Please read the most recent blog post for an update…this post was originally made to announce all funds had been raised for Bill’s van…however we have some new information that changes things a bit.
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I am just oozing with joy and amazement at how great my God is. He is faithful and has never once left us or forsaken us. Even in the deep dark valleys we have journeyed through, He was there every step of the way….sometimes carrying us just like in the Footprints poem. Tonight as I type this post I can hardly hold back the tears and sobs of joy at all the amazing things God has done to bless us. As of Friday night, we have now received enough donations to buy the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with all the conversions, hand controls and modifications added to allow Bill to drive!!!! (insert me doing the happy dance here) Several donations came in to Bill’s Help Hope Live campaign this past week. Some good friends of Bill’s from childhood and high school stepped up and donated a total of $3,000 (Thank you Clay Lake and Lucien Laviolette, such an amazing gift!!) Another $1200 came in from some sweet friends who have been amazing to our family. They wanted to donate the remaining balance of what we needed for the van but asked not to be mentioned by name!! Then tonight, a sweet couple from our church stopped by after Saturday night service and wrote us a check to cover the costs of Bill’s drivers training course and threw in some extra for Bill to take our family out to celebrate once he gets his van and is driving!! I am just overwhelmed that in 6 months time, we were able to raise the total amount of needed funds and find a cheaper van than we had originally thought possible. That is not a coincidence because I just don’t believe in them…it’s a God-incidence. He knew 6 months ago how much we would need, He knew who would give and how much, and He knew we’d find this van at just the right time.
My Facebook post from April 16th:
There is an awesome van coming in to the mobility dealer we have been working with on May 1st!!! It is a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, fully converted ( this means it has the power ramp Bill will need), has around 21,000 miles, and will be listed at $25,000. We have raised about $18,500 so far. The dealer told us a van in this condition at this price only comes their way about every 6 months or so and usually sells within a week! With title, tax and registration we are guessing the out the door price will be under $28,000. Then we have to have hand controls and an ez lock system installed…this will run $3,000 to $4,000. Finally Bill’s drivers training course is an additional $1,200. I know raising $15,000 in the next few weeks is a huge undertaking…but I also know nothing is impossible with God!! Give, share, pray, fundraise….whatever you feel led to do to help us reach this goal!!! Ready,
Set….GO!!!!
I try not to put God in a box, but sometimes I find myself thinking…this is just too much. Oh how I love when the Lord proves me wrong and reminds me to trust Him above all human logic. Now we just have to wait for the van to actually arrive at the dealership. It was supposed to be there on May 1st but there was a delay in the shipping so now they are expecting it to arrive midweek.
Another blessing I wanted to share is on it’s way here tomorrow. I recently received a final gift from my Daddy…a life insurance policy on which he had named me as a beneficiary. With that we were able to buy a newer van for the family to replace our van that was no longer dependable to travel any significant distance (breaking down on the side of the road is just not an option that we want to consider). Another issue with our old van is the special turning seat that we use to get Bill in and out. It rotates out and then lowers down so Bill can transfer from the seat into his wheelchair when the seats are side by side. The old seat is pretty worn out and in fact it got jammed two days ago. An amazing friend of ours, Charles Martin, came over and figured out how to get the seat to work again. However, making it work now involves laying on the floor of the van and using a screw driver to reach up under the seat to release it each time Bill gets in or out of the van…this is not ideal. But we were grateful he was able to fix it at all because we didn’t want to have to put anymore money into the old van or that seat. A few weeks ago I was able to find a new version of the turning seat that is all automatic to fit in our newer van. Brand new and installed these seats are $9,000. But I was able to find one used for $3,000!! The kicker is shipping. The seat weighs a lot so shipping would have been pretty gnarly. However, as God would have it, the seat was in Sacramento which just happens to be where some amazing friends from our Home Fellowship group had moved several years ago. When I put out what seemed like a shot in the dark post on Facebook asking if anyone was making a trip to Sacramento any time soon I never expected how quickly I would receive a response. Right away our friends messaged me and told me they are very near Sacramento and would be happy to drive the seat out to us!! They arranged for the gentleman we bought the seat from to drop it off at their house, stored it in their garage for the past month and are bringing it here tomorrow!! So Lord willing, we will be able to get the new seat into the newer van sometime this week!!!
Bill’s van will take at least a week to have the modifications done and then it will take a few weeks to do his drivers training course and take the DMV test, so in the mean time we will be able to travel as a family in our newer van that my Daddy blessed us with. Most likely when we travel any large distance, we will take the family van (my van) because in Bill’s van all 3 kids have to sit in the very back seat together…and that is a recipe for disaster on a long trip!! So while Bill will be able to get into both vans…only he will be able to drive his van and only I will be able to drive my van!!!
I would like to ask for prayer for several things in our life if you are willing to pray. Here is what is on my heart tonight:
- Bill’s power assist on his wheelchair stopped working yesterday when the repair tech that was supposed to make the wheels stop clicking somehow caused the power to no longer work. In hind site Bill is wishing he would have just dealt with the clicking because while it’s annoying, at least he could use his wheelchair properly. The part to hopefully fix the power assist will be in on Tuesday and while the tech offered not to charge us for the labor (although he claims he did nothing wrong), we are still stuck with the bill for $350 for the part. Please pray that this part that was ordered will actually fix the wheels, the clicking will be gone, and Bill will have his power back by Tuesday evening.
- pray for the installation of the new turning seat into our newer family van…I am nervous that something won’t work or the stow n go seats won’t be accessible after the turning seat is installed…I know, silly but it is a concern I am having.
- continued prayer for Bill’s online marketing business to keep growing…God is blessing him with new clients and I am beyond amazed at how much he has learned about this industry that was brand new to him just 2 years ago…(he is an amazing man…I am one blessed lady!!)
- prayer for our family as we decide what we will do for schooling next year. We have been homeschooling through a local charter school for 5 years now and I am just at my breaking point. Ethan does amazing but Grace and Isaac struggle to get work done and stay focused on their home days. They go to a workshop twice a week and seem to do much better in that setting. We are looking into all the charter school options in our area but are wait-listed for now at several of them. I know God has the details worked out, but prayer for patience as we wait and wisdom for the best option for our children and our family would be appreciated.
- Pray for our good friend Owen…as I was typing this post I got a message from his wife. He is in the hospital, has been having chest pain and feeling pretty miserable for several weeks now. Docs keep telling him they can’t find anything. Spiked a fever today and docs finally got serious. Just had a catscan done and the doctors are concerned about what they are seeing. There is a 10cm mass hiding behind his heart. They don’t know yet what it is and want to run more tests but because it’s the weekend he might have to stay until Monday to get those done. Pray that the doctors will be able to figure out what the mass is and that it will be something that is easily treatable. We just love this couple and their 4 children…they are like family to us. Pray also for Owen’s wife Theresa as she finds the balance between supporting her husband, comforting and reassuring their children, and maintaining her strong faith in the Lord.
Thank you for praying for us, encouraging us, supporting us and loving us. We feel so unworthy of the blessings we have been showered with and are humbled by the kindness and generosity we have been shown. Bill and I both agree we can’t wait until the day when we are in the financial position to return the blessings that have been given to us. May God bless you and keep you all.
The Davis Family 