My family had acquired the American dream. A large house in a golf community in North Carolina. All the toys, a motorcycle, a golf cart, and great vehicles. We had good jobs, and our kids were thriving.
Then, on January 17, 2017, my husband, Gary, and I both lost our jobs within an hour of each other. That’s when we knew God was up to something. We felt a tug and knew He was asking us to become “pastors” for missionaries in Haiti, although there was one minor issue: We had never set foot in Haiti.
In the spring of that year, we both cried as the airplane wheels landed in Haiti for our first visit. We knew we were in the right place. Yet, God would soon reveal that His timing was different than ours.
We came home and waited for our house to sell. It would be two years before that would happen. In the meantime, all doors to Haiti closed firmly. The U.S. government informed us that if we went, we would be on our own due to the deterioration of Haiti’s fragile government and increasing hostage situations.
Our home sold a few weeks before the Covid shutdown in 2020. We knew God had asked us to move, but we weren’t sure where to go. One evening, Gary sat me down and said, “I think maybe God wants us to leave North Carolina”.
We ended up buying a house sight unseen in Anniston, Alabama. Several months later, our daughters moved closer and suggested I open a coffee shop. I still felt called by God to help others, and He was about to answer that prayer.
On our 26th wedding anniversary, October 7, 2021, we opened The Redbird Coffeehouse in neighboring Jacksonville with very little knowledge or experience. We operated on a “suggested pay” model based on God’s nudging. We were able to give thousands to incredible community, national, and international organizations as generous people joined our movement by rounding up or adding extra to cover drinks for others. People fellowshipped, worshipped and got saved within that little shop.
We spent 3 ½ years at The Redbird and saw God move in ways we never imagined. Now, we are dreaming and listening for our next big adventure! At 55, I’m convinced we are just getting started.
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