I am so thankful for the opportunity to sit down and write this morning. As you can imagine with a construction project, 4 formerly homeless RV neighbors, and a low barrier dignified work program, we have a lot of irons in the fire. Not to mention that we are just moved from a temporary office space to another temporary office space due to some major repairs that were needed. You’d think I’d get used to the constant transitions by now but alas I have not.

Briana and I have been talking a lot about how we are so looking forward to settling in at the village and returning to the neighborly lifestyle of community and connection that we have missed since we left Community First in 2017. The Lord has given us such wonderful stops along the way; places of great respite and lifelong friendships, but we can see the finish line ahead and we are very excited for life at the village as missional neighbors. The reality though is that this finish line is really the starting line, and we need your prayers.

It has been a beautifully exhausting journey since the articles of incorporation for The Field’s Edge were filed on November 18th 2016, 5 years ago today. WOW! We have seen the Lord move in incredible ways. He gave us such a gift through the opportunity to participate in the Community Corps at Community First Village for the first 4 months of 2017. He helped us to build deep relationships with our homeless community in Midland through my time serving on the breakfast truck at Breaking Bread. He provided land for our village through a generous friend and funding to build the village through partners like you, most of which was received during a global pandemic and negative oil prices. What a testament to His provision! As we reflect on what has happened over the last 5 years, we are in awe of God and all that He has done and we are thankful to be the vessels through which He has chosen to do this work.

You all have stuck with us through all the highs and lows. You have celebrated the victories and mourned the losses with us. I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have you walking alongside us. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life to have a front row seat in this demonstration of the love of Jesus through His collective body.

We host a Bible study at the Salvation Army every Wednesday and I have to admit that sometimes it can be quite challenging. Sometimes it can even feel fruitless, but yesterday was such an encouragement to me. Our friend R. has struggled with alcohol addiction for many years. She has been sober for 7 months and basically has not left the shelter to avoid temptation. Yesterday she left for an appointment that did not work out, and gave in to the temptation to drink again. When we arrived for Bible study she was distraught and it gave us such an opportunity to share the grace of God with her. We providentially happened to be in the book of Ephesians and chapter 3 had the just the balm that she (and all of us) needed.

“14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

We had the privilege to remind R. of the grace, mercy, and forgiveness that God has provided to us through Christ and in doing so every one of us was blessed. There is one man who has struggled to believe the scriptures and yesterday his questions and understanding seemed to indicate that the Holy Spirit is working on him. Another man, a former occultist marveled at “the riches of His glory” and God’s grace for sinners like him. What a joy it is to experience God drawing people to himself!

We are beyond excited to lift more people off the streets upon completion of the village early next year. It will be a day of great celebration to welcome our homeless neighbors into their forever homes surrounded by people who love them. But the greatest imperative we have is to demonstrate and proclaim the goodness of the Gospel to the lowly and downcast and God gives us opportunities for that every single day. Each one of us, including you, have been given a unique sphere of influence and I encourage you to pray and seek opportunities to share the good news with people around you. There are so many hurting people in our world and Jesus is the answer!

As we navigate the challenges of construction and the urgency to complete the project so we can lift more people off the streets, we continually need your prayers and support. You have a unique role to play in this tapestry of grace that God is weaving. Please pray for my family, our staff, our board, our neighbors, and all of our homeless friends as we prepare to enter into the next phase of our ministry. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of The Field’s Edge family for these amazing 5 years. We love you and look forward to many more!

Celebrating 5 Years!