yet, I feel like God is saying that we need to wait. We need to wait so that we can keep working and save the money that we need to get a vehicle to travel in. We need to wait on God to provide a vehicle for us. We need to wait to start traveling full time.
It's hard to wait.
I feel like I have been waiting for a really long time!! I have always wanted to do missions work. I got a taste of that right after high school (10 years ago), but then the Lord sent me to school in Bemidji, MN for 4 years. Which was great and I learned so much. When I finished there, I thought, "Now I get to go out into the world and do mission work." But instead the Lord challenged me to lay down my right to do missions and sent me home to Minneapolis. I love Minneapolis and it has been wonderful being here the last 5 years. During that time I got to know a lot of wonderful people and got married to Ben. I wouldn't trade these years here. But then a year and a half ago, the Lord gave Ben and I a dream to go out with the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. We have been waiting...we paid our debt off and now we are waiting for a vehicle to travel in. And so we wait, wait, wait.
I had a bit of a break down the other day, because I am tried of waiting. I want to go. I feel like I have had this amazing meal prepared for me and it's been set down in front of me. I want to eat it and my mouth is watering, but I am told...I need to wait.
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4 NIV).
This is a verse the Lord showed me the other day and I have been hanging on to it. I must persevere through waiting...and in the end I hope to be mature and complete, not lacking anything. I am trusting the Lord to provide the right vehicle at just the right time and I must be patient.
So prayer requests:
-That Ben and I would be faithful in waiting.
-That the Lord would provide the perfect vehicle for us so that we can get out on the road (hopefully in January).
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