Welcome to the House

Welcome to the HOUSE!

Here's a little video that shows our (Luke and my) house for the summer that we have. We're in the process of painting and will be in the process of 'fixing up' for a good while.... if you know what I'm saying....

But it's a great place and I wanted to show you a physical answer to prayer- if you want the back history check out the previous two blog entries.

 
Welcome to the House from Sean O'Connor on Vimeo.

1 Month Later

So this coming Monday will mark the 1 month point that Luke and I have been home in Oregon after DTS. During this past month we have been on a roller coaster of events and emotions. We have entertained so many possibilities of what God might do, and we have been surprised every time. Things like: What will our living situation be like? What will our income look like? How will we get money for SBS and the Missionary school Luke wants to do? Are we spending too much time waiting? Are we not spending enough time listening?

A huge question we are asking each other is how much do we do, and how much do we just wait and 'trust' on God? And for that matter, what does it look like to Trust on God? let me give you an example-- 

When Luke and I arrived in Salem we decided we would relax for the first week and just read in the Bible and reflect on what has happened the past 6 months. On the second day I found a job on craigslist.com as I was casually browsing. It seemed like it was a God thing as we would make $2,000 a month (during this huge Eco-Crisis) AND Luke and I would be able to work together as a team (so we thought). So we jumped at it. We were going to be KIRBY Shampooers. The job description was quite vague, as well as the interview, but we got the job instantly (I was convinced it was because I wore a blazer and Luke tucked in his shirt). We were so pumped! We celebrated our victory- Applebees... Sampler plater... 

Here's the point...We saw God provide for our needs, 2 DAYS after we got into Salem, during the largest Eco-Crisis since the great depression! WOW! It must be because we're so spiritual... God loves us... 

That was the high... The fall came quickly after... Long story short, after going to the first of 4, 4 hour training sessions, we realized a bunch of things that not were not mentioned at the interview or on the advertisement. After some praying and weighing what God was saying to us, we concluded that this wasn't the right move. 

  

Questions seem to multiply as we continue to pursue God. This up and down motion is just a continuing cycle that births deeper contemplation. 

So what have I learned from 1 month of pursuing life in a community? 

- I can't see myself living life alone. The idea of living without Luke seems to be not near as fulfilling. I have enjoyed living life with him for the past month as we have realized that we really are opposites on so many things, keeping each other balanced and open to another way of living. 

- I have seen God work (keep reading and you'll see)

- I've continued seeing my personality from a new perspective. This is both positive and negative- instead of being blind to my selfishness or  commandeering personality, I have seen it highlighted and in bold. 

- Through studying the Bible and talking about different books Luke and I are reading, I have had so much insight that I can confidently say I wouldn't have had without Luke. 

These are a few things that Luke and I talked about when we poised this question to each other. The time I have had with Luke has been such a blessing and is continuing to be an amazing transition from DTS to life back in the States. I'm excited to see what the next 2 months will be like.

Oh... yeah one true God story-- So when me and Luke came back to Salem we essentially began asking God for a house and 2 jobs. This would be a miracle. Well yesterday one of those prayers was directly answered! We Got a House! It's in a perfect location right by my church, Salem Alliance Church, and will be the foundation for our Community vision. We wrote up a little diddy that sums up this community idea that we have. Here it is:

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Vision

To create a short-term, God centered community that has a life long effect on the people involved and a high-impact on the surrounding area of Salem.


Living in the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) environment opened our eyes to the importance of community. We believe that God is all about relationships and he created us to be in relationship with others; to grow and seek him as one. Having the opportunity to see this first hand in Montana, Brazil, and India, we now want to apply this lifestyle to Salem. We have seen such a hunger for discipleship and the pursuit of God from our peers, but they all share a mindset that it is an individual journey (except with church and small groups). We want to experiment with a lifestyle that is constantly seeking God in traditional and new ways; waiting, looking, and listening for Him.

How do we see Salem Alliance playing a part in this?

Living in close proximity of the church, is an ideal location for a meeting place to house the vision. I heard about the two homes that SAC owned and Steve Dangaran’s vision for interns to live in them. Though we are not interns at SAC, we want to be involved in the Youth department (High School and College) and invite them to join in this journey with us. Being able to use one of these homes would be an essential building block for our vision.

How do we see ourselves playing a part in SAC’s vision?

The purpose of the community is to seek God and invite others along with us. We want to help out SAC specifically in the youth and college department. The purpose is not to take away anything from the weekly activities of SAC, but rather to add a new dimension of pursuing God.

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In short, things are going amazing during our time here in Oregon and we are seeing God work in both different ways then expected and in exact ways prayed for.

What can I say about this time?

God is unpredictable and exciting...

...Join the ride