July 17, 2023 – It has been a while since we posted to our blog. (Quite a change from when we posted every week) We have not been on vacation but rather – very busy with Store changes, Annual Conferences, Church speaking and product development.
With the closing of our Ann Arbor location, we have been repossessing all the inventory back into Jackson and looking at future business models of how to move product.
We have traveled to West Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and multiple stops around Michigan. Speaking at 4 churches and attending 5 Annual Conferences since our last report.
We are also adjusting to living and being a part of the Interfaith Homeless Shelter community in Jackson. We are renting a home from them and getting to know the folks in an informal way. We are gaining a great deal of first-hand knowledge about what these folks are going through.
We are also getting more involved in the community beyond our church work. For more than 40 years we have always been Pastors/Missionaries. We are getting involved with local Business groups and the Jackson Breakfast Rotary Club. These have been helping us build great connections for future partnerships and work.
We are working with a couple of churches helping them figure out how to connect and impact the needy in their backyards. Coming in with fresh eyes and helping them learn to ask the right questions to get to the core of their needs.
It has felt like it has been a pivot for us, and we are still in the process of figuring out what that pivot actually is.
We also celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary on July 2nd. Time has certainly gone by quickly, but we also got to reflect on all that God has done and all that we have gotten to witness.
We wake up most days excited about what it has in store for us. Not to say there are not struggles – there are but we see that as normal and know that God has got this (Whatever “this” is!)
All this to say that we have no big breakthroughs to share and big problems to overcome just faithfully doing what we can each day to serve and reach the poor around us.
As far as things to pray about:
- We still have a great deal of traveling to do this year (Florida for General Conference 23, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, and Massachusetts for presentations with family visits.)
- Wisdom as we Pivot and figure out how we do this thing with today’s economy and business Climate.
- Our Team we need so folks to come around and help us – Pray God sends who we need. (As we are not sure what we really need)