This is our story

How did you end up landing in Allegan? What led us from urban neighborhood life to the land? So, this is how it went. Spring 2017 God began stirring out hearts about moving, so we had a realtor come over the beginning of May that year to start discussing the process. We then left for our big road trip vacation May 13, 2017,  and upon arriving home on May 28th, we knew it was time to step out in faith. On June 7th, Steve and I had a morning date at Water Street for coffee together and while we were there, together we wrote out a detailed list of what our hearts desired in a new property. We know God cares about the details…enough to know the number of hairs on our heads. We prayed the details out together and two days later, on June 9th, Steve sent me the link for our new home. When we told others about our “list” and the desires we humbly made known to the Lord, we had friends tell us we “wouldn’t find it all in one property.” “You can’t have it all!” June 11th we went to see the house and made an offer. June 19th we listed our Portage home and 48 hours later had an offer for $5000 over asking price. On June 21st, both houses had signed contracts. By July 8th, both houses had inspections and negotiations and had settled agreements. About the list? He did give us it all. God loves to give good gifts to his children. So here was the list: 10 acres, old farmhouse, pond or stream, two car garage, a mature sugar maple tree for making maple syrup, mature woods with some cleared land, a barn, and three or more bedrooms. Here was God’s answer: Beautifully maintained 1890’s farmhouse, 10 acres, a pond AND a stream, a new build three car garage with depth and work benches for Steve, a property loaded with mature sugar maples, enough cleared land for animals and gardens, but the remaining acreage wooded, two barns, a shed we’d turn into a sugar shed, a corn crib (with which we had big plans), and 4 bedrooms. Oh, and He threw in a new above ground pool with a deck built up to it, wild berries all over the property, two mature peach trees, and some old apples trees!!! We know that God has been preparing us for this for many years, in many different ways. Unsurprisingly, many of these desires began to grow in all of us when we committed to be obedient to God’s call in our homeschool journey with Noah when he was 4. God was asking us to disciple our children at home with a simple mission: To know God and to make Him known, and the land would help us to do that. We desired him to grow up with timeless lessons from the land, and ultimately, in 2020, God would give us another baby to raise here. We have been faithful to carefully​ cultivate what we had been given, so He has entrusted us with more seed to scatter! We love the law of seed time and harvest because it’s at God’s speed, not our own. We cultivate and plant, HE GROWS. It’s all for His glory and honor! “For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord!!” Proverbs 8:35 Throughout this entire process, we have noted in journals about God’s hand on each and every detail. This was His timing and not our own, which is why we had such peace. Every step has been literally doused in His favor – the seller’s market at the time, the listing, the offer, the negotiations, and the closing (and what we walked away with). This morning of July 28, 2017, we were officially consumer DEBT FREE and we own our dream home!!! Praise God! This entire transaction has been the Lord’s doing and we are SO THANKFUL and honored to be obedient to His call!! As a family we looked at our vision wall, and nearly everything has COME TO PASS. There you have it, Sonshine Acres was established and Allegan is our home now as of July 28, 2017. We treasure the millions of memories we hold dear from our first house in portage, since God taught us so much there. God adventure is the only adventure worth pursuing; He’s a good Father and His plans are far better than our own. God has used this land to show us so many things and we are grateful for the opportunity to raise our children here at Sonshine Acres, where we cultivate and steward what God has given us to share – together.