Saturday, September 30, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure

Saturday Sept. 30th

Today we finally started to travel. But first, we had to take care of some unfinished business. We cleaned up the apartment the rest of the way and got it ready for the final inspection. We got our TV Cable and internet stuff all ready to take to Charter Cable, and lastly we had to take our cat to the Humane Society. This really wasn't what we wanted to do and we have been trying for weeks to find someone to take him off of our hands. There was a lot of crying involved. Ironic that while we were crying, Gepeto(the cat) was aloof, he would scratch the kids when provoked, would wake you up at 2am if you didn't force him outside before sleeping and scratched up the arms of the couches and the patio screen door. He would also get into fights occasionally with other cats and get infected on his back from the bites of other cats; the first couple of times this happened we would take him to the vet and get him cleaned up and treated(very Pricey!). After Joey was born we had other things to do with our money so we became the Vets: Q-Tips, hydrogen pyroxide and Neo Sporin. Still we were sad to take Kitty to the Humane Society. the tech there did promise Misty that kitty looked realy healthy and should be adopted quickly, with a hug and a few klenex we were on to our next task, getting the kids! Then on to the road. We started on hwy 80 and then onto 99. were we stoped in Ripon, California. We are making good progress, and we will get to San Diego early in the afternoon tomorrow. when we get a chance we will be able to post some pics we have taken along the way.

This is a good adventure though. Till we write again!

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
Friday Sept. 29th
I am actually writing this on Saturday....

Today we finished packing boxes, and sent the kids over to the Glanzmann family so we could work with fewer interruptions(thank you Maria you are wonderful!). At a little before 1pm we picked up our moving truck and at 2 we had friends arriving to help move. So as boxes were picked up etc, I dismantled our giant bed. Then as the truck was getting more and more full I was trying to throw away stuff we suddenly didn't really need anymore. I had to part with some books I have had for years. I gave away some tire chains from our old vehicle(like we need them in Mexico) along with a couple of other things, Thanks Gram for taking all of our plants we know they are in good hands! Around 4 pm it was becoming apparent that we were not going to be able to travel till Saturday. That was a bummer but Rich Shannons mom (grandma Helen) gave us a free hotel room she had been given from a local casino. Hello at the Nugget on the 20th floor over looking Sparks! it was an amazing view and a great time to relax and just be. did I mention this was... FREE At the same time we were finding out that we weren't getting out of town we got a phone call from Brett Curtis the Chief Operating Officer for YWAM San Diego, the visa's that the Ensenada people had were no good as far as the local authorities in Ensenada were concerned. So when we get to San Diego we are going to be delayed a couple of days before we actually go to Mexico. It was good for us that Randy Siever the Global Outreach Pastor asked us to stay an extra week, we would have just gotten unpacked and then would have had to pack all over again! Clear as mud, for the rest of the story your gonna have to write a post and we'll try to catch you up.

So in the end we did manage to get the truck loaded, the kids spent the night with Brett and Maria Glanzmann, and we got to sleep on a bed.
HUGE THANKS to the Shannons, Grandma Helen, Carol Smitherman, Matt Burkhardt, Sandy Blancey, Jimmy Marshall and Evan Fox. We couldn't have done Friday with out you! You are all truley servants and we can't thank you enough! WE LOVE YOU!

Next time I name a BLOG I should call it: The Moss Family everything is smooth sailing, no problems at all and everyone is happy and all Family members think everythings great, and life is just dandy Adventure. Yeah Right :)

Monday, September 25, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
Good morning!

This is our last week in Reno, and it will be a busy week. Today I am going to be running an errand while Misty is home with the kids. We have almost everything boxed up and will get that done soon. We got to see some friends last night at a BBQ so that was really good. During the afternoon while Misty and Emily were taking naps I went to the Guitar store nearby and got some strings and stuff for the guitar I got recently. I am really enjoying the gutar by the way and it is inspiring me to play more than I have played in years.

I am looking for ward to getting back into a kitchen again and getting busy, I was calling the YWAM base in San Diego trying to get ahold of somebody and I ended up talking to a young woman who is going to be in the kitchen in Ensenada with me cooking. Her name is Jesse and she just finished spending 6 months cooking with the YWAM outreach doing relief for the ongoing Hurricane Katrina work. She told me she has been cooking for 300 people a day using a regular sized cooking stove like the ones you would have in your house. I am impressed, that is Herculean to get that much food out for so long with such equipment. I cannot say how optimistic I am after having that conversation. Today She is starting and I hope and pray that wverything goes great. If you are reading this pray for Jesse. Thanks.

