Friday, August 16, 2013

Back, but not unpacked...

Since we returned to Colchester, we've been staying with our good friend, Jess. We are so thankful that she's let us crash into her home and fill it with ourselves and all things Delia. As I look around her living room/dining area (which is not a large space by any means), I see baby socks and a stuffed owl on the coffee table, diaper bag next to the chair, burp cloth on the sofa, car seat by the door, stand and play activity center by the dining table, a diaper changing station/play blanket on the floor sprinkled with toys, stroller in the corner, snot sucker, pacifier and baby lotion on the dining table and Delia's pj's that she wore last night on the bean bag.
Our lives have spilled out all over her house, and she has been gracious enough to allow it. But on August 27th this will change, and Jess will get her house back! We found a home right in the town centre of Colchester. The town centre is where the life of Colchester is. Its beating heart, if you will. When we first moved here almost 3 years ago and people would say they were "going into town" or "meet me in town" or "you'll have to go into town to do that," I would get confused because I thought that being inside Colchester meant that you were already in town. Not the case, the town centre is where it all happens, and God is giving us a home within it. (Well actually, if you want to be super technical, it's about 3 steps outside of it. :)

When we first returned, we thought we knew where we were going to live. A friend of ours had been planning on moving out of the country for a few years and offered to rent her house out to us. We were very excited about this. Our plans of a house church and Alpha courses seemed perfect for the space her house offered. However, this fell through as they decided that moving wasn't right for them at this time. So, we went on the hunt for the future Brooke home. We prayed that God would direct us to the place of his choice and not too long into our hunt we were directed by the "letting agent" to a place on East Hill. We hadn't planned on looking at this place as it's out of our price range, but the letting agent said to view it, and if we like it to make an offer. "You don't know if you don't ask." So we viewed it and it was absolutely perfect! The kitchen and living room area are absolutely perfect for a house church and Alpha courses! The location is unbelievable, and it has everything we need! (except for furniture. So a thrifting we will go.) After looking at several more places we realized quite clearly that we needed to make our offer on the place on East Hill. We made our offer with bated breath and a prayer-as well as the prayers of all our friends. The call came back very quickly with a positive reaction. We got it!
It was then that we began wondering what our new place's past was. After seeing it, we noticed the front of the building has a plaque of a shepherd with a sheep. A friend was able to find the history, and it turns out that it used to be a refuge for women and children called "The House of the Good Shepherd". Can you believe that our new home has Jesus on the front!? Unbelievable.

So anyways, God is good and he's provided perfectly as he always does. We can't wait to move in, and begin settling into the first home of our own we've had since we left Colchester 10 months ago. Jess will get her house back and will no longer be woken up by Delia's midnight rants about the frustrations of an almost 6 month old.

Anyone have a spare couch?

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