Praise God! We’ve received a handful (four) more donations this weekend. Our total stands at approx. $236,500. We’ve also been told by a few folks that a donation is in the mail (though we don’t know the amount).

One of the great joys of this process is seeing a broad community of support developing for this vision. Local people (in the Placerville area), people from the Bay Area, people from out of state, and even folks on the East Coast are all represented in our donor community. We’ve always known it would take committed, broad community to make this happen! The Lord is weaving it all together, even as we’re still waiting to see it unfold. We remain filled with faith. “Lord, have your way…”

This evening Elizabeth and I are taking a few minutes to give thanks to God and celebrate the progress to date. Here are a few highlights.

1) That we even have this property in escrow with first right of refusals on the other two parcels is a miracle to begin with! Add to this the smooth escrow to date: easement meeting, etc.

2) That we have a fantastic and growing community of people who are praying with us and partnering with us in this adventure.

3) Donations officially pledged and/or received to date: approx. $230,000

4) Number of donor parties (married couples counting as one) participating so far: 15+

We’ve got 10 days to go and $170,000 left to raise. We remain confident that God is at work! Tonight, we’re giving Him praise and glory for bringing us this far.

We’re on this exciting adventure of seeking to raise $400,000 in 30 days. We’re currently 13 days from our deadline. We have approximately $215,000 in pledges and gifts received. There are some folks who have told us they plan to give, but have not given us a number. But, as you can see, we still have a ways to go. We’re trusting that God has a way to make this work. Thanks for your prayers!

Let me begin with a confession: when working on a vision as exciting as the Iona House vision, the constant temptation is to try to make it my project or for Elizabeth and I together, our project… to pretend to ourselves that it could be our efforts or our cleverness or our strategies that bring it about. And yet, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this project is only and ever God’s project. He is the one who has placed the dream in our hearts (starting 3 years ago in a conscious way). He has been showing us that this is a dream far bigger than we are capable of accomplishing in our own strength (which is a kind of grace, actually). God is the one who has opened the doors all along the way. We’ve already seen more than a handful of miracles which operate in our hearts as signs reminding us of what has been our mantra the past number of years in ministry (both for planting and developing Eucharist Church and now this Iona House vision) - “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). We hope and pray that this mantra will guide everything we’re doing. Our job is to prayerfully listen in order to walk in step with the Spirit and participate in what He is doing. We are but participants in God’s great project. May it be so.