These past six months were hard. Our plans were shaken up; we had to face the unknown, learn to surrender, and trust the process.
In the beginning, we rode the emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs; disappointment, hope, fear, and faith all came into play. We learned to flow with them instead of reacting or resisting them and embrace this season of spiritual growth.
The prayer I (Becky) said the most during this time was asking our Creator to put us where we could be of the most service and show us what to do. Knowing I had my own desires clenched tightly in my mental grip, I learned to open my hands and release them to see what else could have room to drop in.
For the past six months, we have checked the market daily and had our agent contact off-market properties. We put offers on several properties, but each didn’t work out for various reasons. Initially, we wanted to stay within 20 minutes of our home, but as we continued our search, it was clear we would need to expand our boundaries to find more opportunities. With our 26-acre property not being sold yet, it also created challenges for financing another large property.
A few months back, a particular building further from our home caught our attention. Although a bit of a drive, something was appealing about this larger historic property in the center of Hastings. The former potato building at the end of a sleepy main street about to wake up from the outpouring of community love called for a peek.
We went mid-January with our agent, who happens to be leading the street’s wakeup call and felt moved by its charm. Almost 100 years old, waiting patiently for her purpose, we thought, “Wow, wouldn’t this make a fun school?” It was different from our original vision for a building, but we could see its potential.
We made an offer that night and were told another company was coming in with a stronger offer, so the seller didn’t accept ours. Fast-forward to now. A day after we returned from a family trip, we were told the other buyer had backed out and that we had a chance to offer again. We did, and it was accepted. We are under contract for Free Kids Academy of Hastings!
What does this mean? We have 45 days to complete our due diligence and ensure the building doesn’t have too many surprises. In the meantime, we are praying for the financials to fall into place.
If all goes smoothly, we should be able to put together a rough timeline for opening. We will have some work to get the building up to code and add parking, fences, security, furniture, décor, and more.
On another note, I (Becky) spoke with our neighbor at 3940 State Road 16. After a long and interesting conversation, I want to share that we have made peace. He would like it stated that he did not shoot intentionally. He said it was a very random shooting practice that was very close to the fence at the same time as our event, and he said he didn’t see we had anything going on. He didn’t really have a reason why he or his wife didn’t respond to our messages until after we decided to put it up for sale. The whole set of circumstances was a bit confusing, but we trust everything is in divine order, and we made the best decision for our future students and family based on the information we had at the time.
After careful consideration, we are keeping the property on the market and letting the universe guide us on how best to use it.
We ask you to continue to pray for Free Kids Academy and, if our first location is in Hastings, that it comes together with ease and joy.
Thank you for your continued patience and support.
