Preliminary Steps

One thing we have been walking through as we work toward our goals, is the idea that nothing happens overnight. For every plan, there are preliminary steps that have to happen to make the end turn out properly. The bigger the plan, the more prerequisite steps.

In order to go to Israel, we have to first sell our farm and home. In order to move away from our farm and home, there are many steps that have to be done first as well. The less we leave for the last minute, say, after a contract is signed, the smoother things should go. At least this has been our thinking.

One large question that had to be determined is where exactly we would live after selling our home. It is a question that is yet to be answered. Since we have to live *somewhere*, we planned to buy a motor home to live in while we scout for property, and set up our new home in the States... wherever it happens to be. (Remember, we have to have *some* home in the States because Israel will not allow us to stay in the country longer than 90 days at a time.) But, since we only operate with cash, not debt (well, except for this house for now...), something else had to be liquidated to be able to purchase the motor home.

We got the blessed opportunity last weekend to meet half of a husband-wife blogging team whose blog Three Fold Cord, we really enjoy. They are real-life close personal friends of one of our real-life personal friends, and they bought Mr. Visionary's tractor. It was a blessing to have the tractor go to someone we knew had some of the same values as far as raising the family and farming, but it was also good to just have that part of the plan marked off the list.

Julie from Three Fold Cord sent us this yummy basket of goodies. As if buying the tractor wasn't enough!

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Mr. Visionary & Michael from Three Fold Cord ~ they're smiling still because they haven't started loading up all the pieces-parts.

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All the children got in on the loading action, too.

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The plan involved having the proceeds from the tractor earmarked to buy the motor home. Preliminary steps, you know. Mr. Visionary had been doing research for months to determine what kind of motor home we would get, cost estimates, pros, cons, and plenty of mechanical details that I don't pretend to understand. In other words, when the tractor sold, he was ready to move on to the next step. Meanwhile, I was still waiting for the twins thing to sink in. The next step happened faster than I had guessed.

 

This weekend, Mr. Visionary pulled this into the driveway:

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During all his research, he had determined that a bus converted into a motor home (rather than a factory-made motor home) would be a better choice for us, as they are sturdier, ride steadier, and, most importantly for me... have plenty of storage space underneath:

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We'll have to be very creative to make it work having eleven people living in this space. The Word promises food and raiment, not necessarily spaciousness. Remembering that it is a step towards a greater goal will help.

 

Looks like the conversion process has already begun...