Calling Rick

When we got back home from Jamaica, I couldn’t stop thinking about Spring Garden.  I re-read the scrap of paper about a million times that I had written and stuck in my bible.  Habbakuk 3:2 tells us to “write the vision”, so I have learned to do just that. When Bruce and I talked about what the property should look like and what it should include, I wrote it down.  And Rick’s property seems to have every last bit of it: safe, secluded and private, lush with fruit trees and a flat land for growing a garden so that we can be somewhat self-sustaining, usable buildings already on it, a natural spring water source nearby.  The family hasn’t been there in years.  I wonder if they want to sell it?  Or maybe they would just let us use?  I’ll never know if I don't ask. 

So, I emailed our friend, Lynette, to get Rick’s last name so that I could try to track him down.  A few days later she responded with not only his last name, but also his address, this little bits of information that was able to learn from talking to locals, and his phone number!

So, one afternoon I mustered up all my courage and gave him a call.  He answered.  I gulped and started right in, “Hi, you don’t know me...”  After I explained the reason for my call, we had a nice long talk. He told me all about himself and his family, and many stories about their time in Jamaica.  He is a very spiritual and God-fearing man.  He said that he and his family used to do some evangelism and outreach in Negril.  The property is very near and dear to them.  No, they hadn’t been back in many years, but weren’t sure if they were interested in selling.  He would talk to his wife and call me again soon.

About a week later on our way home from church, my cell phone rang.  It was Rick.  He and his wife had been talking and praying about Jamaica.  They felt as if God had recently told them to close up a business that they owned and give much of their things away.  They still weren’t sure that they wanted to part with their property in Jamaica.  But, he said, as they were praying about it, the Holy Spirit really moved them when they talked about using it for the ministry and to help children.  They loved the idea of that and would be open to further discussion.

We both said that we would pray about it and talk again.  I have no idea what will come of it, but it felt like a step forward in the right direction.