We are no longer traveling. Our time on the road seems like a whirlwind. It was a good almost year and a half out of our planned 2-5 years on the road. But God seemed to have other plans.
The spring of 2019 we started the trek back north as the weather got warmer. We went through Arkansas to visit Jeremy’s sister and family and from there made our way through Kentucky to visit where it all started for the Richard’s and then started making our way northeast.
I’ve always wanted to visit the northeast. When I was younger, I wanted to live in New England in a cute little cottage with a white picket or stone fence. Lined with tulips of course in the spring. When I was in Junior High and High School I even sent off for LL Bean, Land’s End and Newport News catalogs and would circle what clothes I’d wear as an adult and ooh and ahhh at the scenery the pictures were taken.
What I won’t tell you is that up until 9th grade, I thought New England was a state. I had always heard of it, and I guess assumed it was one of those little states up there in the northeast around Vermont and New Hampshire. I was so confident in this, that I argued with my high school geography teacher that New England was INDEED a state. After an animated discussion (and my lack of finding it on a map), my bubble was burst and my hopes and dreams of one day living in a cute little cottage in New England proper were dashed. Who knew?
(Everyone but me, that’s who.) Don’t laugh. My genius husband didn’t know pickles were cucumbers until recently. Yes, I’ll throw him under the bus.
Mad props to Mr. Rutledge my geography teacher though. He handled it stellarly.
Anyhoo, we had a good (albeit cold) time on our way up. Final destination: Maine. I had planned out major stays and booked them because it is rather difficult getting a spot as large as we’d need them and for a 50amp. The plan was to spend 3 months in Maine and get a monthly spot in different places. Well I was able to book 2 places for a month each, but could never find anything for the month of August.
So as we are getting closer to Maine, I think both Jeremy and I are feeling that our time RVing is coming to a close. And we’re not sure what to think about that. It wasn’t in the plan, it’s not that we wanted to stop and settle down, it was just a feeling of ending. We would pray about it and as we got closer to Maine, we started talking about staying. What if God was telling us to stay? Really? Maine? It’s so….far….from everything and everyone we love. We were really thinking we’d end up in Wyoming or Idaho or Montana…still far but not far enough to feel like you’re in a different part of the world. I mean, people might come visit us on one of those other places, but Maine? Did I mention it is FAR? Mainers have a saying about everyone NOT from Maine. They (we) are all considered “from away.” And from away is right. Because everywhere else is from far away.
As we crossed over into Bethel, Maine in our 41ft RV, it was like we were home. Not Bethel, just Maine. We further crossed the Sunday River and other places and landmarks marked our trip with the Holy Spirit saying “You’re Home! It’s here!” Again, when we prayed. And we brought back up the idea of planting a church. It’s one of those things that have always been on our hearts but it was never the right time and then there is the drama of running or starting up a church. In case you’re not aware, that comes with the headache of running a business (when you just want to teach and preach) and the drama of church drama. After being burned in a church in the past, did we really want to take that on?
Back in 2014, Jeremy and I went to a presbyetry service at Gateway Church in Dallas during the Jewish New Year. That is a story in itself, but long story short, that night during the words in season given, Jeremy was one of the ones called out of a service of a few thousand and given a word. Part of that word Ed Ivy gave Jeremy was, “Keep the Main thing, the main thing.”
That part seemed obvious. Of course we will keep God at the forefront as the Main Thing. That’s how we got there!
We’ve carried that word with us. Well the next morning as I am sitting drinking my coffee, Jeremy walks by me, stops, turns around and kind of looks at me. “Mandi, what if “Keep the Main thing the main thing is Keep the Main thing the MAINE thing? Is it that obvious? The revelation hit us like a ton of bricks and right there Jeremy prayed: God, we will start a church, just lead us to where.”
“Keep the Main thing the MAINE thing”
We realized why we could never book an August spot here, it was because that was the month we would move in to a house here in Southern Maine.
With Covid looming it’s ugly head around the corner, God was looking out for us settling down when we did. It has put a wrench in our church plans, but God knows the timing.
Currently, Jeremy has been busy writing a book and working on a podcast. I have been finishing up counseling courses for Christian pastoral counseling, writing a book, and will be starting counseling soon with my brother who will be moving up here to kick off this ministry with me. The kids have adjusted to a sticks and bricks home nicely and have settled in to the slower paced life here.
Life in coastal Southern Maine is slow, beautiful and we are excited for what God is going to do in Maine. The harvest is ripe.
