Update for Family & Friends

Several of you have asked for an update, so here are the latest details, and my observations of what this time in our lives is like.

We kept waiting and waiting to start the next phase of our lives. At first, we thought maybe we were just supposed to "learn more patience" and wait for all the doors to be open for our move to happen. But as things transpired, we realized that our heart needed to learn to leave our Burlington ministry and friends who we loved so much, so that we could heal from the hurts and move forward with our future.

We selected Fulton, KY for our new home, for several reasons. My employment's home office is situated there. While I do work from home, there are things I can learn by being in close proximity to my boss, and more opportunities to help the firm. The area has a low cost of living, so we will be able to afford to start up Russ's new ministry/business. Also, our health insurance, car license plates, and drivers' licenses will still work by staying in-state. We considered other parts of the country, since we were not limited by anything but our own imagination, but this seemed to make the most sense.

We found out about Russ no longer having a job on March 8th, and we would be out of our house there in Burlington, KY on April 6. So, we went house shopping QUICKLY, looking at rentals and purchase properties. We ended up putting an offer on a foreclosed Victorian Home in the Historic District for a greatly reduced price. At first we were told we qualified for a $5,000 grant, and it took them 6 weeks to decide we were NOT qualified for the grant. Since our mortgage was tied to the grant, it looked like we were going to have to start over. The bank felt terrible about their mistake, so they sent all of our paperwork over to a different bank branch, with a loan officer who specialized in secondary mortgages (meaning they would be sold outside of the bank, but he would be our go-to person at that bank). Because our paperwork is complete it looks like we will be able to close on the house sometime between May 4-May 6, just before our May 8 deadline on our contract. We should find out a FOR SURE closing date in the next couple of days. It was sent for the final underwriting on Friday morning and it should be back in the bank by Tuesday night from what we understand, and the lawyers have everything ready to go for a closing to happen the same day they get the paperwork in.

During our final walkthrough of the house, our realtor took the for sale sign down in the yard. I think it was her way of showing us that the house is ours-it's just a matter of waiting for that final paperwork. But-it's not over till it's over! Still...we are breathing easier than we were on Wednesday when we found out the grant didn't go through.

Before we knew the grant had failed, we had already scheduled the U-Haul and movers (based on the fact that the loan had been approved and the home appraised for 1/2 higher than the loan amount). So, we decided to come on down to Fulton, and be here to tend to moving details and also make sure the bank doesn't drag its feet. We are staying with my boss, Rebeca and her husband Charlie, and their 2-year-old son Anderson (and their 3 dogs). An exciting match for our dog and cat! So, we came down here on Thursday.

Charlie and Rebeca own a very large old story-and-a-half bungalow. We are staying upstairs in the open room that is their double office, scrapbook studio, bedroom, and bathroom. So that gives us a little privacy and space when we need it and also a space for our pets away from the hubbub. And it allows the Seitzs to have their own space and we aren't always under foot. But we get along so well that we share some meals together, and enjoy fellowship and time playing with Andy and the dogs. We try to carry our weight around here by helping with some of the meals and watching Andy sometimes so they can do other things. It's the LEAST we can do for having a roof over our heads!

I'm going to write more in another note-about this area of the country and about church.