February/March Update...

First of all, I apologize for the relative silence that was February. It was a rough month for us, and we were just trying to hold on, much less get everything accomplished that we wanted to accomplish.

By way of back-tracking, we got some not-too-good news last month. Pastor called me into his office one day as we usually do each week to touch base and keep each other abreast of any news and schedules for the week and all. Long story short, the church isn't picking up financially as we hoped that it would. Offerings are just about the same as they were at this time last year. What this means is that simply in about 4-5 months the church will no longer be able to pay me what they are paying me now. Let me stop here and say that no one wants this to happen. Pastor told me that he is abssolutely pleased with what I've done, and the impact that our family has had on the church. We love the church and desire to stay, and that's what we are hoping happens.

We are faced with what we can see are four basic possiblities:
1. The church's finances turn around, and they are able to keep me on at my current rate or bring me on full-time. (best-case scenario)
2. I am able to procure a full-time teaching position at a local Christian school, and the church falls into more of a part-time role financially. (desirable alternative)
3. I am able to find a full-time position somewhere else in the country meaning that we would have to uproot and move again. (not-so-desirable alternative, but I'm willing to do it, if it means my family's needs are provided)
4. I am not able to find any kind of job that would sufficiently supply my family's needs, and we are forced (no offense to her family) to move in with Dulcy's family in Washington to start over from scratch. (worst-case scenario)

We are not sitting on our hands, here, and we need you all to join with us in prayer for God's provision. He's provided for us in the past, and He can and will do it again. I don't know how God would turn the church's finances around to enable the church to bring me on full-time, but I know that He can. PRAY. I have already recontacted the Christian schools in the area, and have two decent leads. We are waiting on letters of intent from the teachers to be returned to the principals/directors before we know anything further. Most schools require the letters of intent to returned by the end of March. PRAY that something will open up for me on this front. I really miss teaching, and this is what I believe to be a really good fit, as it will also provide the way for our kids to get back to a traditional Christian school setting. My Dad is helping me apply to as many federal government jobs as possible. I've already applied to seven vacancies that he has sent me in the last few days. I am quite unfamiliar with how the application process works with these government jobs, but I've followed all the directions. PRAY. If nothing avails itself within the next few months, we will more than likely have to move in with Dulcy's parents to start from scratch again. And sincerely, I do not mean to paint this in such a negative light. Russ and Mary have been very gracious and generous to put that offer on the table for us, and it is something of a safety net, so to speak. But from our point of view, this is not what we want to see happen for our family's sake. It wouldn't be bad to be near the family there, indeed, the kids would love it; but it carries with it a certain air of failure, for which I am willing to accept full responsibility. Long story short...PRAY.

I'm sorry to be dropping this on you all so suddenly. I have told some of you before this update of our current situation, but for most of you, this is the first you've heard of any real difficulty. Please also understand that, while we are struggling currently, we are fine in most respects. We are paycheck to paycheck, but we aren't starving, our clothes aren't ratty, our vehicles are running well, and we are generally safe. The difficulty is simply that our future is now once again uncertain. And it is a weary realization to find ourselves in that state after having come so far. But now that you all know our situation, please join us in petitioning our mighty God to intervene on our behalf. Really, any of the possibilities that I've mentioned before are things that I would willingly do to ensure my family's safety and provision. So, please PRAY that God will continue to work, and that He will show us what He wants us to do from day to day.

Now that the unfortunate news is out there, February also presented us with some good news. About two days after we found out about the church situation, we also found out that Dulcy is pregnant with our fourth child! Her due date is October 19th. She has another check-up scheduled for April 1st. Katherine, of course, is praying for a girl, and Michael and David, another boy. Dulcy and I aren't necessarily concerned with gender this go around. I'm sure Dulcy wouldn't mind another girl, and I'm with her on that one, too, after seeing how much easier a girl takes to many different things (not the least of which is potty-training). But no matter what the gender turns out to be, we will love and cherish him or her as we do all of our kids.

I will endeavor to send another update out this month to catch you all up on the other things going on. I would include them here, but I fear I've rambled too long already. Please feel free to contact via email or by phone if you have any questions of any kind.

In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.
Mark 10:45