OK! I'M NOT STUPID! Faith With Brains

   God gave us brains, so let's use them.  We are not going to jump into this airplane and fly...first without a pilot and second without a plan.  Our pilot is Jesus.  Here is the preliminary plan:

               #1-  PRAY!!!  Do not do anything until this is done first.  Go where He leads.  If He does not want us to do this, then be faithful, obedient and stop!!!  Stay true to Jesus and His church.
               #2- Fix that Baby up!  The Airstream is in good condition considering its age.

(Mold on inside roof)

(These are not cracks. Old Tint)

It is a 1976 Argosy.  It is paid for!!!  It has a solid body and original everything.  We even have some of that old 70's carpet under the cabinets.  There are no cracks in the windows.
We did a basic check over all systems.  The ac needs replaced and it needs new tires.  This weekend David s going to plug it into the house and do a thorough check over everything.  We're scared!!!  We are going to make a list of what needs fixed and what needs done.  Cosmetically... it's not in bad condition.  I would eventually like to have a paint job both inside and out.  I know there is mold inside, so I plan to begin scrubbing it out this weekend.  We have all the original appliances.

(Rusted a bit.  May to scrap off to stainless steel underneath)

 We may need to update a bit, just for storage space.  If we are going to be out in this a lot, we will need storage.  I'm praying there is not any hidden damage.  A big concern is that we may have to gut it and replace insulation.  We will check it over and have more clarity this weekend.
               #3-  Longer term goal:  Buy some land to park her on.  This would serve many purposes: a place to store her, a place for David's truck, and as a stationary base for mail, homeschooling and storage.
We would need a septic, water and electric.  We would need a storage shed/office building/steel building to store things that won't fit in the Airstream, to give us a bigger kitchen and bathroom or that could double as an office or schoolhouse.  http://www.lancasterbarns.com
 We plan to pay for this as we go, so it could take some time.  Once our house is sold we'd have more money coming in to do these things.
                    As far as homeschooling is concerned, North Carolina requires you to be in the state during the 180 days the school is in session. http://www.ncdnpe.org/index.aspx This makes it very hard to home-school and be full time RVers.  So, for us, land it vital. We can then have 180 days in state to home-school our children and then travel.  We are required to have a physical address.  We cannot use a PO BOX.  Texas is a different story. http://thsc.org/  Once residency is confirmed there, there are no state requirements for full time RVing and homeschooling as far as I have researched.  http://www.homeschool.com/articles/Whelchel/
http://blog.woodalls.com/2010/02/roadschooling/    If we had land there, we would have more options.  Good things to know, but who knows how long all this is going to take.  The kids may be out of school by the time we set sail.  Then we can "set up" right across the street from their college and wave at them.  They will never get rid of us.  Ha ha ha ha :-) "No!"  I can hear BB shriek.

               #4- The Big goal is no debt!!!

               #5- Sell the house.  This will require some fix up in of itself.  Finishing off our deck, painting Aidan's black space room and a big yard sale.

      These are just Big ideas.  We will know more as we go.  There are some things that make this easier for us.  First of all David is a truck driver, use to living in a small space, who owns his own truck and has his own authority.  We can live anywhere.  Has job-can travel.  Second the Argosy we bought is pretty spacious considering it is a 26ft RV.  I made sure I had the twin bed floor plan.

Each twin has storage below and above.  They sit across from each other with the hallway between them.  We could add curtains to each bed nook for privacy.  So, each person has their space.  The couch in the front would be taken out and  we would build a nook bed there for David and me.
The kitchen is small.

 The bathroom is small, but I can make do.

Eventually, we can buy that building for a kitchen, bathroom, office space...If everything is paid for we may have more money to do this.  I also had this crazy idea of building a couple "tiny houses" for each kid to have as their own when they come and go from college.  http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com

Five more years and the kids will be wanting to make their own decisions in life.  That is not far off... :-(
     One more thing I learned from an Airstream blogger... use it while you redo it.  We are going to get in this Argosy as soon as we can.  We are going to make some memories, even if it isn't "done" yet.  As soon as it is safe, we are going camping!

And it begins...

     The idea began with a movie in 1992 called Leaving Normal.  Something about that movie pulled at my heart and stirred up a desire within me.  It was about two women who journeyed to Alaska in search of a home.  They begin their adventure not having a clue which direction to go, but they give it up to 'the powers-that-be', which in their case is the chance encounter with a bird pooping on their map, to guide their steps.  They walk out in faith, have trials and triumphs, meet a bunch of interesting people along the way, end up in an Airstream and eventually find their home, the place where they belong and are loved.  Isn't that what we all want...a home?  Unfortunately, many of us turn that desire into a house.  We spend lots of money, lots of time, and lots of work making our house the 'home'- we think we want.  However, a house is only a home when it is place in which you are loved.  It need not have three bedrooms, two baths and a lawn nor even a physical address.  We can carry our home on our trailers.  We can carry our home on our backs.  We can carry our home in our hearts, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. 
     And so, it begins... this weird journey in which I have no clue where it is going...  I don't know why I bought an Airsteam, except that I have always had this strong desire to do so.  When I was young I was so ready, but did not have the money nor the time.  Now I feel old; not quite so ready, still lacking money and time, but I'm feeling called to do so.  What is called?  Well, it is this strong desire that I believe is coming from my Jesus telling us to get our butts out of this house, which is draining our money, our time, and our work, and begin sharing The Gospel.   Nuts, huh?  I'm not even very good at sharing the Gospel!  I clam up, get sweaty palms and feel like people think I'm absolutely crazy talking about Jesus.  What is the plan??? Nothing is quite clear yet.  We are going to fix it up, sell this house and go wherever the Lord tell us.  Whether we live in this Airstream full time- I don't know? But we are not going to be bound to this house anymore.  We are going to be free; free to love; free to dance and free to be- whatever Jesus wants us to be.