IN!!!

Thank you for your patience! The last couple of weeks have been pretty amazing! When I last posted, the likelihood of my moving into the house by May 31 appeared small, but I refused to give up. I believed that God wanted me to move before June 1, and I knew that He could make it happen if that was indeed His plan. I was at peace with whatever He designed.

Suddenly, He sent people to do some of the electrical work, paint, and lay the laminate flooring. Within approximately three days the seemingly impossible became quite probable, and within a week it became reality! A request went out for help with packing, moving, and cleaning, and friends responded. Before I could catch my breath I was out of the apartment!

I slept at Bethel for the first time on Wednesday, May 30, and turned in my keys to the apartment on May 31, exactly three years from the time I moved in. There is still a great deal of work to be done on the house, but it is looking great! Pictures ARE coming soon. I promise!

The current status of the house is as follows:

FLOORING:
Bronzed Brazilian cherry laminate has been installed in the living room, dining room, kitchen, hall, and two of the bedrooms. Laminate is still needed in my office. I also need someone to lay ceramic tile in the main bathroom and the sun room which will be used as a den. Area rugs will be purchased eventually.

PAINTING:
Most of the house has one coat of paint. I love the colors! Second coating may have to wait until windows are replaced. The doors and trim have been primed. I will paint those a soft white as time permits. Some of the kitchen cabinets have been primed. Getting those painted is on my "to do" list. There currently is no base molding, but that will come in time.

ELECTRICAL:
New lights or ceiling fans have been installed in the living room, dining room, main bathroom, one bedroom, my office, and the front porch. Fixtures are on hand for the hall and second bedroom. Kitchen lighting has not yet been determined. Many of the outlets throughout the house have been replaced. Others will be added when someone is available to do the work.

KITCHEN:
Essentially there is NO kitchen at present. There are no cabinets, no sink, and no electricity except for the refrigerator outlet. The stove is in place, but there is no power to it. The microwave is functioning in the sun room, and dishes can be washed in a dish pan in the bathroom. My set-up is a little inconvenient, but it works.

BATHROOMS:
The main bathroom is torn apart, but the shower is functional. The half bathroom has been left intact for the time being. Between the two, I have everything that is needed to get by.

BEDROOMS:
One bedroom is basically put together. The other one has some furniture, but no bed just yet. I am enjoying sleeping in the basement as it is cool and dark.

LIVING ROOM and DINING ROOM:
Although the piano that was given to me is still in the garage, most of the living room furniture is in place. The hutch, also a gift, is in place and beautifully displaying part of my blue and white dish collection. I hope to get the dining table and chairs in place tonight.

SUNROOM:
Work on the sun room hasn't yet begun, but I hope to get the flooring down in the near future. This room needs a great deal of remodeling, most of which will have to wait at least until fall.

There is so much more that I could relate, but this will provide a decent overview. Though obviously a work in progress, the house really does look cute. God has done fantastic things there, providing in ways that I could never have foreseen or imagined. I am incredibly blessed and grateful to Him and to those He has sent my way. Friends and strangers have given sacrificially of their time and possessions. I am reminded of Hudson Taylor's words  - "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies."

"That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it." Isaiah 41:20