Back in Fall of 2015, we found out we were expecting another reward, baby # seven. I have had many of my babies with midwives and planned to have this one with a midwife at home, so I didn’t have an ultrasound until the following January.
I felt there were big changes ahead, but had no clue as to how big they were going to be or how God was planning to pour out His generous gifts on our family. In January 2016, I went for my first ultrasound. Not only were we welcoming baby # seven, but babies seven and eight! Twins! Twin girls to be exact! This was incredibly exciting especially since our first five children were boys!
We had been renting a home in a cul-de-sac, but I had always longed for a little more space for our children to play. That spring, some friends in the church approached us about buying their home on five acres. When we talked to them, we still owned a home in Idaho and didn’t want a second mortgage, so we turned them down. They came to us a second time and offered to rent us their home until we sold ours in Idaho. The rent would be the amount as we were paying for our cul-de-sac home. That seemed like an obvious open door and so we accepted and moved in the week before the twins were born!
Not only did they rent it to us, but they also sold it to us for the same price they bought it for two years prior, which was about $60k under market value!
About a month before the girls were born, the Lord answered our prayers in a major way. We had been praying about how to afford a larger vehicle since our eight-passenger van wouldn’t hold our entire family. We couldn’t afford a larger van because we owed money on our current van. One Sunday morning, an envelope was handed to me from an anonymous giver—an envelope full of cash--$7000! That was exactly what we had owed on our vehicle. We were able to pay our vehicle off and eventually get another that was able to seat our entire family.
After the girls were born, there were numerous things (car seats, high chairs, a larger vehicle, and many other miscellaneous things) that we needed for our growing family. As a family, we presented our list to the Lord every evening and watched Him fill EVERY need. It was truly miraculous! So much so, that a few months down the road another need came up and my oldest son said, “Just pray about it, Mom, the Lord always gives us what we need!” Ah, out of the mouths of babes! I figure if my children learn that God is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, they will have an amazing start to their own journeys as they leave the nest!
AMY WOODWARD
Lebanon, Oregon, USA
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Doug and Amy with their delightful family: Back row: Caleb (11), Doug, Amy, Isaiah (5 months), Matt (14), Aaron (9). Front row: Andrew (7), Abigail (2), Sarah (2), Anna (3), and Levi (5).