Preparing a Home

Last night I was awake past midnight, catching up on some work when a text came in from our son, Tyler, in Tennessee.

"Thoughts" he asked, including a link to a Czech reality website showing an apartment in Ostrava.

Tyler and Lara have been cleared to purchase tickets for their move to Czech as JV missionaries, as all their support has now come in. PRAISE GOD! They are due to arrive on January 18th, along with our two little grandsons, Judah and Asher.

For several weeks they've had Czech friends looking at potential places for them to live, but in the end decided to just wait until they get here to finalize anything.

But when this listing showed up, it seemed like a possibility so I told him that his dad could call on it in the morning.

By 9 AM today, we had an appointment for a 3 PM showing. Dave had meetings, but Claire and I were able to go check it out.

It was a year and a half ago that I took their first prayer card picture on this street. Amazing to see what God has done during that time (added a son, for one, not to mention providing partners to stand with them) and amazing to know that they are so close to their arrival now!

We have hundreds of memories on this square in Ostrava, the main place we came to for shopping in our first years of living here back in the early 90's. To think that they might live near here is kind of mind-boggling!

We met the realtor at this door and headed up to the second floor (third floor in American terms!) of this apartment building, curious to see what was up there.

WOW. It was amazing!!! With this as a view, and a wonderfully renovated apartment, complete with appliances and even some furniture, it seemed like a good possibility as a home for them.

I called through Google Hangout and was able to video chat so they could see the place as Claire and I walked from room to room, showing them the apartment.

And in the end...they decided to take it! Claire and I left, in awe that God had provided that swiftly for them. We think it will be a really good home.

Celebrating with a little coffee from a nearby cafe!

The rental agreement and all the other paperwork still has to be finalized, but as best as we know right now, they will take possession of it at the first of February!

They'll be at our home for those first couple of weeks, which we don't mind at all! But I'm glad they already know that they have a home prepared for them in Ostrava.