Mission Musings: I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll take my buldozer, and I'll blow your brick house in!

Mid winter, 1999. I found a newsletter which spoke of a group in Europe that had obtained a delapitated castle for their ministry. Two pictures: one of students chucking bed bug ridden mattresses out the castle window.

The other was a picture of the castle.

I cut the second picture out and taped it to my bathroom mirror. Ken and I began to pray that the Lord would give us a castle!

A week or so went by. Ken wanted to take me for a drive. It was dark, and nearly Christmas, so all the Christmas lights were in full twinkle. He drove us downtown and as we approached it, I said, "No. That can't be it."

There was our castle, 100 years old, beautifully gleaming in the winter's night, complete with a turret!

In the daytime, it wasn't nearly as glamourous, and now our archives have pictures of young people chucking bed bug ridden mattresses out the windows!

After two weeks gone to a conference, I am working a couple hours this morning to fill in for Len, so he can go to church. (The staff rotate donating their Sunday church time for Len, as he works our Weekend Supervisory Shift.)

A present was on my desk! How happy!!

I opened it up and found a brick. "NOOOOO..."

And then Mel's email:

Sometime this weekend, drive down 13th...a certain much loved building is gone. :( We watched it get demolished yesterday afternoon. It was roped off last week so I told Vicki to get the bank ladies to call us when the demolition started - they liked being in on the adventure! lol. It was quite the sight - took lots of pictures for you. And Vicki stole a brick for you. We may have to turn her in. :)

The note on the brick was signed by all the staff, and addressed to Ken and I. It was a sympathy card for the loss of our castle. It even had a sketch of the Craigdarroch Castle from Victoria, BC, on the front. Lovely. Really. I was so touched by this gift. It is bringing tears to my eyes to write this!

It is certainly the death of a dream.

But then, came Vicki's email to me:

$100,001.00!!!!!!

Praise Jesus!!!!!!

Yes, that's right!! An anonymous gift came in while we were on a trip. I got a VERY excited phone call from Mel and Vicki on my cell phone as we were travelling back on Friday. Ken, Jack, Paula and I could not believe our ears!

So, as one era passes, another unfolds. On the same day our "free" building is demolished, the next one is nearly paid for. Not even $20,000 left and the Campus is all ours. Only God can do this.

Are you hearing this?? THE SAME DAY!!

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the couple that donated ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND ONE DOLLARS!! I don't even know if I am saying that right! I DO know that the Lord is pleased that HIS work can continue as the burden gets lifted from our shoulders.

Friday's word of the day was truly fitting: