Click here to see a great news story about The Field's Edge!

Have you ever witnessed an act of kindness so beautiful that it brought you to tears? I have on many occasions, and about 90% of the time the act has been at the hands of a homeless person. This week was no different and I am still in awe of the events that transpired.

We have so many things to catch you up on. What a couple of weeks it has been! I hope you all had a great Independence Day. It was a bittersweet day for us. We had a great day with family and friends, but we also said “see ya later” to our friends, The Grimes, as they left for their 3-year commitment to missions in Kenya. Please remember to pray for them as they demonstrate their faith by forsaking everything for the Gospel. We are going to miss them dearly but we are so proud that they are laying everything on the line for Jesus and we can’t wait to go visit.

As you know, the linchpin to kick off The Field’s Edge is finding the right piece of land. A friend of ours has been a huge help in contacting landowners of tracts that meet our criteria: 20+ acres outside of the city limits, close to municipal water supply, and in areas that will not be contentious. Our land guy made contact with a landowner and told me to give him a call. I called expecting to set up a face-to-face meeting and instead was on the phone with him for several hours discussing the possibility of him partnering with us by providing the land we need to get started. It is by no means a done deal, and there are some BIG roadblocks that would have to be moved by something more powerful than me (God), but at the very least we are encouraged that this man believes in our mission and in us. Praise God for that! There is another piece of land that we have our eye on and we are continuing to research the ownership and try to get in touch with the owners. I am confident that God is going to provide the right piece of land at just the right time.

A lot of last week got chopped up by the holiday but we spent a lot of time preparing for our strategic direction meeting with our Steering Committee. During the meeting we spent several hours strategizing and planning the next steps necessary to make The Field’s Edge a reality. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the day to day drudgery and feel like we are slogging through the mud alone, but the folks on our Steering Committee reminded us that isn’t true at all. Thank goodness because there is no way we could pull this off without people who are a lot smarter than us. At the end of the meeting we went around the room and everyone told the story of how they got involved in this project. It was stunning to hear all at once how the Lord has woven these brilliant and loving people into our lives. Briana and I held back tears as we felt God reminding us that He’s got this!

This most recent Monday morning, a group of us headed out on the Breaking Bread Mobile truck to feed some of our hungry friends some breakfast. Our formerly homeless friend Walker came and served alongside us, so the day started off with a beautiful picture of redemption. As we went out, the volunteers spent time learning names, loving, and praying for our friends on the streets. We pulled over to a bus stop to see if the man inside wanted some breakfast and the bus pulled up. We saw a few familiar faces that came over to the truck to fellowship and eat. There was a lady that I had never met before with a walker. I introduced myself and she said her name was Shirley. She got her food and went on her way. There was a couple sleeping in front of Wal-Mart that we have known for a long time and we were headed over there next. Our formerly homeless friend Walker was looking around the outside of the store for more people to serve and he witnessed the most beautiful act of kindness I was referring to earlier. He saw our new friend Shirley, a woman who didn’t have anything to eat herself, give her own bag of food to the couple in front of Wal-Mart. WOW! We were absolutely blown away and still don’t have sufficient words to describe it. That is Jesus right there.

While Walker was witnessing the love of Christ played out before his very eyes, another homeless man named John walked by and struck up a conversation. He was hungry so we fed him and right there on the street he handed us a donation for the ministry. What?! So we had formerly homeless people serving homeless people who were giving their food and money away. Talk about awesome. I HIGHLY encourage you to come out on the truck with me one morning. It might change your life.

Waylon (our dog) had his ACL surgery and is doing well after injuring it nearly enough to warrant a second surgery. We placed an order for a tiny home for our family, knowing that this step increases our level of commitment to carrying out God’s vision for The Field’s Edge. With the RV there is a feeling of transiency, but the permanent tiny house is a symbol of the roots we are putting down. We are establishing a home within the calling God has given us. RV life is good, but we sure look forward to being on the ground again. As we post this, Briana and I are heading to Austin for my appointment with a neurosurgeon to determine a course of action for the extruded disc in my back.

Click here to see a great news story about The Field's Edge!

Prayer Requests:
·      BIG PRAISE: Our Pastor Dr. Wood is cancer free!
·      Prayers for The Grimes as they adjust to their new life as missionaries to Kenya.
·      Pray for a non-surgical treatment option for my back.
·      Pray for a continued healthy pregnancy for Briana.
·      Pray for the right piece of land at the right time for our village.

Shirley Goodness and Mercy