Since obtaining our home for Elevate Hope House, the road has been a little rougher than I originally anticipated. Our Board of Directors knew we were stepping into the unknown, and that as believers we were called to trust, but if I am completely honest, trusting is not always easy – especially if you are an independent “do’er” like myself. There have been times where I have become anxious in regards to the direction things have headed as we prepare to house these families. Admittedly, I still have my moments as we work to open doors of uncertainty, but what I have learned is that while God may not always remove the obstacles in my path, He is always with me, and He knows that I will be okay – that Elevate Hope House is His to open in His time, and in His way.
This weekend, we were blessed by the women of Oak Haven Church and experienced a House Warming Shower for our home. Many women brought items and letters of encouragement for the near future. My home church, Oak Hill Baptist, even in their own time of change and uncertainty, wrapped their arms around this event as well and sent gifts of support, and words of love. Our Board of Directors ended the weekend by going through these gifts, and reading these words, as a reminder of God’s plan and how close we are to opening our home to the children He has called for us to love. As we ended our meeting, we read together the words of our mission, our vision, and our core values. To be honest, it had been some time since I had done so – and I felt a warmth in the home as these words were read – an affirmation of what we are doing, and that God is in control, so I need to lose control and give it to Him once again.
“Those that lead, support, volunteer, and work with Elevate Hope House value God the Father, Faithfulness, a Servant Heart, Righteousness, Love, and Hope above all things.” Above all, “Elevate Hope House puts God first in everything that we do. This means continuously seeking His righteousness and totally relying on Him. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matthew 6:33).” “Faithfulness” is also part of our core as we value “faithful followers of God who stand before vacant fields, push fear aside, and put their hands to the plow and get a little messy, by placing their trust in Jesus Christ. ‘She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.’ (Proverbs 31:16).”
With all of this said, you may be wondering – where are we at? We are close! I am learning about a whole new industry that I knew nothing about – the world of construction. We have wonderful volunteers from Knights of Columbus and other church organizations that are working to help us open doors, as they also take care of their families and other obligations. We are now in the final stages of completing construction, and we ask for your prayer to not only understand God’s timing, but also to be “graciously urgent” with the cold coming fast this Fall. Once construction is complete, we have teams in place to finalize the look of the home, and we prayerfully plan to have our soft open at the end of October, with these young moms and their children able to move in before it gets much colder. If you are interested in finding out exactly where we are at in this process, and if you might have a skill to share to ensure we are open before the unpredictable snow flies – feel free to reach out to me directly.
Thank you for your continued support – I look forward to partnering with many of you very soon as we begin this next, exciting stage in the journey God has brought us on.