The Dream!

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Isaiah 43:18 & 19

I was almost seven months pregnant when we moved. I remember asking God if we could please move before she was due—I didn’t want to relocate with a newborn. One of the first things we wanted to do when we arrived was to get established in our new church. The very first sermon we heard was titled “There Is Always More.” It felt prophetic.

We also joined the church homeschooling group, which I loved. We met up with homeschooling friends during the week and shared many fun times together.

We were invited to a birthday party by one of the families we had connected with before coming to the church. That evening, we found ourselves sitting next to and chatting with a lovely couple we had not met before. The mother was a midwife, and God orchestrated it so that she was on call when I went into labour. It was a very special time, and a strong bond was formed. The father was also heavily involved in the homeschooling group, so we began seeing quite a lot of them.

As we spent more time together, they shared some thought-provoking insights about the Bible—what Yeshua (Jesus) really came to do, and the relevance of the Old Testament laws. I have always had a deep love for God’s Word and enjoy a good biblical discussion, so this immediately captured my interest. Pete and I initially set out to disprove what he was saying, but to our astonishment, he was right. When tested against Scripture, we could not dispute it.

A whole new world opened up to us. We began to delve deeply into God’s Word, pondering and discussing Scripture at every opportunity. We started keeping the Saturday Sabbath and exploring the biblical feasts. It took time to adjust, as Saturdays had previously been very busy days at home. For a season, we continued attending our church while learning how to live out our renewed faith.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

God brought us together with four other families. At first, we met only occasionally, but over time it grew into meeting every second week in one another’s homes. Together, we learned about the biblical feasts, the significance of the menorah (lampstand), and the shofar (ram’s horn).

We began to realise that our Messiah (Christ) was, in fact, a very Jewish man—one who kept the Saturday Sabbath, observed all the biblical commandments, and celebrated all the biblical feasts during His time on earth. We also came to understand that He calls us to be His disciples, to live our lives as He lived.

Alongside this, we learned more about our Jewish brethren and the ways in which they have been persecuted, often under the banner of “Christianity.”

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

It was now the autumn of 2018. There are three autumn feasts, and at that time we didn’t really know how to observe the first two. Pete still went to work, and we simply acknowledged them, reading whatever we could to gain a better understanding of their meaning.

As our group continued to bond, we decided to go away together for the third autumn feast, Sukkot (Tabernacles). This became a turning point in our lives. We were heading to a campsite to celebrate Sukkot, leaving on the Sunday after church. There was a lady speaking there who had a real heart for Israel, and we were eager to hear her share.

Sukkot is a joyful festival, and halfway through the church service that Sunday, a friend stood up and brought a message that carried such joy that everyone rose to their feet and began to dance. It was amazing. It also turned out to be our final service at that church, as we sensed that God had gently closed that chapter for us. It was a beautiful send-off.

The year 2019 was good, but also conflicting. God had blessed us with a house and garden, yet in many ways it created work that felt distracting. Work is good—but it needs to be the right kind of work, work given by God for a purpose, to further His Kingdom. Everything we were doing was “good,” but it was mostly for ourselves.

We were sure that God had brought us there, brought us together with these other families, and drawn us deeper in our faith. And yet, there was a constant sense that there was more. We wanted to be truly content in the place where God had put us. The big house, the huge garden, the chickens, the vegetable patch—it all felt like a dream, and we had believed it was God’s blessing. Over time, however, it began to feel hollow and slowly turned into a burden.

During this season, Pete’s business was also growing. He had already taken on an apprentice, but the workload continued to increase, making expansion necessary. While it was a blessing that he was home more to handle paperwork, he was often tied to the computer or on the phone with customers. Despite the outward signs of success, he too felt unfulfilled.

That year also brought an increasing focus on Israel and God’s holy mountain. Israel—and its importance in our lives—was becoming ever more apparent. We began to yearn for something more. By the end of 2019, I sensed that a change was coming, that something exciting was going to happen in 2020.

Havah was born in November. Havah is Eve’s name in Hebrew and means “living one.” Before I became pregnant, the children were unanimous that the new baby had to be a girl—Faith needed a sister. God is good, and He gave us a sister for Faith.

Not long after Havah’s birth, Pete and I both felt that he needed to go to Israel with HaYovel, a Christian organisation that serves Jewish farmers on the mountains of Samaria and beyond. Each winter they run a men-only pruning trip, where volunteers help prune grapevines for the farmers. Pete had considered going the year before, but none of the men we fellowship with were able to go, so he didn’t. This year was the same—no one else could go—but we knew the timing was right. He signed up and booked his flights.

