God is moving - HOLD ON FOR THE RIDE!!

Hey family! I'll warn you that the following is an email I sent to the Penningtons in Thailand and it is very LONG. But I wanted all of you to know what's going on so that you can be encouraged in Jesus and be praying for us! Let me just add also that I was ready to bawl last p.m. after being with Dale and Rita for a short time - their faith and words were life giving and as Rita shared her faith story of moving to Brazil, I was amazed. She was scared to death to take a big step of faith, but now because of their obedience, generations are being blessed. They are taking their grandkids to visit their harvest in Brazil. I know we all know this, but I was just so indescribably grateful last p.m. Praise God for 2 people who just trusted God (and are still doing it)! ANYWAY! Here's the eternal email (please excuse the hideous grammar, etc) - I'll send pictures soon:

Hey guys,
I can't sleep so I thought I'd write and tell you what the Lord has been doing over the past couple of weeks. On Thursday, August 3rd, Randy and I went to the Como Neighborhood Association meeting together (it was our date). Before the meeting started, we happened to go a random way and drove by Lake Como down Lake Como Dr. and noticed this really cute yellow and white house for sale by owner. We called on it and learned that it was 2000 square feet and 4 bedrooms with 2 1/2 baths, built in 1940 (it's had a few add-ons). This is a mansion in Como! But let me back up a little.
Opportunity Camp Como was wonderful. It had ended the week before and had gone very well. McKenna went as a camper (1 of 2 white girls) and Isaac and I went to help in whatever way we could. I could write volumes about it, but let's just say that I saw Randy really ALIVE dealing with these wild kids (boys mostly). He was being who he was made to be and it was just so obvious that God was in the middle of putting this camp together. Being together at Op Camp also served to bring us more together as a married couple on a mission. We've definitely still got miles to go on what we were dealing with in Louisiana (we actually feel like we've hardly moved!), but we're still moving forward. Anyway, while at camp God gave RB the vision to start a mentoring/discipleship group with 10-12 of these boys called "Dr. Brown's Mighty Men." He's been working really hard on it ever since we returned home and the first official meeting is tomorrow. His vision is to have them as our "boys" until they graduate from high school (they are all 4th, 5th, or 6th graders). This idea also definitely seems like the Lord. I just kept feeling like right after camp that this wouldn't really work as well unless we lived there, but still felt like that was a "someday" and not a "right now."
Okay, back to the house. We looked in the windows of this house and saw that it had been redone and looked fairly nice, but just kind of tucked the info away. On the following Tuesday, Aug 8th, I was having my quiet time feeling kind of "stuck" and just picked up my Believing God study. I flipped open to "God's Word is Alive and Active in Me" which is the lesson about the power of the spoken word, esp. when it's the Word of God. One of the first stories in the Bible she talks about is from Numbers 13-14 when Moses sends the 12 spies to Canaan. I decided to read those 2 chapters. By the end, I was on my face repenting and asking the Lord if it was too late. Chapter 13 begins with God saying "I am giving you this land." When the spies return, they have physical proof that the land is exceedingly good, BUT they decide to focus on their fears (some real, some imagined) instead of the Word of the Lord. Their fears? The cities are too big, the people are too scary because they're bigger and more numerous, and the cities are walled (looks impossible, right?). The people begin imagining all sorts of things: they will all die by the sword and their women and children will be taken as plunder. They begin wishing that they had just died in SLAVERY or in the desert. How many times have I longed to run back to bondage or just thought it would be better to stay in the desert because it was familiar and "safe". The part that really struck me, though, was in chapter 14. Moses has interceded and God has agreed not to strike them ALL dead, deciding instead to only kill the 10 spies who spoke faithless words. But then God starts announcing the consequences of their faithlessness: They will die in the desert, just like they wished, and while their children will eventually enter the Promised Land, they will first have to wander in the desert as shepherds for 40 years, SUFFERING FOR THEIR PARENTS' UNFAITHFULNESS! Those words hit me like a ton of bricks (we have a lot of kids)! They probably really thought they were protecting their children by not wanting to take them into a scary situation, but God was leading them into REST and blessing and abundance and they MISSED it because of fear. That a.m. I listed all the things that I have been afraid of about entering our Promised Land and decided to be more afraid of God than all of those things. And more afraid of dying in the desert and missing all the joy and REST! It just feels like one of those times when you know that if you don't step out in faith, you might never have the opportunity again. So I share this revelation with Randy that a.m. and tell him that I'm ready to go (whatever that means or looks like - I really didn't know; I was just in "Yes, Lord" mode). By the end of that day, I was the most faithless woman you've ever seen. I spent the next 2 days being that way, even though I took Kim to see the house and pray about it with me and she agreed that it definitely seemed like the Lord. By Thursday p.m., RB had had it with my negativity - I was complaining and worried about everything (mostly not having to do with Como). He told me as we were going to bed that night, that he