Magnolia Plantation in Charleston SC

Standing at the bank of the river where boats would unload the guests to Magnolia Plantation..

Looking toward the "Big House" from the boat dock

Standing in the big lawn out front

The garden paths were so beautiful, even in winter.

Presidents and other famous people have visited Magnolia.. I am sure there are many stories to be told, from the civil war days until now.   

 

Swamps... and yes. ..alligators. it was a little to chilly for them today...

Slave cabins. The owner of this plantation was a minister so he had conflicting emotions about slavery. But still, he had slaves.  When this was still a working plantation, there was no grass around the cabins, but rather, dirt that they kept swept clean each night. That way, they could tell in the morning if they had snakes around, or deer eating their gardens by the tracks left across the dirt.

Here, the slaves spent any free time they had if they got their quota of work finished early. They would sing, often songs about heaven, because that was their promised freedom. Here, they would plot escape, although there were several ways to prevent them from even WANTING to leave.

We learned that marriage and families were encouraged for two reasons. One, it was future money. Two, families and children kept people together. One  of the greatest punishments for misbehavior was to sell you off to another plantation where you may never see your family again.

I cannot imagine the horror and terrible injustice of slavery.  I can't fathom the inequality of human life that was exhibited then.

But are we so different? Is there people we look down on, or of whom we think we are better?? Maybe it even comes down to racism. We say we aren't racist, but what happens when a family decides to adopt a baby of another color?? I wonder sometimes if we are really any different.

Our little family
This trip has given us opportunity to spend leisure, schedule free time together, unlike any trip we've ever taken.
We consider it a blessing and a GIFT from the hand of our Father.
"we have this moment, to hold in our hands and to touch, as it slips through our fingers like sand...
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today"

This space in between ....

This space in between selling the store, transitioning,  packing four ways; shipping on the Rustler  ( our vehicle that will be shipped) packing for the container ( those things we may not see til may or june) and our luggage ( 14 fifty lb totes),
It's been hard.
And blessed.
And long...
But short.

The goodbyes are HARD.
we are anxious to get there,  settled and start our new life.

Do you kinda get the idea we have very mixed feelings?

Very much so.

I am very thankful for the opportunities the last week's since the moving have offered:

We've had so many many kind people offer food, supper invitations, prayer, visits,  words of blessing,  encouraging texts,  money, help with cleaning the house one final time, phone calls and more.

I told Jess it almost feels like it's easier to leave, when I realize how much we are leaving.
Meaning.....
So much support. 
So many loving family members.
So many memories to pull off the shelf..
So many rich relationships.
So many confirmations.

What if it wasn't hard to go cause we wanted to run from bad relationship or a failing business?
What if we had no friends to say goodbye to?
What if we had no memories to look back on?
What if we were trying to push our own adjenda?
What if nobody prayed. Or cared. Or gave us a hand?

Thank God I don't have to go there,  because He has blessed us ABUNDANTLY.

Thanksgiving or Thankgetting?

Joshua Becker is probably my favorite writers in the minimilist world. His words ring clear and so true for 2016. Take the time to read this and ponder.....

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/reclaimthanksgiving/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+becomingminimalistcom+%28becomingminimalist.com%29

The country girls head to the city......

 Some of my sweetest treasures are times spent with people  I love. I've learned that I enjoy quality time over gifts that I have to dust around.  This week put an epic memory on my shelf. I am thankful for a husband who makes it possible and encourages me to take a day or two away occasionally.

 

We awaited these days for months.

Here we come Lancaster city.

 

 

This is all my sisters, mom and Sister in law. We were missing one sil.

(still wish you could have come Becca!)

 

 

 

 

 

Jean, the artsy one in the family, took us to a pottery painting session. We loved it!!! The black mug was what I chose and painted. I can't wait til it is kiln dried and ready to use.

OF COURSE THERE WERE MULITPLE COFFEE SHOPS.

and a dinner at Olive Garden.

 

 

There are always "those kind" in every family. HA!

 

 

I am so very blessed to have a mama, sisters and in-laws who are such good friends. We do so many things together, and enjoy each other so much. Thanks girls, for a very very fun time. You all are the BEST! 

.... post 5 on " a peek into our journey"

As we learned the story behind how God had prepared the buyer of our business before we even knew we were selling it, we felt a deep confirmation from God, in many ways.

As we were walking through steps to financial freedom, Jess would often engage in conversation with his various delivery personnel and business associates about the books and CD's he was listening to. Sometimes he would pass the CD's along to them to listen to as well. Interesting discussions ensued, and a few others even got "on board" and got started on their own journey in how they handled their finances. One of the persons who got CD's and who changed their course, was the buyer of our business. In my own words " if I had not received that information ( 1 1 /2 years ago)  and changed my lifestyle I would not have been in the position to buy the store"


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jess completed the transition of training and getting his things out of the store about 6 weeks ago. He was occupied with some odds and ends between here and the shop, and then he was offered a part time job about 7 minutes away from home. He accepted and life continues to be full of changes. After 11 years of him working mostly 6 days a week, and two of those days being long-into the evening- days, he packs a lunch for the first time in his life.  after 24 years of working for his dad and then being the owner of the store for 12  of those years, he is an employee:)


There is a little relators sign in our front yard, and that makes reality strike.
You can have a dream, a heart call, a longing, but it doesn't mean there isn't a loss, changes, and sometimes a twinge of sadness. We have so many beautiful memories here. Times of hard learning, valleys, and mountaintops that have shaped us for today.
 I will miss my family and esp my sisters.
I will miss my many dear friends.
I will miss the big yard  and the soft earth that I called my garden.
The flowers, the mowing yard, the neighbors pool that we could walk to.
The children being able to run freely outside.
The familiar and the routine.
My nieces and nephews.
I will miss seasons. The cool crisp fall with changing leaves. The coziness of watching the snow fall in big flakes from inside my cozy sewing room window. The springtime with the yellow finches coming to the feeder  (as many as 30 at one time last year!) and the perennials pushing through to get some of those first warm rays of spring sunshine.

