The Big Big House on Top of the Mountain

"Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days. You would not believe if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

So here's the big story this month.  we're moving....again!  We would like to tell you the short version of how the doors for this house opened up to us.  Our friends rented this place for five years to house an orphanage project.  Since things fell through for them it has been empty for 18 months.  We first went to look at it mostly dreaming of having a small yard and a separate room for homeschool.  We loved it but said no thanks because at the time the obstacles were too great.  1. The house is a 20 minute drive up a mountain on the north side of the city.  Which presents a difficulty for a family of six.  2. It would cost us 8000 yuan to end our current lease early.  3. The house has no kitchen or shower.  Which presents another problem for a family of six. 
The week after we looked at the big big house, a family came to our house for lunch.  They said they were looking to move into our neighborhood and would love to sublet an apartment like ours!  So we called the landlord and he said ok.  The next Sunday someone offered us a car!  Over the next couple of weeks we talked to our friends who hold the lease on the big big house.  They cut us a deal on the rent so we can use the first three months to put in a kitchen and a shower!
The house is bigger than we need and we don't know for sure how HE wants to fill it up, but we invite you to lift it up with us.  It just seemed so obvious that HE set it aside for us.  We are waiting with our mouths open wide to see how HE fills it. 

Update on Abishai is that sometimes he sits on the toilet without screaming in fear....nothing ever comes out.  Mostly we just wanted to show you this cool outfit. 

Dayuma posing at the tea market. The girls are making many Chinese friends this summer.  It is difficult to play with locals during the school year because their school day is 10-12 hours.  During their short summer we are doing our best to reach out to them.  We "hope" our girls will be a blessing to this community this summer.

Carissa cleaning the toilet on the main floor in the new house.  It has been unoccupied for a long time so it is filthy!  Don't worry there are western toilets on the second floor. 

Steve was able to see a GI doctor in Thailand at the end of May.  He had a procedure done which gave the doctor some insight to the problem.  Steve is having a bad flare up of his Crohn's disease, but his blood work came back ok.  This means that there is no active infection in the rest of his body.  At the end of the week we took a break from doctors appointments and went to the night safari.  The kids loved it!

Requests:
1. Steve's health.
2.  Steve would be able to get a driver's license.
3. Honest and efficient contractor to help us with work on the big house.
4.  Help and translation for the purchase of a car.
5. We are currently in the visa process again.

Praises:
1. Steve has been able to get medicine that may help him.
2. A sweet visit from the Rogers (some CC friends) that greatly encouraged us.
3. A much needed retreat has been provided for cc families in August.