5-24-2005
Dear
Friends,
Whew! I
need to take a brain break! Paperwork always bamfoozles me, can I say that?
*chuckle*
So I
thought I would send out a little note about ranch status and all, and maybe
encourage you with it :-). Remember, this is against the backdrop of needing
lots of money for a downpayment ($100,000) or a plan to get that money, by May
31st (next week), based on a gentleman's agreement I set up with the
owners of the property last year.
God is
cool... For anyone to say that God is not real, just doesn't know Him very well
yet *sad chuckle*. He has shone me several unmistakable fingerprints recently
that have left me quite excited about the future.
Fingerprint
#1. Remember me mentioning praying in the last newsletter about getting a
membership to a grant writing organization so that I could track down some
grants for funding this place? Last week, someone donated a membership to me to
that organization in return for some work they want me to do for them! That was
a total answer to prayer. So tonight I am working on business plans and grant
stuff, trying to get some grants submitted this week.... Hence my paperwork
comment earlier :-)
Fingerprint
#2. People encouraging me, telling me that they are pryaing for me and the
ranch, and that they think God is indeed doing something here.
Fingerprint
#3. I have been working almost steadily the last week or two, and actually
starting to have some cash flow so I can pay my bills again! Total answer to
prayer (I was looking for a job in a tight high tech market and just not
finding anything or having any luck - and the winter got very lean for me).
Fingerprint
#4. Last Friday, I was praying in the middle of the day as I got home, feeling
a little discouraged actually, about the future of the ranch. And I VERY
specifically said, "God please show me a fingerprint about this ranch and
what you want to do with it." That is what I said. And I left it at that.
And not even 5 minutes had gone by after pryaing that before I had a very cool
phone call.
You see, I
have been fixing appliances like washers and dryers and stuff for several years
to supplement my income. And in that timeframe, I have only come across 2
gas/propane dryers. Count them. TWO. One I sold to Dennis Mansfield and the other
I kept for up here. Likewise with coin operated washers and dryers. I have only
seen TWO of them that I had access to, in the last 3 years. So last week,
I was lamenting to myself that I wish I had more gas dryers (I have 3 regular
non-coin-op washers already) for up here when we start holding conferences and
whatnot. And preferably coin-op ones that would help pay for the propane usage.
Rares beasts indeed, are coin-operated gas dryers, at least in the regular open
market.
So, back
to the phone call. Three weeks ago, I had placed an ad for 4 weeks in
the classifieds to sell an electric dryer I had that I could not use
(draws more electricity that I can generate here right now). It ran one week in
the wrong section, then got deleted completely. I had to call them and get it
reinserted again. It bugged me. But I also had the sneaking suspicion that God
had something up His sleeve in allowing that to happen, as though that dryer
was intended for someone special. So I didn't let it get to me too bad, even though
I desperately needed the money. So I still had the dryer last Friday when
I prayed then immediately got a phone call.
This guy
that called wanted to know if I would accept TWO GAS DRYERS as partial payment
towards this electric dryer he wanted to buy from me. Not only were they gas
(or propane), they were COIN OPERATED! I had to laugh. Remember, this was
less than FIVE minutes after asking God for a fingerprint or sign
*chuckle*. But the story gets even better!
Fingerprint
#5. I went down and delivered this dryer to this couple in Boise, and picked up
the 2 industrial stacked gas coin-op dryers.... *chuckle*, and I mentioned just
off the cuff that they were an answer to prayer. Well this couple jumped on
that. Turns out that they attend a Vineyard church that I have volunteered some
work for in the past, the same church that is considering using the ranch here
for some of their retreats. But wait! It gets better!
This couple
has had a dream for some time of working with pre teen foster kids, and have
kinda been working towards that goal, as well as leading a Bible Study
ministry, get this, in the mountains.
Fingerprint
#6. This is so good it almost gave me chills *chuckle*. They have been looking
at moving, and feeling a call towards a little town called Yellowpine, way up
in the mountains. So that was their goal. To move to Yellowpine and lead a
Bible Study and work with preteen foster kids. When I told them that the
address of the ranch here is 21 YELLOWPINE lane.......... We just
kinda all got chills about then, and had to just praise God for being so cool
*chuckle*.
So they are
laying this before God and asking Him for clarification, as am I.
So I just
thought I would pass this on to everyone, by way of encouragement :-) It
suddenly feels like things are moving ahead again at full speed, after being
stalled for most of the winter. Is the $100,000 here yet? No. But in reality, I
am asking God for much more than that, so that we can get this place truly
renovated or open for use, and also buy that house and property down the road
that is ready for foster house parents and kids right now (especially since I
have also been praying that God would bring us a set of houseparents
immediately that could move into that house as soon as we buy it!)
Does
serving God get better than this? *grin*
The grant
process is moving forward, but unfortunately slowly,both because I don't
do well with paperwork, and because I have critical personal bills that I have
to pay and spend time earning money for. But I AM making progress with the
process. Please don't stop praying.
I have been
praying all along that God makes it very clear one way or the other whether or
not He is behind the ranch. And seeing His fingerprints again the past several
weeks, after not seeing much all winter and listening to people
question the whole ranch vision, it just encourages me, and let's me
know that my God IS in control, and that whatever happens will absolutely be
exactly what He has planned *soft chuckle*.
So please
keep praying for the ranch and myself, and that God does do what He
has planned. Of course, my DESIRE is that He buy the ranch and move
it and us forward so that we can use it to reach out to wounded youth and
people. I know that if I commit my ways to Him, like in the
verse in the Bible says, He will make my paths straight and clear. I am trying to do so.... And
committing my plans to Him, and trying to let Him have His way - like that
other verse that says if I committ my plans to Him (and they honor Him), He
will bless them. I believe that He gave me this dream and vision many
years ago, and has nurtured it and watered it, all through the years, to
finally bring me here to this place now. I know that He is faithful to complete
the good things that He starts in us. So I am praying for the ranch to move
forward, and hesitantly believing that He will continue to work fingerprints to
secure this place.... *thoughtful smile*. Indeed, if it comes through now, it
could only be because of Him, and not me *chuckle*. Which is as it should be.
So don't
stop praying! And stay tuned for developments!
In Christ,
-Tim
Tim
Benedict
Thorn Creek Conference Center
21 Yellowpine Ln
Boise, Idaho 83716
208-392-6723
tbenedict@bigskytel.net