Share the Hope that you Have

Praise the Lord I didn’t have to reread last week’s blog to transform any traveling fears into faith this week😉.  Our transition from Peralta Canyon, just outside of Apache Junction AZ, to Indian bread Rock was quite smooth!  And you guessed it!  God was faithful yet again at showing us a breathtaking “home” for the next week.  Within the hour of cruising in our jeep to find a spot, two people, unrelated but near each other, and who had clearly been there awhile, packed up camp, and we had the whole area to ourselves!  Odd or God?  I think God (if you can’t tell, I don’t believe in coincidence and luck but God’s good grace).  Although we did learn that packing up camp ourselves, taking a hike, traveling, grocery shopping, laundry, and more traveling was A LOT the day before.  We’ll have to figure that out this week.

Our time at Peralta Canyon was blessed as predicted and we would definitely go back and spend an even longer time.  Although the first church we attended was sadly very watered down (taking anything that makes people uncomfortable out of their service), we did discover that fast food play places with wifi could potentially be the best cheap date/Bible study ever (we’ll try it this week and let you know).  We also learned that we are raising some amazing little hikers (even Abe who loves his “pack”)!  The second church we attended was on fire (despite being a megachurch like the last one).  It was pretty incredible to see that many believers who love Jesus worshipping together.  It gave us a glimpse of what heaven might be like!  The best part of Peralta however: fellowshipping with some friends at a park after service on Sunday.

I felt pretty convicted a few weeks ago that I was not to be doing my grocery shopping and laundry on Sunday.  It is to be a day of rest…no matter where you are, the Bible says!  And if I couldn’t learn to rest and relax with friends and family on Sundays traveling down here: with probably the least loaded down “plate” I’ll ever have, than when am I going establish this priority?  I figured hey, I learned how to read my Bible with cartoons going in the background at 5 a.m. I can learn to rest one day a week too!  And wow would I recommend it to anyone.  Okay people there is a reason even God rested on day 7 of creation and even asked us to honor the Sabbath as one of His 10 commandments.  Try it and you’ll see! 

Anyways, details aside, we drove home from the park on Sunday with the epiphany that we need to be bringing church to the people who missed church that day.  The Bible tells us in Philippians that if we have received hope, love, and encouragement from the Lord ourselves, we need to share that same hope, love, and encouragement with others.  You would be surprised by how much our very friends and family need Jesus’ hope desperately.  May I not only encourage you to spend your Sunday’s relaxing with friends and family, don’t talk about the weather.  Cut to the chase, how are they really doing, how can you pray for them, and how much hope do they have?  Because if you’ve got any…you’ve got to share it!  And if you don’t have any hope yourself, I pray you seek a real relationship with Jesus immediately.  Don’t wait another minute!  Let’s be honest, life can feel pretty hopeless sometimes…but Jesus: hope-filling EVERY TIME.  Although I’ll admit simplifying our life and completely uprooting has helped us to seek God more, as much as I wish all of you could join us on this venture (and please do if you can!), I pray you can learn to seek God and His will for your life right where you are.  He has such an extraordinary plan for each and every one of us!  Praying for you all as we continue to seek His will for our lives.  Miss you all!

Peace and Love,

Eric, Jenna, Addalynn, Ethan, Abram, Sophie, and Holly

God IS Faithful

Correction: our new humble abode is a ’93 Cruise Master Georgie Boy (or Georgia as Addalynn likes to refer to HER as).  But right or wrong as I am, God continues to prove His faithfulness to our family.  The first place we attempted to put down temporary roots for a week or two was just outside of Casa Grande, AZ.  Although Vekol Valley 20 years ago (when our Grandparents traveled this area) was a desert paradise our experience was much different.  We had a visit from an angel, cautioning us about Table Top Mountain’s proximity to Mexico and the dangerous drug runners and ruthless rip crews (in addition to the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants) that traveled this area each night.  After a phone call to the sheriff’s department assuring such precautions and some online research, it was decided this was not to be our “home” (even temporarily).  Thanks to my protective husband, the fact that his very tired and worn out wife had just finished setting up camp was null and void.  I’ll admit, I was not happy with the decision, but the presence of evil was so apparent in Vekol Valley, the touch of dusk was enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  Needless to say, God led us to Life Way Church and Saddle Butte Mountain the very next day.  To say this church and mountain were a blessing to our family would be a vast understatement.  This was the best first “home” we could have had on our extraordinary adventures.  To name a few of our favorites: warm weather hikes, visiting with new friends, a trip to the Grand Canyon, daily bike rides, morning Bible studies, adventurous jeep rides and even a Valentine’s dinner date (thanks to our friends at Life Way who watched our kiddos).  And I didn’t even touch on the fact that for two weeks we never ran out of water for showering and our batteries did great being charged by our generator each morning and evening; is that odd or it that God?  I’m pretty sure this is where God wanted us to be.  He IS faithful. 

But I’ll admit just days later, while searching for our next “home” I became fearful and worn out once again!  May I learn to just sit back and enjoy the ride next time (I’ll have to reread this blog on our next embarkment).  After Eric replaced the alternator (yes another one…this time on the motorhome), after attempting to sleep in the parking lot of a Bass Pro Shop next to someone’s generator that sounded like a weed whacker going full throttle, and after being bawled out by a snowbunny for letting my son get a cactus stuck in his shoe, God graciously led us up Peralta Canyon Trail to our next home away from home.  The clarity of His direction leaves me awestruck sometimes!  This jem (and jewel it is!), is located just behind a beautiful and SAFE neighborhood (unlike Vekol Valley just 70 miles from the Mexican border…God has a sense of humor you see).  I can’t wait to see what adventures He has in store for us and the extraordinary friends we will meet here.  Although these friends cannot replace you all, it never fails to amaze me how faithful God is at placing people in our lives, wherever we may be, to help fill your roles.  We pray He is doing the same for you in our absence…and as always, if you miss us that much: come visit us (just beware: you might end up joining us)!  Peace and Love, Eric, Jenna, Addalynn, Ethan, and Abram (Sophie and Holly)

The Extrordinary Brown Family Travel Adventures

We’ve been on our extraordinary Brown adventure for two weeks now!  Although I have to admit, I had my doubts it would ever happen (everything from a hole in the carpet to an alternator gone bad happened within 24 hours of our departure).  Spiritual warfare… But this trip has been in the works for over a year now.  It all started with my husband’s (at the time, crazy, wild hair) idea to take our motor home across the United States.  We were tired of the rat race, of not spending time as a family, and of desperately trying to hold on while we watched our three kiddos grow too fast.  So together with our love for travel and our need to slow down, we asked God to help us with our plan: He had to help us sell our home…and that He did!  Within 20 days of it being on the market!  Literally less than a year ago, we were living in an American dream home with an American dream job…but something was missing and here we are to find it:  in the desert of Arizona, all five of us (and two dogs) in a 1981 motorhome living off the grid…and it is EXTRAORDINARY!  Do I occasionally miss a long shower and my kitchen aid? Yes.  But being together as a family, slowing down, and watching our kids laugh and enjoy life is worth every sacrifice we’ve taken (with the help of our heavenly Father, families, and friends) to get here.  May we encourage you all to slow down and enjoy life more.  Heck, come join us!  Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers.  Peace and Love, Eric, Jenna, Addalynn, Ethan, and Abram (Sophie and Holly)