We have a house full of people at least three days a week and usually closer to five. I reported earlier that the walls sometimes seem to be closing in and we were considering some renovations to make better use of our space. One afternoon John and I prayed that God would give us a clear answer whether to pursue such a costly and time-consuming process. That same day a friend called, asked what our most pressing need was, and gave us the money to enclose our back patio. We were very encouraged and thankful to God. It turns out, however, that we were quoted a price without the proper permit. The actual cost for the project is three times what we were originally quoted so we won't be getting that extra space after all.
Instead of giving in to our disappointment, we had a barbecue this weekend with everyone in our house church and three first-time families. One of the newcomers was a young, single mom and her seven-year-old son. They were guests of our members. The other two new families live in our neighborhood. One is a homeschooling couple with six children. They are Jewish but three of their kids are here for Sunday school just about every weekend. The other family is a couple of ladies who are raising a ten-year-old daughter. Most of us sat on the floor to eat and some stayed outside but, in the end, everyone found a corner to enjoy himself. Our time in Brazil taught us that true fellowship can take place under any conditions. We don't need the luxury of climate control, a nursery for little ones, or even lots of room for God to do great things. So, we're back to finding ourselves encouraged and thankful to God for everything He has already provided.
