A Little Ray Of Hope…
Just eight short weeks ago, our lives changed forever.
It’s hard to believe it’s only been eight weeks since that horrible Wednesday. Sometimes it feels like it’s been years since we’ve been home.
It’s been a long road. It’s been hard to find a new normal. It’s been hard not to have our own space and no alone time as a family, apart from our brief escapes to the park of an afternoon. It’s been hard to have all of us share a bed for nearly two months. It’s been hard to go through the things that were saved, but always have that sadness at the things that weren’t. It’s been hard to be homeless. To lose all dignity and pride when asking for help because we need it.
It’s been hard to wait, to grieve, to hope for anything.
In the beginning, I found it hard to imagine how we’d get home. I’ve always had a knack for working my way around things, out of things. I’ve always believed in the saying “when one door closes, another one opens”, because that has always been my experience. You have to go through the bad to get to the good. But no matter how hard I thought, planned, imagined, I couldn’t figure a way out of this. In the first few weeks, I was so desperate to find us a place to live, to find a way to afford a house to rent as well as pay the mortgage. But I knew it wasn’t possible. In my frustration, I would sit here on the balcony and wish that I could conjure a house out of thin air. For that seemed much more feasible than being able to rebuild our home.
And then early one Sunday morning, a couple of weeks ago, I got a little ray of hope.
My step-mum, Leanne, came in at 7:30 in the morning on this day with the phone in her hand. She told me that a man called Lucas was on the phone and wanted to speak to me. I was disoriented and confused as to why someone would want to speak to me so early on a Sunday morning. {I even thought maybe a long-lost relative might have passed away and this man – perhaps a long-lost fifteenth cousin twice removed – was going to inform me of a vast inheritance LOL}.
He told me he had an offer for us, he had gotten our details through the Lion’s Club, but would like to meet with us to discuss it further. We set up a meeting at his house for 11:00 that morning. Boy, this must be serious!
We were as nervous as if we were going for a job interview on the drive over there. We really had no idea what it was all about. We thought maybe they were going to offer to do our floors, our plastering, or something like that. After the time we’d had we dared not get our hopes up for anything. In our situation, if someone wanted to give us a new letterbox we’d be happy!
We got there and met with Lucas and his lovely wife, in their lovely home. He asked about our situation. We told them our story, showed photos. What they were offering was unbelievable.
They had already heard of our plight through a very special person who had put our name forward for a big project. You see, Lucas is the head of construction at John Paul College, and they wanted to rebuild a home for a young family who had been devastated by the floods.
As he put it, they’ll start at the front gate and go all the way through to the back yard. They will use their team of builders, contractors, landscapers, the plasterer, interior designers, the works, to do it all, donating their time, materials and efforts to the project. He said they put Jamie Durie to shame.
So, really I should say it’s a massive ray of hope. Not so little after all!
And the most wonderful thing is… they chose us!!!!!!!
THEY CHOSE US!!!
We feel like we have well and truly won the lottery.
We had to go for a meeting last Monday morning at the school to make it all official. We met the headmaster, Warren, and so many other people it was mind boggling! We thought it would be a little meet and greet, but when we went to meet the building team we were absolutely blown away! There were so many people there, each offering a service. The builder, electrician, data cabler, flooring people, benchtop people, kitchen people, interior designer, architects, landscapers… Seriously, I have never seen anything like it!
I haven’t cried for weeks, but when I got up to say thank you to them all, that we would never in a million years be able to have rebuilt our home without them, I cried. We are just so grateful. So happy to have the chance to go back home. To have a home for our kids again. To have so much done for us without the stress. To have that weight finally lifted from our shoulders.
The last week has been a flurry of meetings with architects, interior designers, the kitchen people. And you know the best thing?? When I asked Lucas how long he thought it would be until we got back home, he said probably three or four weeks!
THREE OR FOUR WEEKS!!!!! This nightmare is finally going to be over.
Thank you John Paul College. From the bottom of our hearts.
And thank you to the person who put us forward for this amazing opportunity. For doing it because they knew we would never have put our hand up ourselves. For thinking enough of us to want to do that. I like to think of them as our “Fairy Godmother”.
i am literally sitting here crying. i am so very very happy for you and your family. this is the best news ever. yay!
i am SO, SO, SO, SO happy for you guys. you deserve the best and now you’ve received it!
That’s awesome, amazing, and wonderful news, Zoe! I’m so excited for you!
Oh Zoe. What a blessing. I’m in tears of joy for you. God does indeed hear the prayers and answers them.
Oh wow Zoe, I am so happy for you! This sounds like a dream, like Extreme Homemakeover! I wish you and your family the best new home ever!
Love,
Leontine
Zoe, such wonderful news!!!! I’m so so happy for you!