was hurt by my lack of faith (I think "betrayed" was the actual word). He said if we needed to wait 3 more years, that was fine, as long as I was walking in a place of faith. Hard conversation. The next morning (that would be like 5 days ago, on Friday), I was walking and praying and as I neared home I heard "It's time to go." I said, "But God, I'm scared." And then I immediately thought of Joshua 1. I knew without a doubt that He was telling me to move to Como - now. I had an overwhelming sense that I was not supposed to think about it at all; I was just supposed to obey and trust Him. I told RB, who tried not to get too excited. But I just knew in my spirit that if I disobeyed this time, there would be extreme consequences that I didn't want to deal with. So we scheduled to look at a different house that we had heard about on Sunday at 5 p.m. and had pretty much decided that maybe we would decide between these two houses. We knew the one we had scheduled to see wouldn't be super nice, but it's on 2 lots and we have our ultimate Como house envisioned - we thought it might be possible to renovate/remodel. We were praying like crazy. In all this, the Lord has brought to mind more teaching from that Beth Moore study. Things like when God says move on, you better hurry over (when the Israelties were crossing the Jordan). She made the point that when you receive an anointed word from the Lord, with the Word comes the grace to obey. And the more slowly you obey, the less power you have to obey. The grace and the power begin to wane as you move out of the "window". Seems so true right now.
SO! Sunday a.m. comes and one of the Mighty Men from camp is getting baptized at a church in Como. RB decides at the last minute to go and take our boys. He goes some random way "for some reason" and begins to notice these signs everywhere on the streets that are talking about this house that is being auctioned off to the highest bidder by 5 p.m. on Sunday. Guess which house. The cute "lake house" on Lake Como Dr.! AAGH! (If RB hadn't gone to Cory's baptism we never would have known). No more time to think - we obey or possibly lose this house. I didn't mention that when we first looked at it, it was listed for $92,500. By Sunday, it was $90,500. The lady is an investor who buys old houses and fixes them up and she was really ready to sell this house (which had only been on the market for 2 months - 2 people's contracts had already fallen through). We let her know that we're looking at another house at 5p.m. and she lets us know that she'll be there until 6 pm and we can come by and bid if we want. We prayed that afternoon and felt like the Lord gave us the number $80,000. We looked at the other house and it would've needed too much work so we head over to the auction. We look at her notepad with about 7 other bids on it and highest one is $78,500 so we bid our $80,000 and go home prayerful and hopeful and absolutely scared to death (me, not RB). I had that feeling that you may have experienced before where you get on a roller coaster and they lock that bar down over you. Then you're going up that first slow hill that builds in suspense right before you drop down over the other side of that hill going super fast. You chose to get on this roller coaster because you knew it would be fun and exhilerating! You're committed, but at that moment you're kind of wishing you could magically get off! (Todd and Jacque were praying with us on Sunday p.m. while we were waiting to hear back from the seller and Todd made the point that when you're on that slow roller coaster climb, you don't start analyzing all the bad things that could possibly happen up there - you just hold on and enjoy the ride)! About 9 p.m. the investor called and said that the bid was up to $85,000. We went up $500, the other lady went up another $100. But our last bid of $86,000 won! We signed a contract yesterday at noon, had it inspected this a.m. and have mercy - WE ARE MOVING TO COMO!! Like within the next 2-3 weeks! And while it may be quite hard to believe since you feel like you've been reading for about 2 hours now, I've left out numerous little details of how the Lord has confirmed this over and over again. I think we are about to be AMAZED as we watch Jesus do something BIG! One of the sweetest confirmations has been my kids. They are so excited, they love the house, they're planning out their rooms, and from the beginning McKenna has been praying and saying that she believed God wanted us to have this house. The day we looked at it for the first time, we hadn't even been in it yet, and Luke pipes up in the driveway and says "Mom, God told me we're supposed to live in this house." He doesn't often say things like that. I kind of laughed and blew him off. Shouldn't ignore your kids!!

Bottom line? PLEASE be praying!! My worst fear is that I will lose sight of God and lose my faith. The thoughts of doubt, fear, etc. are hanging out right outside the door of my mind just begging to get in. We are heading to the lake Brownwood on Thursday evening and plan to try and have it ready to sell by the time we leave. We're specifically praying that it will sell while we're out of town - this would be miraculous. Houses in our neighborhood are not selling right now and there are a lot of them for sale. Pray for unity between RB and me, peace, protection on our family, and JOY! I feel like the floodgates are about to open, but it sure is tempting to turn around and run back to Egypt!
We love you guys so much and Julie, reading your email encouraged me so much the other day! I told RB that if you guys could do what you're doing, then I could certainly move to Como!

We LIVE because of our sweet Jesus who never leaves us or forsakes us!! His promises seem more real than ever right now!

Blessings on you,
Anda (a.k.a. Chlorinda - HA!)

P.S. Feel free to forward this to Dean and Lexi - I covet all of your prayers!