God’s Promised Land!

It has been amazing to see how God has been faithful in providing for Engadi Ministries over the past two years. Since May 2009 the boys’ home ministry has been running full steam ahead. Here is a quick run down:
May 2009 We begin to pray for 2 acres of land at $150,000 to build the boys home
May 2009 We are offered 2.25 acres of land for $150,000.
June 2009 The seller agrees to sell it to us with no money down.
Sept. 2009 I fly to the USA to raise money and interest for the land, but only return with $10,500.
Oct. 21, 2009 We sign a contract for $10,000 down and 12 months to pay the rest interest free. (The $500 paid the lawyer.)
Jan. 2010 The first team arrives to do work on the land, paving a road to access it, working by faith that we would buy it.
Feb. 2010 We resign our position at Shalom Church and move away from family and friends to be closer to the project.
May 2010 By faith, a team of architects come and design the whole property for us although we still don’t own it.
July 2010 Several teams come to help clear the land, dig foundations, and get it ready to build.
Aug. 2010 We only had about $30,000 in the bank, but trust God will provide the rest.  God raises $75,000 at just one church!
Sept. 2010 The karate Association raise about $30,000.
Oct. 8, 2010 Two weeks before the deadline we have all the money!  The land is ours!
Nov. 2010 God provides $20,000 for the taxes and legal fees to transfer the land to the ministry’s name.
Dec. 2010 We cut a road into the property and prepare to build.
There has been incredible momentum from the start. That movement hasn’t slowed down yet.
We know that God brought us to this property for a reason, He raised the funds, and He brought people into our lives to help with the ministry.  Although at times we feel that we are facing some of the greatest giants ever. God is in control. It is His land and His money. He will work out the details. We must be faithful to move forward towards each giant and not turn and run.
Pray for wisdom, resolve and the strength to move forward. Pray for God’s help as we overcome each obstacle that comes our way.
Building Obstacles and Solutions?Antigua is a highly prized tourist attraction which is protected by international law as a World Heritage site, similar to the Egyptian Pyramids or the Great Wall of China. Due to this status the building permits are very strict and hard to come by. In this process we have come across a bit of a challenge. Due to the inclination of our property we are restricted from building on it. However, there are no restrictions on moving dirt or leveling a steep hill. So we have begun the process of cutting the property so we can have flat surfaces before requesting our building permits.
Pray that we will be able to get this leveling process completed quickly.
In order to dig faster and more efficiently it would be great to have our own Backhoe. The amount of dirt to move is astronomical. What we would spend on renting one could just about pay for us to buy our own.  Pray that God provide us with the equipment we need.
The ultimate goal is to get the building license for the Antigua property.  Pray that God will provide us with the permits we need in His timing, remembering that He holds all who are in power in His hands.
Engadi II: The Refuge and The Ranch
Both in the business world as in the church world, most people wait to establish their first site before they go out to look for a second property to expand their business or to start a satellite church. In the process of figuring out what to do with our Building License challenge a friend heard of our problems. God touched his heart and he donated 3.1 acres of land in Zaragoza valued at $50,000 to the ministry! We haven’t built the first set of homes and God has already blessed us with a second property to develop. This was an incredible encouragement in a time when we asked ourselves, “what have we gotten ourselves into?” Praise God for this generous donation.
Pray for Bernal & Karin Ehlert and their two kids. Pray that God repay their generosity.
Now we need to figure out what to do with the new property. We have decided to call the Antigua land, “Engadi Refuge”, and the Zaragoza land, “Engadi Ranch”. At this point we feel the Ranch will be best suited for younger boys in Elementary or Middle School, and the Refuge is best for High School and College age boys. We are hoping to get a team of architects come to help us layout the property this Fall.
Pray for wisdom as to how each property should be used. Pray for the architects to advise us best. Pray for funds to build both properties simultaneously.
Foundation for the Guardhouse/Workshop
The first building to go up at the Refuge is the Guardhouse/Workshop.  The basement is going to be a place to store building materials, tools and such. The first floor will be a residence for our custodian/grounds keeper.  The total construction will be around $48,000. We have received $15,000 so far. We have gotten two of the walls in the basement completed and are working on the other two now.
Pray the rest of the funds will come in to complete the construction.
Pray the construction will go smoothly without any hang ups.
Pray for safety and wisdom for the employees and volunteers as we work to complete this project as quickly as possible.
May this just be a small start to all that needs to be done.
I’m reminded of Levi’s favorite VeggieTales, “Josh and the Big Wall”.  Every time I was headed to the Engadi Refuge to work on it, Levi always asked me if I was going to The Promised Land. I asked him why he called it that, and his response was, “That is our promised land.” There is a lot of work to do to take possession of this Promised Land. God has great plans and I can’t wait to see what He plans to do. Will you go with us to conquer this land?
Thanks again for your prayers and interest in Engadi Ministries.
God bless, ?Nathan & Claudia