He was going for two weeks, from the end of January. Among the wives of men who go on a pruning trip, it’s often said that they never come back the same. I knew this was exactly what we needed.

Around this time, we began to feel that the house, the business, and all the excess possessions surrounding us had become more of a snare than a blessing. In February, I started selling anything I could think of—mostly books at first. I felt a deep need to be unburdened by the things we had accumulated over the years.

…Behold, I am doing a new thing…

It was hard to think about Pete being away for two weeks. Yet I was absolutely certain that it was necessary for him to go, and that nothing would stand in the way. One of my very special friends lent me her daughter for a few days before Pete returned. It was a truly blessed time and helped me more than I can express.

Pete had a very blessed time in Israel. The pruning carried deep meaning, especially when we reflect on Jesus’ words about pruning and abiding in the vine. Perhaps Pete will share a post about his time there sometime soon.

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; Isaiah 61:5

When Pete returned on the 11th of February, we had so much to talk about. After only a few days in Israel, he felt a burning conviction that we needed to be involved in the work there. He couldn’t sleep and knew he had to speak to someone about it. Before coming home, he spoke with the HaYovel leadership.

Our hearts carried a deep desire to somehow be part of the redemption process unfolding there. After prayerful consideration, they decided to extend us an invitation for four months, after which we would discern God’s leading. Now we had to decide how to prepare.

We knew we couldn’t stay in our house while trying to save up to go. The only way forward was to sell what we could and give up the house entirely. All of the children were in agreement—God had been preparing us for this. We would need a miracle. We wanted to be out as soon as possible, but how were we going to get rid of everything? We had chickens that needed new homes, tools, furniture, and plenty of accumulated “stuff.”

Miracles in the Everyday

Not long after, I had a conversation with a newly married friend. They were in the process of buying a house and were living in a static caravan, so I asked if they needed any furniture. She did, which felt like a wonderful start.

A few days later, Pete spoke with a friend who had recently moved into a bigger house. That very morning, they had been talking about our chicken setup and were about to go out and buy everything they needed. They also needed a larger dining table and many other items we were hoping to re-home.

The following week, they all came over and walked through the house, choosing what they needed. It was incredible—such a huge weight lifted from our shoulders. We began moving things into their new homes.

God had also provided a trailer. Pete had agreed to buy it when his dad purchased a lawnmower. At the time, Pete felt uneasy about spending the money, but it turned out to be such a Godsend. There is no way he could have done all that needed to be done without it.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

It was also around this time that the Covid situation was beginning to loom. Although we didn’t pay much attention to it at first, we felt a strong urgency to get as much done as possible. We arranged to stay at a campsite on the Lizard, where Pete could continue working and we could save every penny.

Then, one by one, places began shutting down, and we were told to stay at home. Pete made almost daily trips to his parents’ place, where we had put up a shed to store the things we wanted to keep.

Despite everything, we were doing really well. With about two weeks to go, we had almost completely emptied the house. Just before lockdown, we went to charity shops and bought everyone a suitcase. We were sleeping on mattresses on the floor and living out of those suitcases. Pete methodically painted the rooms and cleared out the workshop and garage.

Then the dump closed. And when Pete called the campsite to confirm that we could still go, they told us they could no longer take us.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 6:23

Because God’s hand was so clearly upon this, we knew He had the perfect place for us, so we kept pushing on every available door. Yet, one by one, they all seemed to slam shut. With just a week left before we had to leave, we were beginning to get concerned… and then, on the Sunday before our departure, a friend of mine living on a smallholding in Devon offered to take us in.

Funnily enough, at the very start of our move, she had written to say we could come for a week if we got stuck. At the time, we thought it would be lovely—but we weren’t sure how it would work.

God had clearly given her a verse “for such a time as this.” The amazing thing is that they were living in a static caravan while renovating their farmhouse. To make room for us, they decided to vacate their lovely static caravan and move into a camping yurt—uninsulated and basic. We had planned to camp ourselves, but there wasn’t enough flat ground for a tent, and she knows I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to the cold! Their generosity and heart completely blew us away.

After we arrived, we were blessed with amazing weather, though the nights were very cold with heavy frosts. And through it all, they never grumbled once. Truly remarkable people.

So, on the 11th of April 2020, we left our home, ready to go wherever God leads us. And, God willing, we will be in Israel on the 1st of July.

For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. Deuteronomy 32: 3 & 4

P.S. It was quite difficult fitting 2 years into one post. If anyone has any questions feel free to drop us a line (on the blog) and we will reply or write another post.