Here are more prayer requests...
The Moss family to have a safe trip through Calofornia and on into Mexico.
That we would be able to get right into the action and settled in.
That I would get closer to God while we are in Mexico.
And lastly a friend of mine is a Realtor in a Flat slow market and I am praying that he would get business sent his way so he can provide for his family.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
Today I woke up way early, and now I am tired. I can't wait to put the kids down for a nap. We still have more packing to do though and several items of furniture we are waiting for someone to pickup. I was planning our route for when we go to San Diego and we may need to go on a slight side trip to Oakland to visit friends. we shall see.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
I have good news...
We are getting almost all of our support from a lot of generous people. I am really excited but also sobered at how God has provided for us and the GENEROSITY of all the people who are sponsering us. I remember when we were writing our letter and even when we were considering this whole thing and wondering if it was going to happen. But I just want to thank the Living God who provides for all our needs and thank Him also for the encouragement we have been given by so many friends at church.

So far we have raised

6725 dollars towards our initial move and Discipleship Training School expenses.

And 1575 dollars committed to our monthly Budget.

Our goal is 9000 dollars for the initial expenses and Misty's Discipleship Training School.
Our monthly budget is 2550 dollars each month


Like I said we are really blessed. Stay tuned.....

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
Well here is an update as to where we are...


We will be actually leaving on the 23rd of Sept early in the morning. We were asked to hang around another week to answer questions to people who may have them or want to take us out for coffee and really grill us. Misty finishes work on Friday, we still have more stuff to pack up and a lot of stuff has been taken care of. This will hopefully be not too bad of a move. We will see how it goes once we get to San Diego and have to unload and fill the storage unit. I guess I am just getting ready to start working again, I am getting bored with wrangling children.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Friday, September 08, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure
THE GREAT ESCAPE part two....
Yesterday I was flipping through the TV and the movie The Great Escape was on, unfortunately it was the last 10 minutes, and it was on AMC American Movie Classics where they have a commercial interupption every 3 minutes. Anyhow one of the prisoners was saying to another after they had been caught by the Germans "the planning and working on the escape had kept them alive" As he was speaking they all get cut down by a 50 caliber machine gun.

THE LETTER
Yesterday was spent emailing back and forth the pictures for the leter and stuffing the envelopes. I got everything off from the main post office at just about 9 last night. Now we are just praying that everything goes through and that God uses people to be part of our team. Last time I did this 10 years ago when I went to Mercy Ships it was pretty exciting, when I was on the ship it was a struggle for me to stay on top of communicating with friends through the mail. I hope it is a TOTALLY different story this time around. Now I have Misty to help and we can do it together. That's also why we have this BLOG site as well. Now we have to finish packing for our move, get rid of some stuff, and I am still trying to round up a bit more support to make sure everything is covered.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure

Here is our letter.
Greetings from the Moss Family,

A couple of months ago we were called by a friend who is working with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in San Diego. He asked Bill to consider joining their staff team in Ensenada, Mexico, to serve as the Kitchen Manager. The last week of July, 2006 we visited the YWAM facility there and did a thorough investigation of the property, the people and the work that is going on in Ensenada. After thoughtful prayer and seeking advice from some of you, our friends and family, we felt that this opportunity would be a perfect fit for the whole Moss family. We agreed to pack it up and move south of the border to join with what YWAM is doing in Ensenada, Mexico.

What is YWAM doing in Ensenada?

Youth from all over the world come to experience ten days serving out of the base facility at Ensenada. During this ten-day experience they receive extensive training on how to serve the local population and help them connect with Jesus Christ. Whether it's performing a drama or a puppet show for kids or giving a cup of hot chocolate and some food to the homeless on the street, these days are filled with serving. The last two days of the trip the team builds a house for a family in need, a program called, “Homes for Hope”. It is inspiring to watch these teens give unselfishly to help a less fortunate family in Mexico regain their life. During the spring break and summer there are four houses built per week. As of May 30, 2006, the YWAM ministry has enabled one thousand, nine hundred and ninety six homes to be built in the Tijuana and Ensenada communities. Families who had been living in homes with cardboard walls and tarp-draped roofs received real roofs, a firm foundation and strong walls to begin their life anew. That sounds a lot like what Jesus might do, to us.