I will miss cheese, and subs , and my mamas moon pies.
Grapes, apples and cider.

I will miss coffee shops and thrift stores.

Did I mention I will miss my sisters?!

I will miss seeing dad fly over our house, land across the road and taxiing into our yard.


Having said that, I am so excited about the next chapter of our lives. To follow His plan for us,  and to embrace this opportunity as a gift. It is a gift, to be called into what we have longed for.
I know that we will make new friends, learn new "normals" and embrace a new culture. Even a new language!

So, that brings us pretty much "up to date".  I know many of you are following us here, but I don't know who you are unless you make is known:)

a peek into our journey, Part 4.

We ended up being over at "Haiti Relief and Missions"  booth for almost 3 hours. There we were given another confirmation from God: they were looking for a family to go to Haiti in about 18 months. ( the exact amount of time Jess thought he needed to train someone in to run our business)

We left there with the understanding that if they really felt they wanted to pursue us as their potential family,  they would contact us. We would not call them or try to make things happen.

Within two weeks the board called to arrange an interview. We traveled to Ohio and met with board members, asked lots of questions and learned a little more about what we would be expected to do.
We learned the mission has a sewing center where ladies learn to sew and earn some money, an agriculture program about 34 minutes from the base where they are assisting with irrigation and learning amazing things about the native plants, and a haitian run clinic.

Jess would be expected to do record keeping and book work ( ah. So needing to get our finances in order was preparation for taking care of someone else's money? !) Hospital runs and trips into the city with many other little things in between. We would host many guests esp during winter months.
I would first support Jess,  be mama to our Littles,   &  work in the sewing center as needed.

Some decisions take fasting and days or weeks of prayer, and although we didn't give our answer on the spot, we both left that day with no reason to say no.
Well actually, we did have reasons. But they were selfish. Our business was going well, we had a nice house, my family is all close by; we were almost  living the American dream.
But in our heart of hearts we knew we would say yes. We had prayed that we  would not live  "typical, nominal" lives. We had prayed for this opportunity. And now it was one step nearer  reality.


We started working toward finding a manager for our store. One of the biggest blessings in the process was working with Annabaptist Financial, an organization that not only works with struggling  businesses, but also helps with business transitions. Our advisor was  a godly man who we soon learned had a lot of wisdom. He asked us about our journey, our heart for Haiti and our plan for the store. With the heart of a shepherd led us to points of thinking that brought us to realities we needed to face.
Does God want us to completely sell out the store?

We all have had moments when you meet a crossroads, and you need to choose between flesh and spirit. Isn't God so gracious to give us grace to struggle through those moments?

.... the joy of saying yes to God is worth it every time.
So with the help of Annabaptist Financial ( AF from here out ) we began to pray differently.
 Instead of a manager, a buyer.

Jess prayed that 3 or 4 people would step forward and be interested.
Before 3 weeks were up we had our fourth contact.

We ran through the formalities and paperwork involved and it finally came down to one.
When we learned his story we were again reminded that God is in this, in fact,  he was preparing our buyer for this moment before our store was even for sale.
But I'll leave that part for next time. :)

Part 3 of " a peek into our journey"

During the first year of our marriage, Jess agreed to go to Haiti to visit a friend of mine, and help with some construction work as well. Something happened as he was standing there along that mountain trail....
God spoke into his heart in a quiet voice, and he embraced the thought. "I think our future may include living in Haiti someday".
The next ten years bring children, through adoption and by birth.
They bring  long hard days at a little grocery store, serving people in our community.
They include 4 years of  the heart labor of a Haitian adoption, trips to Haiti, and finally the laying down of the dream, the relinquishing of our precious baby girl to someone else to raise her for life (and she is in a beautiful family) and going through the grief of what feels like a death.
These years include lots of hard work, personal and as a family, learning where our priorities are and how to love our children more.
These years bring another loss ... and grief as we watch a family member suffer a stroke and through that, God brought us to another level of responsibility.
The years bring a new realization that this house we have, our business, and our money; it isn't ours and we are only stewards. This is one of the Key factors in a series of changes we began to make in our family. And these changes directly impacted our journey.
The years brought continual reminders (and it was a motto) that "he who is faithful in little, will be faithful in much".

Soon after we changed our lifestyle and focus, Jess made two statments about things he felt would happen before we were asked to move to Haiti. They were huge things... and almost felt impossible.

The first thing happened and we waited.
Big thing #2 happened 3 days before we headed to Lancaster to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We wanted to attend a Haiti Benefit Auction for an hour or 2, and just spend time together. Sat morning, as we were sitting down to breakfast in the common dining area at our B&B, we were joined by another couple. Through small talk we found out they were headed to the auction too, to represent a mission there at a booth. Of course, Haiti was soon the subject of interest as we talked about both of our trips there. At one point, they said "have you ever considered living in Haiti??"  Considered? Prayed? Longed? Dreamed? YES YES YES and YES:) but of course we didn't say ALL those things. We simply said "yes, we would love to live in Haiti but we know it will happen when God wills".

They asked us to meet them at their booth, and returned to their room.
We did too, but something in our hearts were very sure something significant had just happened. This wasn't just casual question or happenstance meeting.