Moving Day

It is hard to believe how quickly a year can pass. On Labor Day, David and I celebrated our first anniversary. We enjoyed cinnamon rolls (family favorite) for breakfast, grilled burgers, and hiked Castle Rock at sunset. Thank God for Labor Day and our anniversary coinciding this year! It was wonderful that David could enjoy a day off. Especially since we moved the two days previous to that Monday. Our move from Denver to Castle Rock went as smoothly as possible. Several family members, a few friends, and our neighbors showed up to help us move. We had everything loaded on the moving truck in a few hours and were finished moving by dinnertime.  Thank you to everyone who helped us move!  God has really blessed us through your visible acts of love.

One of the greatest surprises in the past year has been God's answer to our prayers for our neighbors. Here are some of the surprises we've experienced the last month.

• Our upstairs neighbor, Lynn, has been studying the Bible with me for a few months. She wants to continue studying together by phone or email if possible. She really connected with the Bible study by Chip Ingram that we started a few weeks ago and has put applications in place in some major areas. Praise God for his grace in her life!
• Another woman who lives with a neighbor shared how she had walked away from her relationship with God; I prayed with her earlier in August. She has shared several ways that God is leading her to return to him including marrying her boyfriend instead of continuing to live with him unmarried.
• Our neighbor, Marsha, went to church for the first time! She has been very sick and dealing with alcoholism, addictions, and spiritual warfare. Pray for her salvation. She asked for a Bible of her own. Her friend (the woman mentioned above) has been reading the Bible and praying while staying with Marsha and this has peaked Marsha's interest in things related to God and Jesus. We spent significant time sharing the gospel with Marsha our last week in Denver, despite packing and moving. Marsha was moved to tears when I (Allison) brought her a Bible the following week. 
• Our neighbor from Burma was helpful to us during our move. He stated that he often comes to Castle Rock and would like to visit us here. We encouraged him to connect with us soon. 

Praise God all our neighbors are being impacted through our lives and our love for them in Christ! We are amazed and so blessed that they all want to stay in contact. Christ's love is contagious and worth keeping around~

We ask you to join us in prayer:

• for our landlord as he and his new wife move into a neighborhood desperately in need of Christ. Pray that God would strengthen this couple to continue reaching their neighbors with the hope of the gospel. 
• for our families as many of our siblings' families are going through transitions with work, home, and church right now. 
• that we would be a blessing to my mom and sister as they open their home to us for a little while. 
• that God would give us grace to be living in someone else's space with little room to call our own. 

God is so good to us. We are excited for all the next year has to hold!