Throughout the rest of the year YWAM gets students from surrounding cities in Mexico involved with a variety of community projects, including building a home for a less fortunate family in their own communities. YWAM also invites corporate businesses and families from around the world to get their hands dirty by building a home for the poor. Poor families are being helped, and those that serve them have their minds and hearts opened as they participate in God’s agenda to care for the poor of the world. To get more information on YWAM please visit their web site at www.ywamsandiegobaja.org.

What will you be doing?

Bill will get to use his amazing God-given gifts to cook, create new menus, supervise volunteers, teach others how to cook, maintain sanitation, and strive to have a friendly, fun atmosphere in the kitchen. Misty will attend Discipleship Training School (DTS) to be qualified to come on staff with YWAM. DTS, which is three months long, takes place on the base in Ensenada. After the schooling she will apply to be involved in the Video Department, which is what she has been doing in her current position at Sparks Christian Fellowship.

The Ensenada YWAM base is filled with kids, some the same age as our children, and some teen/college age. We hope to connect with and help create community amongst the staff and volunteers at the base, learn Spanish, and relate to the Mexican people. This should be fun, challenging and faith building for our whole family.

Wow! That sounds awesome! How much are they going to pay you?

Although YWAM does provide a modest salary, we need a lot of people like you to partner with us financially to enable them to do this. We are asking you to become part of a team of people who will commit to supporting us, both in prayer and with finances. We need to raise $2,555.00 a month, which will cover our housing, living expenses, insurance, medical expenses, transportation, school for the kids, and more (a detailed budget is available upon request). We also must raise an initial one-time expense of $9000.00 to cover moving expenses, DTS for Misty, and to ensure we can afford to return home when that time comes. Our initial commitment with YWAM is for 2 years, but we are only asking you to consider committing to one year at a time.

Would you be willing to join us on this adventure?

It’s a three-step process.

Step one:
Pray! Pray for our pending travel plans, for needed finances, and for the work God is going to do through us. And pray about joining our team by pledging a monthly gift and/or a one-time contribution. Pray about what your gift should be, and then pledge whatever God leads you to give… no more, and no less.

Step two:
Give! Checks should be made to “YWAM San Diego/ Baja”, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Make sure you enclose your pledge form with your check (for your first month’s contribution, if you can give monthly) so we can ensure that your gift will be credited to our account, and so we can have your current contact information. Please don’t put our name anywhere on your check.

Step three:
Mail! Use the self-addressed, stamped envelope for your convenience. Our deadline to hear back from you is September 20, 2006, so please don’t delay! We hope to depart for Ensenada as early as October 2006, but our support goals must be met prior to leaving.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this letter! Our hope is that you would consider joining the Moss Family Adventure and serve with us without having to leave home. Our commitment to those who commit to our team is to keep you “in the loop”. We commit to write to you monthly, preferably by email, but by snail-mail if you prefer. We have also set up a blog site: mossfamilyadventure.blogspot.com. This is a journaling site where we will post up to date information and even some video footage of our adventure along the way. Feel free to check it out anytime!

We are excited and look forward to hearing back from you soon. If you have any questions at all, please contact us at any of the numbers or addresses on the top of this letter. We’d love to hear from you!

The Moss Family
Bill, Misty, Joey and Emily

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Picture of our family

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The Moss Family Adventure

The Moss Family Adventure

We have had a busy week. We have been working on our fundraising letter for a while now but it is almost finished; we have also been to the office supply store to get paper, labels and envelopes. Right now the plan is to get a moving truck and pack it up on Friday the 22nd of September and start driving on Saturday and arrive in San Diego on the 24th after spending the night somewhere in California on Inerstate 5. I don't really have a burning desire to stop halfway in the middle of California but we don't want to kill the kids with too much traveling. I do think it will be quite an adventure for Joey to sit in the cab of the moving truck though.

I read a book over the past few days. THE GREAT ESCAPE this is the book that was the inspiration for the movie they made in the 1960's. It was a good read and even though the prisoners for the most part didn't make it out sucessfully;I think it was good for them to have done all the working and planning. They would have all gone crazy if they had just done nothing.

We also took a picture I will post it if I can get through all the hoops of my KODAK easy share program, that program and trying to wrangle my kids are the things in my life that make me feel like a monkey. The whole experience of gettingt he picture made me feel like a monkey also. We got a friend to take the picture at her house when we dropped the kids off for babysitting the other night. We tried to do it at the pool, but that didn't really work.

More posts to follow...