That’s wonderful news, Zoe! I’m so happy for you and your family.
Amazing…I really needed to hear this today. Thank you. Now if someone would answer my prayers. GOD BLESS you all!
awww this made me cry. you are so deserving and have been through so much. Im so glad to see you will be back home really soon!!
You have me crying now. What amazing, wonderful news! I have been thinking about you and your family, hoping you were OK. What a blessing to have these people come to your rescue. This has really made my day.
that is so very awesome! i am very happy for you
what a great ray of hope and sunshine!
OMGosh Zoe I am so happy for you and your family!
Oh my gosh Zoe, I am so, so, so, so happy for you and your family! The doors of heaven have opened for you pouring this wonderful blessing upon your head. God bless you always. Hugs from the bottom of my heart! The Lord hears and answers our prayers.
Oh Zoe…prayers have been answered. I am so so happy for you and your family.
Been following your story & all I have to say is how absolutely fabulous this is for you that you will have your new home soo soon.
Soooo happy for you, Zoe! I pray that this new home will be filled with lots of love, joy, and laughter for you and your family
ZOE! I have a lump in my throat the size of a coconut. That is amazing. There are awesome people in this world, huh? Your story has been both heart-wrenching and uplifting and you so deserve this! Congrats to both your family AND to the project team – all of you will be blessed by this. I’m so looking forward to the next chapter!
OMGosh, that is so AMAZING!!!! I’m so happy for you and your family, Zoe!!
YAY, this is fantastic news!!! Thanks JPC for your generosity!
What an AMAZING story, Zoe!! Congrats on your big ray of hope!!
That is so so amazing!!!! So happy for you and your family!
So happy for you and your family! Awesome when good things happen to good people!!!
What a blessing, Zoe! Happy for you and your family! It’s a great news!
I am so excited for you Zoe! That is such wonderful news. I can’t wait to see the pictures of your new house.
Zoe I am so very happy for you and your family!! Congratulations!
Oh my gosh, Zoe, I can’t imagine how over the moon you must be (I am too!) What an absolutely amazingly wonderful blessing for your family!
Wonderful, amazing news Zoe! You deserve it!
Zoe! that is so wonderful. WOW, how wonderful are the people of John Paul College??!! What an incredible, unbelievable solution to your devastating situation. YAY!!
Wow!!! Congratulations to you and your family Zoe! I am so incredibly happy for you!
Oh Zoe!!! I’m SO happy for you & your family!!! I know y’all must be thrilled!!!
Oh, Zoe!!!! That is SO fantastic. I’m incredibly happy for your family. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re endured these past 8 weeks. What a definite ray of sunshine!
Zoe – I am so happy for you and your family! What an amazing story and such a wonderful ray of hope!
I cannot tell you how happy I am for you and your family Zoe! It’s good to know that there are truly wonderful people out there to help when it is needed the most! Congratulations on your new home!!!!
I can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled I am for you and your family. I’m so glad this nigtmare is almost over for you. My prayers are with you and your new team of builders.
Oh dear Lord… I am so so happy for you and your family, Zoe!!! That quote you’ve mentioned above is so true, a new door has opened for you!!! *hugs*
We have an amazing God! Even from the pit of despair, he brings in his heavenly blessings more than we can imagine! I am so happy for you all and so glad your Fairy Godmother took the leap of faith to put you all forward! Can’t wait to see the following photos/or link us up to the show when it airs!
Zoe, that is such wonderful news. I am so happy that you’ll be back home soon! God surely has answered many, many prayers on your behalf. I know I’ve been praying for you and your little family, and it does my heart good to know that they’ve been heard! We all love you Zoe and can’t wait to see photos of your new home!
What a blessing and a miracle. So happy for you and your family.
OMG Zoe!! This is such a blessing for you and your family! I am so happy for you all!! This happy ending is definitely worth scrapping about!!!
This is AMAZING news!!! I’m so happy for you!!
I am just so so happy and thrilled for you! Thanks for the update and I’m praying everything moves smoothly and in three weeks you’ll be standing in front of your new home
God bless!
What fabulous news! Zoe I’m so happy for you and your family. What a blessing!!
That is amazing Zoe!! Your family absolutely deserves this blessing!!! The Lord has answered your prayer! Much love to you and your family , you are such a strong woman!!
Shannon
OMG WOW…I am sat here crying…how truly wonderful, I am so, so happy for you all, your prayers have been answered!!! I can’t wait to see it! I’m so excited for you all…that has absolutely made my year as well as yours!!! Big huge hugs for you all xoxoxox
Zoe, I am so happy for your family! What a blessing!!
Thank you for sharing this post. I am so happy for you and your family, and so grateful for people that are so willing to give.