Hurricanes and Hope and Who the Heck Knows

So yeah… I thought that this would be as good a time as any to give you all an update into Alaina and I’s Ministry Adventure.  When we last left our heroes, we had moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina to lead the Student Ministry at Kingdom Life Fellowship and had recently welcomed a new baby girl into our lives.  Since our last update in October, we had continued through many challenges and were in the process of beginning to think about what God might have for us next in the upcoming new year when a little lady named Florence decided to come into our lives this month and change it dramatically.  Just because you’re marked “safe” during a storm on Facebook, it doesn’t mean you're unaffected. 

As we informed our supporters, living in Jacksonville, North Carolina… we were dead in the center of Hurricane Florence’s destruction.  As the Hurricane escalated, it hit our church and the winds blew the shingles off the roof and the rain poured in.  Every room except for two were affected and now the church has to be gutted down to the studs.  This church has been here since 1978.  The good thing is that the church will be able to rebuild a better building that more suits the needs of the community. The other issue with the church being hit so hard is that in August we moved into the church temporarily and now we are currently homeless. We lost a good amount of our stuff at the church but were able to salvage most of our dearest possessions.  Praise God, our storage unit was not really affected and we were able to save everything there.  We know a lot of people who lost everything and are also displaced.  We are very thankful for what we do have. 

What was left of the Youth Room

Sanctuary roof

Front of the church

      

Let me rewind and explain why we were at the church in the first place.  Since February, I had been working at a Music Instrument Store and a Grocery store in addition to being the Youth Pastor at Kingdom Life to make ends meet.  I was working 6 days a week and for barely over minimum wage.  It got to the point we really couldn’t afford our house we were living in and it was suggested that we move into the church for a time to save money.  The church had built 5 guest rooms (for guest speakers to stay in since the church is in a bit of a rural area and there isn’t a ton of lodging options) and we have let families stay there from time to time if they needed to.  So we moved our stuff into storage and moved into the church.  At the beginning of September, I quit both of my jobs in order to pursue job opportunities that paid more.  Some of those opportunities were going to be driving for Uber and Lyft.  The week before Hurricane Florence we had been visiting my family in Baltimore and was about to head home and start my Lyft job when I was told to remain in Baltimore to ride out the storm.  And as angst-filled as those days were, it’s a good thing we did, as we would have been without power and water for 5 days (maybe more… many people around town still do not have either).  I’m so glad we were in Baltimore with the kids and our dog safely away from the destruction.  But, as I mentioned before, the church got hit hard and in one fell swoop we don’t have a home to return to. 

The only place we are able to live right now is with my dad and brother in Baltimore as we can’t afford a place of our own and honestly, the hurricane has wiped out a lot of potential living situations in North Carolina.  So now that we are displaced, I will stop being a Pastor at Kingdom Life Fellowship.  The good news is that literally the day before the Hurricane hit we formally merged with another church who has a Youth Pastor.  We were going to work together but now given that we live in Baltimore, it’s good to know the Youth will still be looked after.  Even in the midst of seeming chaos, God has a plan.  I am grateful that I had this ministry opportunity to work with my Spiritual Dad and mentor and help get this church in a healthier place than before I arrived.  We will miss the KLF family we have gotten to know over the past year or so, especially the students.  I was really blessed to be allowed into their lives and I hope that doesn’t change as the years go by or distance traveled.  We love you guys!       

Now for those of you who are wondering, what does all this mean for us?  I’m glad you asked and I wish I knew.  I’ve never quite been in a situation like this before.  It’s not often in life that the slate is wiped clean and everything is open.  And honestly, it’s a little overwhelming to be faced with so much choice.  Right now, we are unsure of what to do or where to go.  We just know that whatever happens needs to happen fairly quickly.  We know that God has a plan but He hasn’t given us all the details yet.  We may stay in Baltimore or we may end up in Nashville (a place that has been on our hearts of late).  But honestly we are open to wherever God wants us to be and to do whatever He wants us to do.  Whether that is in full-time ministry or not.  We will minister whether we are in ministry or if I have a normal job but it’s a matter of figuring out how God wants to use us now.  It’s a time to dream again.  We would love your prayers as we enter this transition period.  If you need direction in your prayers, here’s what we need:

1.  Direction on where to go.  We are open to anywhere.  We are open to many jobs and are interested in House-Sitting opportunities.   

2.  Finances to start our life over.  I don’t know how long it will take to get a job or to figure out where to go.  We are blessed to be able to stay with my Dad but this is a temporary situation at best. 

3.  The right job, whether in ministry or not in ministry.  We want to be wherever God has called us to be.  We know God has something great for us. 

4.  Rest and refreshing.  We have had quite the tumultuous last 3 years and could use some rest and healing to take place in our lives, physically, emotionally and even spiritually.  We have gone through a lot but I am confident that God will work out all of it for His glory for we love Him and are called according to His purpose. 

I am excited for this next chapter in our lives!  I’d be lying if I told you this wasn’t stressful.  Packing up your life with your two kids and dog and fitting it into a Mini-van for who knows how long has been quite challenging to say the least.  With no job, no permanent place to live, little money and no clear plan, we need some big miracles to happen.  But that’s also what’s exciting about it.  Following God is always an adventure.  So as one chapter abruptly closes, we look forward to the next one.    

We love all of you who have been along with us on our adventure!  We really do have some of the best family and friends there is!  We have been so honored to be loved by so many.  I will be sure to let everyone know where we end up.  Thank you for being there so far… and here’s to the next chapter.  The story continues…

                                                                 With Humbled Hearts and Love,

                                                         Dan, Alaina, Kai Rey, Kalia and Bronson

                                                                        (818) 590-9438

Temporary Address:

2800 Tennessee Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21227