The saga of the Wickerts continues........After a year in Tennessee, we have made the decision to move yet again! Over the last year we have been challenged, we have sturuggled in many areas, and been stretched greatly. But we have also grown and been encouraged in many ways. We have met some dear people that will remain friends for a lifetime. We have clearly seen the Lords direction in the decision that we have made to move again. So let me share a little of how we arrived at this decision!
When we relocated to Tennessee from Alaska, alot of things where unknown to us. We arrived in a little town called Portland which is about 30 minutes north of Nashville. Not intending to settle in the Portland area we started searching for homes and jobs closer in to Nashville, but as it happened Jasen was offered a position with the City of Portland as their building inspector, we found a church home on our first visit there, and we found a great house, in a great neighborhood, for a great price, so, we stayed! Life was going along, I settled into homeschool with Jaden and Adam, Jasen & I started discussing possible business ideas for the upcoming years. Everything changed about 4 months later when Jasen, feeling uncomfortable with some the duties he was being asked to perform resigned his position with the city. At that time we fell back on his carpentry business. Things went ok for a while but with the ecomony being the way it is, the work just wasn't there. Jasen took a trip to Florida during this time to look at a business that was for sale down there, but when that didn't materialize, we decided to accelerate our "business plans" and move forward with our plan for a coffee shop/bistro in Portland.
We explored a few different locations, put together a business plan and started moving ahead. We looked a several different locations, but for one reason or another they were not the best. Then about two months ago, we found the ideal location, an old historical home on the edge of town, with a great big yard and tonnes of character. We were very excited at the potential and possibilities the place afforded, so with my parents, we made an offer which was accepted and started the process of buying the place. In the meantime we started up a catering service out of our home, with the intention of moving it into the new building by the new year. So, things were moving along fine until about three weeks ago!
Within one week, all of our "plans" fell apart. Two days before we were to sign our closing documents on the house, the loan fell through due to a "technicality". Two very large catering jobs that I had tentativly secured were cancelled, and Jasen received a call with a job offer in Florida!! Talk about life being upside-down! We didn't know what to do. Thankfully my parents were here that week, so we were able to bounce things back and forth with them, and felt very supported during a time when things were pretty rough.
So, after MUCH prayer, instead of trying to force the purchase of the house through which we could have done based on the nature of the "technicality" we decided to let it go, convinced that God's protection was in it and we were not to proceed any further. But then we were left with "what now?". The possibility of the job offer in Florida became our focus and after talking with the owner of the business, who is a member of my Dads church in Naples, we decided to move forward and Jasen accepted the position that was offered. So, over the course of the last week or two we have a job with a lot of potential for growth, and we have rented our home to some great people who may eventually like to buy it from us, the kids are excited about being close to Grandma & Grandpa and we have peace for the first time in a long time!
Our time here in Tennessee has taught us alot, things that I don't know if we would have learned elsewhere. We were here for a purpose, we know that, but we feel very strongly that it's time to move on. We will be moving around the second week in January, as Adam wanted to celebrate his birthday here with all of his friends! Jasen has been blessed with alot of work here over the next couple of months, and he will start his new job around the 15th of January.
So, life goes on and it's never dull!! I'll continue to update you all as we make decisions, but we are excited to celebrate the holidays here, then move on the see what the future holds!
